Guns--What Would Jesus Do?

Ordinarily I do not drag in the WWJD on any argument. What in the world would a man who lived 2000 years ago have to say about this confused chaotic world we live in? Yet—as we come to talk about guns I don’t know what Jesus would say about the Second Amendment or a whole lot of other things. I do know that he would come down on the side of persons first and foremost. He always did.  More than 30,000 die each year because of gun-related shootings and there have been a million deaths caused by guns since 1960.

Would Jesus want to live in a country where innocent children are killed indiscriminately? We know the answer to that question. The real issue is not the fear that the government will take away our guns. We know that is not going to happen. But no background checks, no laws passed against these weapons so powerful that they should only be used in war. What have we been thinking?

It is time to turn down the temperature on this issue is possible. People come first. Or should. Gun manufacturers, gun sellers and gun owners come next. We need no more Sandy Hooks. We need no more Gabby Giffords struggling to walk and to talk because of a madman with a gun somewhere.

The most thought-provoking words I have read lately came from Joe Nocera writing in the New York Times. He took the week of January 21^st though the 26^th and told what happened day after day because of guns. Read it and weep.

What would Jesus do? We don’t rightly know. Surely he would respect those who love hunting and gun-sports. But he would draw the line, I think with all the money being made by all those who make and sell weapons which should only be used in war if anywhere. And He would weep over those who love guns more than they do all those tears shed for victims of mindless shootings across this land.