“Idolatry of guns.” What does that mean, exactly?
It might be hard to admit, but if you think about it, you can see that many groups in the United States see guns as sacred. Guns are not only the solution to our problems, they will save us from evil. Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, stated this himself: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
Do we really believe this? If we stop and think about it, we don’t. Our protection does not come from guns, and we do not live in a binary society of good and evil, where the right to hold dangerous weapons can be allocated to people who are entirely virtuous.
But the NRA certainly wants us to believe these things. And why shouldn’t they? They have a vested interest in making sure dangerous weapons continue to be sold, since they receive millions of dollars from gun manufacturers. They are not interested in good theology or protecting human life, only in setting up a theological system where guns are sacred and revered. Idols.
The NRA’s influence has kept us from sensible gun reforms for too long. Politicians march in step with this powerful organization out of fear of what will happen if they do not. The solutions to the problem are obvious, and previous Supreme Court rulings indicate they are entirely within the bounds of the Second Amendment. The lack of action is morally wrong, and belies the extent to which we have accepted fear and phony theology as inevitable truths.
So let’s end it. Call on the NRA to address their idolatry and expose this for what it is. Sign a petition to the leadership of the National Rifle Association and let them know where you stand. Together, we can overcome their power and influence, and move towards a society where parents no longer have to bury their children.
Sign the petition here and help get out the word!
Janelle Tupper is Campaigns Assistant for Sojourners.
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