As we move towards this 4th of July celebration of our 250th birthday, I have been thinking a lot about the never-ending debates we have about guns and God. Both are part of how we define ourselves and both are Constitutionally given – not God-given – rights. As part of the First Amendment, the government has no control over whether or not we practice a religion, something we continually seem to lose sight of. The Second Amendment tells us that we have the right to bear arms, including as part of a well-regulated militia. There is so much leeway in both of these amendments, and we can’t honestly find common ground, which has led to countless arguments, legal challenges, and broken relationships. There are only two places where religion is mentioned in the document, and, as far as I can see, only one where guns are mentioned. Both feel pretty vague.
In American life, both guns and religion are tools that can be used for good or bad. We know that guns are used to hunt, for self-defense, in law enforcement and war, target practice, etc.; they are also used for murder and mayhem. Religion is used to do good, for worship, as free speech, etc.; it can also be used to abuse and control people. Some people and faith communities use their faith to make the world a better place, while others use it to legislate and dominate and injure. The founders of America were smart people, and they knew that this could, and probably would, happen. I believe that they hoped that our better angels would win the day, knowing that this wouldn’t always be the case. The freedoms we hold dear, however, are far too important to severely limit or remove, so safeguards are sometimes put in place to make sure all have rights.
We can see the obvious carnage when guns are misused, and the same can be said about religion. Religion is being misused now in our government and by the leadership of our armed forces. It is being weaponized and codified and militarized. Antisemitism, one of the most perverse forms of abuse of religion, continues to grow, finding support among some politicians who see its value as a way to continue to divide and conquer. Anti-Islamic sentiment also continues to grow, finding its way into political rhetoric and pulpits across the country. Instead of uniting us, God is being used as a weapon to divide us – to make us afraid – to control our behavior. I can imagine that it isn’t just God weeping over this; the founders are probably weeping too. We need to take God back and find ways to promote unity rather than mayhem. God isn’t supposed to be used as a weapon. God is good.
Prayer – Holy and merciful God, may our hearts and minds find unity in You rather than division, so that healing, not harm, might happen in this country and this world. Amen.
Today’s art is “Good Deeds Do Away with Misdeeds” by Sherif Aly.