ASK FATHER: A Blessing For Guns

[HomeschoolDad]

I couldn’t disagree any more strongly with this article.

Even if the 2nd Amendment were repealed, that would not outlaw guns. 2A only recognizes a pre-existing right in common law, and prohibits its infringement. 2A does not grant the right to bear arms. We do not look to the government to grant us that right. It’s already there.

This is a huge, extremely diverse, very complicated, and in some places, very crowded country, where many people would rather pull for themselves than pull together. It would not take much for social order to break down completely — a well-placed EMP blast from a rogue state or an enemy, a massive natural disaster that arises without warning, an ICBM aimed directly at Yellowstone, what have you. If “things hit the fan”, you will want to be able to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property. Responsibly used and owned arms, kept by those who respect them and understand how to use them, could help with that. God forbid it would ever come to that, but how do you protect your home when there are roving bands of marauders — something about being able to sleep peacefully at night (as peacefully as you could under those circumstances, anyway) because you have rough men standing vigil to protect you?

At the very least, keep food stored, nutritious food that doesn’t necessarily rely upon being cooked. Cold canned beans and bottled water taste mighty good when you’re starving.

 

[DaveBj]

Almost seven years ago, America called for the Second Amendment to be repealed. Their arguments now seem more compelling than ever.

That would require the approval of the legislatures in 35 (or 36, or 37 – don’t remember the exact figure) of the 50 states. Good luck with that.

D

 

[JohnLilburne]

Some excerpts from the liturgical book Book of Blessings:

"CHAPTER 71
ORDER FOR A BLESSING TO BE USED IN VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES

INTRODUCTION

1984 Since the present rite provides a wide choice of texts, it can be readily adapted for use in various circumstances. The purpose of the rite is to sanctify through the celebration of a blessing those situations in life not explicitly indicated in the rites already given (for example, a gathering of family member or of a group for some special occasion; a collection of contributions for the poor, etc.)

1985 The present order is in no sense mean to violate principles concerning blessings; it is not fitting to turn every object or situation into an occasion for celebrating a blessing (for example, every monument erected no matter what its theme, the installation of military weapons, frivolous events). Rather every celebration must be considered with balanced pastoral judgment, particularly when there is any foreseeable danger of shocking the faithful or other people."

"CHAPTER 24
ORDER FOR THE BLESSING OF TOOLS OR OTHER EQUIPMENT FOR WORK

INTRODUCTION

919 It is appropriate to bless tools or even larger implements or equipment (for example, trucks, tractors, fishing boats) that people use in their work. Such a blessing enables us to realise that our work forms a bond and a channel of mutual service and charity between the members of the human family; that by our labor we can share in the work of perfecting God’s creation. Such a blessing may be celebrated on special occasions, for example, the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker or a patron saint, or during a convention of workers, who gather and present the tools of their trade to be blessed.

920 The celebration of this blessing has reference not so much to the objects but to the people who will use them in their work. Therefore the blessing is not to be celebrated without their presence or at least the presence of representatives."

The above is from the USA edition. In the Latin book the numbers are 698 (not 919) and 1244 (not 1984).

[Excerpts from the English translation of Book of Blessings ©1987, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.]

 

[buc_fan33]

I think it’s a stretch, at best, to suggest that guns are what the authors have in mind here.

 

[Wm777]

Interesting…I did not know that.

I have this little .22 revolver that must be possessed because I can’t hit the side of a barn with it. Either that or I’m just a bad shot…

That depends… are you standing inside or outside the barn?

 

[Welshrabbit]

I carry a gun (sometimes several) for work. I would never ask for any of my guns to be blessed. I will however, ask for prayers that they will never need to be fired at any other time other than at the range.

 

[Welshrabbit]

On top of it! :crazy_face:

 

[Mrchatsworth]

My guns have been blessed. From the picture it could very well be for hunting season. For all the people arguing about the specific tool use of a gun, perhaps, just perhaps, it is used to feed a family.

 

[vsedriver]

My brother in law, a metalsmith, hand made 3 rifles. They were stunningly beautiful as well as functional. At his passing, each daughter was given one. Neither of the girls shoot. My sister, has killed deer from her bedroom window. My brother hunts on his property and hers. Both fill their freezers with venison. Venison is served at a lot of family dinners. My son loves it.

A gun is a tool. I’m all for blessing a tool that provides food for a family.

 

[Welshrabbit]

Hunting. That would be a good reason. Didn’t think about that one…

 

[AlbMagno]

Can’t you buy meat?

 

[PetraG]

If you can’t bless it, melt it down. Pound it into a plowshare or a pruning hook. Whatever.
Otherwise, the more you need a moral compass to use it properly, the more it needs to be blessed.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

That would require the approval of the legislatures in 35 (or 36, or 37 – don’t remember the exact figure) of the 50 states. Good luck with that.

Especially after DC v. Heller. The Second Amendment is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

 

[do_justly_love_mercy]

Even if the 2nd Amendment were repealed, that would not outlaw guns.

I agree. Repealing the 2nd Amendment would not have the effect of making it illegal to keep and bear arms. It would, however, make it possible for legislation to be introduced that would severely limit that right. It would also signal a change of culture. For many Americans, the right to keep and bear arms is an essential part of their sense of what it means to be American.

2A only recognizes a pre-existing right in common law, and prohibits its infringement.

Common law is not fixed for all time. Common law as it existed on 4 July 1776 is not the same as it is today. We are not living under the laws of 18th-century England. For example, we do not have bills of attainder, even though this was a part of English common law at the time of our independence. Indeed, all the countries around the world that inherited English common law now have different laws to what they had at the time of their independence from Westminster.

We do not look to the government to grant us that right. It’s already there.

That doesn’t mean that that right will always be there or should always be there. Consider the 18th Amendment, for example, as well as numerous local laws that prohibit the sale, possession, or consumption of alcohol in whole counties or smaller communities.

I live in San Francisco, where we have to be prepared for earthquakes. I follow the advice to have enough water and food for at least three days. We have an early warning system and buildings are supposed to be designed to withstand an earthquake, so I don’t worry too much. What I am certainly not preparing for is the scenario in which I have to use a gun to fend off a roving band of marauders.

Other countries manage to have strict gun control. In 1996 there were mass shootings in Dunblane in the UK and just six weeks later in Port Arthur in Australia. Both countries took immediate, decisive, cross-party action. If the Dunblane massacre had taken place in the US, it would have been only the 10th worst mass shooting in our history, but in the UK it is their worst ever. The Port Arthur massacre would rank 3rd compared with other US mass shootings. It’s also worth considering that the UK’s John Major was a Conservative and Australia’s John Howard was a Liberal, which confusingly is actually their right-wing party. In other countries around the world people do not need to have guns to protect themselves, their families, or their property. Orwell actually said, “Those who ‘abjure’ violence can do so only because others are committing violence on their behalf.” He is talking about violence being used by the armed forces of the state, not individual citizens armed with their own weapons.

 

[do_justly_love_mercy]

I’m not saying it could be achieved easily, but our constitution has been amended 27 times already, so it is not impossible.

 

[PetraG]

Can’t you buy meat?

Once you own a hunting firearm, hunting can be a valuable supplement to the family diet in a budgetary sense. There aren’t a lot of “hobbies” that provide something that is necessary and also cooperates with positive management of a wild ecosystem.

It is kind of like owning a sewing machine, actually. If you enjoy the hobby and put some time into it, you can actually provide things you can’t get otherwise and even save money on providing what your family needs.

People don’t usually take up hunting or sewing as a way to save money unless they enjoy it, though: not unless they’re making it a point to live an unusually self-sufficient lifestyle.

Harvesting your own wild game gives food a flavor you can’t buy.

True. While wild game doesn’t have a flavor and texture everybody likes, by and large hunters try to bring home meat that their family prizes rather than just fulfilling a need.

 

[twf]

Traditionally priests were forbidden from carrying swords I understand. Why would the high priest carry a gun?

 

[Beryllos]

Harvesting your own wild game gives food a flavor you can’t buy.

True, they don’t sell lead in the supermarket spice section.

 

[Usige]

Can’t you buy meat?

Meat can be terribly expensive compared to hunting.

If you live in rural area you can spend say $15 for a deer license and 90 cents on a 7mm deer riffle cartridge to net 60 lbs of venison. There might be additional costs depending if they have someone else process it or butcher it themselves. I have friends that grew up in the mountains and buying that much meat could equate to not filling their propane tank to heat the house for a month. I doubt you will find anyplace in the US where you could pay under 40 cents per pound for meat (assuming like my friend who did their own processing; maybe 2.50-4.00 / lbs to have others process it).

 

[otjm]

Looking more closely at the picture, it appears that the closest to the bottom is a shotgun; there may be one that is a black powder rifle, and another shotgun closer to the priest; as mush as can be seen of the rest, they appear to be bolt action, indicating a high likelihood that the scene is of hunting rifles; and my guess would be that it was at or just before hunting season.