Does the Catholic Church have a position on gun control?

[Holly3278]

Hey everyone. Does the Catholic Church have a position on gun control? If not, what kind of principles can we be used that are found in Catholic teaching for discerning what would be the best course of action as far as gun control goes?

If I understand correctly the bishops here in the United States do support some form of gun control. Also, would I be right in saying that the Catechism of the Catholic Church supports gun control in this paragraph?

2316 The production and the sale of arms affect the common good of nations and of the international community. Hence public authorities have the right and duty to regulate them. The short-term pursuit of private or collective interests cannot legitimate undertakings that promote violence and conflict among nations and compromise the international juridical order.

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a5.htm#2316

 

[Nimzovik]

Yes. Always control your gun well and identify your target before pulling the trigger.

 

[LoveGod102]

Hey everyone. Does the Catholic Church have a position on gun control? If not, what kind of principles can we be used that are found in Catholic teaching for discerning what would be the best course of action as far as gun control goes?

If I understand correctly the bishops here in the United States do support some form of gun control. Also, would I be right in saying that the Catechism of the Catholic Church supports gun control in this paragraph?

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a5.htm#2316

I never read that before now, but it would seem that yes, it supports some regulation of guns. But what the regulation should be, I doubt that Church takes a specific stance on.

 

[CaptFun]

If you own one, control yourself.

Of course that’s*** unofficial.***

OW! Looks like Nimzovik beat me on the draw (again). :doh2:

 

[po18guy]

That paragraph, as I understand it, is written with respect to the international arms trade which supplies such as the Syrian rebels. As usual, the Ominstration has apparently read this paragraph, and consistent with their treatment of the Catholic Church, has agreed to arm the Al Qaeda Syrians.

Paragraph 2265 specifically defends the right to not only self defense, but that of others.

 

[Beryllos]

… Also, would I be right in saying that the Catechism of the Catholic Church supports gun control in this paragraph?
scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a5.htm#2316

Does that paragraph in the Catechism support gun control laws? In my opinion, no. Don’t misunderstand me, I am all for gun control laws, but I am pretty sure that paragraph refers to the sale or supply of weapons to other countries or to political factions (rebels, terrorists, freedom fighters) in other countries. This includes, for example, supplying weapons to rebels in a country in order to destabilize or overthrow the existing government. It includes supplying weapons to one country so as to enable them to wage war on a neighboring country.

[rant] This sort of thing usually has many unintended and serious consequences. For example, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the US responded by secretly supplying billions of dollars of weapons to Afghan “freedom fighters” to help them resist the Soviets. It worked in the short term, I mean the Soviet army eventually retreated, but the people of Afghanistan have had no peace or security ever since. Afghanistan became a training ground for terrorists who struck America on September 11, 2001. By the folly of George W. Bush, that dragged the US into not one but two protracted wars which have not brought peace to those lands and have bankrupted and broken the USA. This is the sort of thing you can expect when one country tries to exert political influence in another country by promoting violence and conflict. [/rant]

Let us pray for Peace on Earth.

 

[po18guy]

Si vis pacem, parabellum.

 

[Michael57]

Yes. Always control your gun well and identify your target before pulling the trigger.

 

[Gricken]

No. There is no official stance on gun control from the church. Which is probably for the best. They aren’t there to rule on laws.

 

[Fairwinds]

…

If I understand correctly the bishops here in the United States do support some form of gun control. …

gun control already existed before the bandwagoning started in the last year. the question is always how much more control is wanted.

at least one bishop wants a lot more control, but not the USCCB as a whole.

 

[Beryllos]

Is it possible to bring Scripture, church teachings, or the lives and writings of saints into this discussion? For example, did anyone ever write that Abel should have paid more attention to self-defense? Was Samson caught unprepared; is that why he had to use that jawbone? Scripture scholars please assist!

Many saints were once soldiers or warfighters. Do their lives or writings shed any light on this issue?

What about the Vatican or bishops or popes? Have they written anything about si vis pacem, parabellum, etc.?

 

[LongingSoul]

“We support measures that control the sale and use of firearms and make them safer (especially efforts that prevent their unsupervised use by children or anyone other than the owner), and we reiterate our call for sensible regulation of handguns.”

usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/criminal-justice-restorative-justice/upload/USCCB-Senate-Testimony-Proposals-to-Reduce-Gun-Violence-2013.pdf

The ‘guns for self protection’ theory creates a cold war environment within a society just like when the US and Russia each had their nuclear rockets stashed close to their trigger fingers.

 

[Fairwinds]

…

The ‘guns for self protection’ theory creates a cold war environment within a society just like when the US and Russia each had their nuclear rockets stashed close to their trigger fingers.

that’s an unusually bad analogy, even for gun grabbers.

 

[LongingSoul]

that’s an unusually bad analogy, even for gun grabbers.

Unless you are experiencing a true state of war, all a gun represents is chronic mistrust and pessimism towards society and ones fellow citizens. We aren’t meant to live perpetually in that state. During war conditions it’s justified and reasonable, but how can urban gun ownership serve healthy society?

 

[Fairwinds]

Unless you are experiencing a true state of war, all a gun represents is chronic mistrust and pessimism towards society and ones fellow citizens.

ipse dixit

We aren’t meant to live perpetually in that state. During war conditions it’s justified and reasonable, but how can urban gun ownership serve healthy society?

and your logical reasoning continues to fall apart.

I shoot competitive trap, skeet, sporting clays and hunt. a lot. I like it. that’s all the reason I need. I don’t even need a reason in my country to own a gun. its my hobby. other people collect goats, although I hate goats, I don’t let that bother me enough to rant about it.

 

[LongingSoul]

and your logical reasoning continues to fall apart.

I shoot competitive trap, skeet, sporting clays and hunt. a lot. I like it. that’s all the reason I need. I don’t even need a reason in my country to own a gun. its my hobby. other people collect goats, although I hate goats, I don’t let that bother me enough to rant about it.

I’m not addressing the sporting shooters at all, or the farmers or military… Just the ordinary people that obtain a gun for the specific purpose of urban ‘self defence’ that’s based on chronic mistrust and pessimism. Even in Australia where we have strict gun controls, we have a thriving sporting shooters culture (that thrashed the world at the Olympics.) There is a stark distinction in the two purposes.

 

[Fairwinds]

I’m not addressing the sporting shooters at all, or the farmers or military… Just the ordinary people that obtain a gun for the specific purpose of urban ‘self defence’ that’s based on chronic mistrust and pessimism. Even in Australia where we have strict gun controls, we have a thriving sporting shooters culture (that thrashed the world at the Olympics.) There is a stark distinction in the two purposes.

our supreme court says the right of self defense is a constitutional right. the CCC says self defense is allowed, and defense of others could well be a moral duty. this might involve lethal force, whether that is justified is a fact dependent issue.

so guns for self defense are not going away. gun control proponents, at least at the “street level” are (here, at least) typically uninformed about the nuances of constitutional law, and are, therefore, ineffective. the obama administration was unusually inept in the last year, as it squandered an opportunity to get some additional controls because it pays attention to the extremists.

 

[Nimzovik]

The ancient Romans used to say of the sword “The blade itself incites one to violence.” Perhaps the same can be said for some people about the gun.

That said, I am a staunch advocate for gun owner rights.

If there is a Catholic concept for a ‘Just War’ then in my mind their is a Catholic concept for appropriate gun use. Men are often castigated because Adam did not protect eve from the serpent.

It will not be said of me that I did not protect my family from the criminal.

Nim.

 

[Holly3278]

No. There is no official stance on gun control from the church. Which is probably for the best. They aren’t there to rule on laws.

But the Catholic Church does, in fact, take a position on certain laws such as laws on pornography. It specifically states in the Catechism that authorities should do what they can to eliminate pornography.

 

[po18guy]

Is it possible to bring Scripture, church teachings, or the lives and writings of saints into this discussion? For example, did anyone ever write that Abel should have paid more attention to self-defense? Was Samson caught unprepared; is that why he had to use that jawbone? Scripture scholars please assist!

Many saints were once soldiers or warfighters. Do their lives or writings shed any light on this issue?

What about the Vatican or bishops or popes? Have they written anything about si vis pacem, parabellum, etc.?

Well, the battle of Lepanto is a huge lesson.