The Georgia state legislature passed the farthest-reaching gun-rights bill yet, this week, now allowing licensed gun owners to carry weapons virtually anywhere.
Under the new law, assuming the governor signs it, gun owners would be able to carry their weapons into churches, schools, bars, airports (up to the TSA checkpoints), and into government buildings (again, up to the security checkpoints). It would also allow schools to arm teachers and other staff, as well as provide an “absolute defense” in court, if a citizen uses a gun to fend off an attack.
The Episcopal bishops of Atlanta and Georgia, the Rt. Rev. Rob Wright and Scott Benhase, respectively, have issued a joint statement against the bill, pointing out that the the law reflects poor theology:
Our Christian Faith has a more complex understanding of “good guys” and “bad guys.” Our Biblical understanding of human sin informs us of this universal truth. People who had no criminal record and had a legal right to their weapons have perpetrated almost all of the recent tragic shootings in houses of worship and schools. They were “good guys” until they weren’t.
Read more on the proposed law in Georgia here.