The North Carolina Council of Churches, of which all three NC Episcopal dioceses are members, has sponsored a month-long message on a billboard outside Burlington, quoting the 2nd Commandment in the context of ongoing national debate over the 2nd Amendment.
The billboard, which was put up Monday, reads “You shall not make for yourself an idol,” quoting the 2nd Commandment from the Bible. The message sits beside a photo of different types of guns on a bed of bullets. …
The council says the billboard is expected to stay up for the next four weeks and is the first in a series of messages planned over the coming months. They plan to erect a new billboard in a different part of the state throughout the summer “reminding people there is a different way of framing the conversation,” officials told WBTV.
“Nearly 70% of the people who carry a gun claim they do so for safety, while the statistics clearly show guns make us less safe. This makes guns a false idol,” council officials said. “To this end, the Council is trying to reframe some of the contentious issues in the public discourse by reminding people of faith of the guiding principles found in our scriptures and our creeds.” …
Officials say no one in the gun violence prevention collaborative wants to repeal the 2nd Amendment and many gun rights advocates support laws that include reasonable restrictions.
WBTV also interviewed a gun store owner:
As the owner of Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, Larry Hyatt is very familiar and fond of firearms, but he says he doesn’t idolize them.
“If you’re going to walk down the valley of the shadow of death, I’m going to want my 9mm with me,” says Larry Hyatt owner of Hyatt Guns.
Read more and watch the story at WBTV. Photo via WBTV courtesy of North Carolina Council of Churches.