Previous Post
Next Post

Bishop Kevin Joseph Farrell (courtesy bishopkevinfarrell.org)

From A Response to Open Carry [via bishopkevinfarrell.org]

Thank God that someone finally has the courage to close the loopholes in our pitiful gun control laws to reduce the number of mass shootings, suicides and killings that have become a plague in our country.

President Barack Obama’s executive actions, though modest, are first steps in correcting gun laws so weak that they are ludicrous. Congress has unabashedly sold itself to the gun lobby. If there was ever any doubt, its recent action to kill legislation to ban people on the terrorist no-fly list made it obvious.

It is absurd that terrorists, criminals, and mentally unbalanced people can freely and openly buy weapons not intended for sport, but designed to kill people. Writers of the Second Amendment envisioned smooth bore muskets and not semi-automatic and automatic weapons of war . . .

Under the new law churches may prohibit CHL holders from carrying open or concealed weapons on church premises with appropriate signage. In accordance with the law, the Diocese of Dallas will prohibit the possession of any weapon in any facility owned, leased and operated by the diocese or a diocesan entity, except as specifically permitted by diocesan policy.

This policy is rooted in the belief that our churches, schools and other places of worship are intended to be sanctuaries – holy sites where people come to pray and participate in the ministry of the Church.

Let us pray that our legislators will see this as a human and not a political concern so that gun violence can be mitigated through appropriate legislation that allows us to live in a safe environment while respecting our Second Amendment rights.

[h/t PeterK]

Previous Post
Next Post

218 COMMENTS

  1. Well ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black! I went from kindergarten to 8th grade in a Catholic private school elementary school we call that back then before middle school. Then 9th grade through 11th grade in a Catholic private high school. I then got Emancipated at the age of 17 so that I could join the United States Army in 1988. I feel this guy is the biggest clown In a clown costume I’ve ever seen, does this ass hole remember the Crusades The bloodiest 2000 year war This world has ever seen led by no other than the Catholics! Roman Catholicism has its list of wars and horrible things done under its name. And for this guy to come out and act like he’s the new Jesus Christ is absolutely ridiculous. Somebody turn the page this guys a real a hole!

    • historyically incorrect statement of the day: “the Crusades The bloodiest 2000 year war This world has ever seen”
      absolute drivel and all though it was led by Christians, it was a too-late, too-little response to Islamic imperialism.
      Christians for fighting for their very lives.

      • Amazing how well whole generations of Americans and Europeans have been indoctrinated with revisionist history. There has been a 1400 year bloody war, and it wasn’t started or perpetuated by Christians.

      • The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a number of crusades that attempted to capture the Holy Lands, called by Pope Urban II in 1095.

        • On top of which, I may add, the First Crusade was about 300 years after the Islamic invasion into Europe, which was finally checked at the Battle of Tours in France.

        • Battle of Tours in 732 AD(year of our Christian LORD) with Charles “The Hammer” Martel at the helm. THIS didn’t stop the invasion of Mohammedans. In full swing in Eastern Europe for centuries. And recently resumed…

    • Many people agree that the Catholic Church hasn’t exactly been a paragon of virtue, but when they get something right, let’s be proud of them.

    • We have Second Amendment rights, but those rights cover only the types of firearms that were available in the late 18th century–which were weapons of sport, not weapons of war. Got it?

        • It’s right next to the part about the 1st Amendment only protecting content made on printing presses or written by hand and expressing oneself with one’s voice (e.g. from a soapbox). You have to understand, the Founders didn’t envision radio, TV, internet, etc, which is why the 1A doesn’t protect them either.

          See, our Rights are all about specific, 18th Century technologies, not about concepts, actions, ideas, etc.

        • And those presses better not be ‘automatic’ presses powered by electricity, hand-powered only…

      • Rifles were the weapons of sport back in the day. The double barreled sporting rifle that Timothy Murphy sported was not a weapon of war but out classed the cheapo long land brown bess (the ak47 of its day) that the british had. The british recognized that they were out gunned and out classed by the ordinary american citizens and did what tyrannical governments always do…. Seize arms and powder and impose their will a la quartering troops. The second amendment not only protected state of the art sporting arms, which were better than military arms, but recognized that the government was supposed to be out gunned and out numbered by the citizenry.

      • “We have Second Amendment rights, but those rights cover only the types of firearms” sorry but the Second amendment addresses the right to keep and bear ARMS not firearms. ARMS covers all sorts of weaponry not just firearms. swords, knives, halberds, pikes are part of the ARMS

      • If that’s my case I want my rockets, grenades, biological weapons and submarines because they were all available by that point in history; I’m likely missing a few here.

        That being said though, I find the idea that our founding fathers wouldn’t roll around with AK-47s or AR-15s at the time if given the option; Even a small percentage of them would likely have been devastating in the hands of capable marksmen with the skills to use them effectively.

        Lastly, this guy kind of forgets how effective the gun free zones were in SC; He’s certainly made himself and his parishioners a publicly known soft target for whoever.

      • We have Second Amendment rights, but those rights cover only the types of firearms that were available in the late 18th century–which were weapons of sport, not weapons of war. Got it?
        But we do have the right to go duck hunting.

        • When I finish my time machine,the first thing I’m going to do is go back a couple hundred years and arm the founding fathers and the continental army with modern day “assault weapons”. That’ll show em.

    • Lost me at courage to close the loopholes.

      Why do so many people consider adults owning things legally as some kind of ‘loophole?’

      • Because free people making up their own minds and exercising their own (God given) free will is a loophole to control freaks.

      • You got farther than I did, my friend. I’m still stuck on how passing laws or issuing orders, backed by men with guns other than himself, constitutes any sort of courage on his part.

        For all the pearl clutching statist officials out there courageously chanting “Confiscate! Confiscate!”, I never see any of them volunteering to be the first one through the door on the entry team.

    • Sounds to me that he doesn’t believe that HE should be able to express himself in ANY way apart from ink on lead type, a quill pen or a soapbox in the public square.

      The irony is that he sounds like a typical victim of our public schools.

      I learned enough in Catholic school in Chiraq to become a gun owner… and an agnostic.

      • Oh, leftists would be happy to argue that the constitution didn’t cover social media and the like, as long as THEY are the ones who get to determine what is and isn’t protected speech.

    • He’s not bright enough to realize those “muskets” were the 1776 version of the modern battle rifle that Washingtons troops used to defend themselves from the British

      • Americans did not “defend” themselves from the British. We declared the fight and we took the fight to them. We drove them from our lands and seas.

        • Actually, defend is the correct way to phrase it. We tried and exhausted the political solutions and held off on violence until it was forced upon us. That is “defense” and was a part of our moral justification for leaving the empire.

  2. It is absurd that a religious leader would invoke the Founder’s (inferred incorrectly) intent and then insist that he has a say in public policy. Seems like he has little real understanding of the Founder’s intent.

    • Ya, if you’re honestly a U.S. citizen (and if they’re yours to give away they are mine to take away from you) then you have a say in what happens AS PRESCRIBED IN THE DOCUMENT to the Constitution. Other than that, and if not, FU. STFU. ESAL. #NaCl.

    • That is uncalled for. Anger deserved, but uncalled for. Bishop is so ignorant of current events that someone needs to check his pulse blood/ox. But uncalled for.

      Jesus said turn the other cheek. He is not known to have said, ‘chain yourself naked, face-down, draped over a log’. It feels like (and “feel” is dangerous) the Bishop thinks Jesus wants him to say it for him, and that ‘feels’ totally wrong.

      • I’m not a lefty but I don’t support the catholic church,some people and institutions should practice what they preach,then maybe they’ll get my respect and support. I am a Christian and I do support Christianity.The catholic church thinks it speaks for all Christians,it don’t.They also hope for all Christianity to be reunited one day,with them in charge of coarse.That sounds like north Korea when it says it wants the two Koreas reunited,I wonder who they think will be in charge?

        • Jesus said “Peter, you are my rock, and upon that rock I will build my Church.” Matthew 16:18.

          Peter went to Rome and founded the Catholic Church. Peter was the first Pope, and all others keep the keys after him, UNDER GOD. Good enough for me. The Catholic Church does not want to be ‘reunited’ with anyone, they (we) want to share in one-faith (one catechism) but that really means we just don’t ever plan on giving up ours. The Catholic Church is not the “head” of any church now, nor does it seek to be, when its HEAD comes back, there won’t be any others.

          The Bishop is responsible for ALL SOULS within his Diocese as part of his job description. He might be speaking to his duty as he sees it, but he is not addressing a matter of catechism.

          Someone gets shot up in TX, all those playing soft and tripping up the good guys will be considered to be on the “wrong” side of “sides”. Don’t get caught on the wrong side.

      • Show the genealogy from Peter to the current Pope. Actual history leaves a bit of a gap in your theory.
        I’ve heard this before but never saw it backed up. “The Church” is not an organization. In fact, the only people Christ exhibited any anger toward at all were the religious leaders. Peter would have known better.

        • Burley, only your Bears are all ‘related’.

          It’s not a blood line, it’s an ‘office’. The Pope is selected by a Conclave of Cardinals charged with such selection, and it carries the weight of unknown consideration in its charge and, like their selectee(s) they are guaranteed a constant onslaught by all things evil [the only reason why I forgive them for sounding so broke-di<k (D) all the time, so I pray for them]. The Pope is charged with the care of all of the Souls of the "Church Militant" (all souls living) regardless of what other denomination or religion they are. It is a massively weighty charge, and I pray he guards souls and doesn't give into the liberal/progressive/communist house of (D) and the evil that they serve.

  3. Communism speaks.

    How many Syrian visa requests were filed by his diocese chapter of Catholic Charities.

    More liberal (D) crap. (D)on’t get that sh_t on you.

  4. Instead of “Gun Free Zone” – They should call it “Victim Ready Zone.”

    The gun signs they post and declare only stop the law abiding. A criminal ready to spray someone’s brains on the wall at risk of execution or life in prison with “bubba” will not be deterred by a mere sign.

  5. While he has the right to do so, and I would never deny the same, I question his political commentary. It is written from the perspective of one who has not engaged in discussion about the concerns behind no-fly, etc.

    If the commentary is just that, like the policy, they are his to espouse and should not be denigrated or denied. If the commentary helped him develop the policy, I can only hope that he is of open heart and mind to consider some of the errors that have impacted his decision.

    • I don’t ignore “Thou shalt not kill”,never killed and hope I never have to but if I’m put in the position by a criminal,I’ll kill the shit out of him,self defense is not a sin and not a crime in most states,if it is a sin,God will forgive me if I ask forgiveness,that’s what he does.

    • The Commandment actually says “thou shalt not murder,” not kill.

      To murder is never justifiable. To kill can be justifiable.

      • Beat me to it. Otherwise, why would they include the parable about Christ instructing those of his apostles who did not yet have a sword to sell their cloak so they could buy one? One would infer that he understood that they’d need weapons to defend themselves with.

      • Too bad there wasn’t one which said, “thou stall not rape little boys and then condone it by covering it up.”

        But hey, at least the priests didn’t have sex with adult females, because that would be wrong, and icky.

      • While true, that does not change his point…if someone is going to ignore one law (be it man’s or God’s), what on earth makes people think they will obey a sign or a policy…or another law?

        If someone is intent on murder, will they obey a “No Guns Allowed Here” sign?

        Kinda thinkin’ that was the point…

      • Indeed,liberals don’t have the intelligence to know the difference between murder and kill unless it supports their argument.

  6. Under the new law churches may prohibit CHL holders from carrying open or concealed weapons on church premises with appropriate signage. In accordance with the law, the Diocese of Dallas will prohibit the possession of any weapon in any facility owned, leased and operated by the diocese or a diocesan entity, except as specifically permitted by diocesan policy.

    Because that will totally stop the next Dylan Roof. Moron. “Oh, man. Gun free zone! I guess I can’t murder all these people like I was planning!”

    • Like the catholic church needs another reason to alienate people,have you seen the pictures of all these huge catholic churches that sit empty on Sunday?

  7. Did the catholic church ever outlaw child molestation in their so called dioceses and did it work out? Don’t call me a Christian basher because I am a Christian,just not a catholic.

    • Catholics are Christian. It’s really sad how you have swallowed the media’s line about the Catholic Church but don’t believe them when it comes to guns. Do you always believe the media? You do realize that the Church is a bigger target for the left then even people of the gun? Do a little more research about the scandals (which happened) and the fact that much higher rates of abuse are present in the public schools. The Church has worked to stop the abuse (and have brought new cases to almost zero across the country) while in the meantime the government schools continue to sexually abuse children daily at much high percentage rates. This bishop is wrong on this policy but your level of argumentation is simply juvenile.

        • Um yeah. Hate to break it to you but Christian churches all come from the Catholic Church. And unless I am missing something all the mainline Protestant churches are losing membership and fast, while the Catholic Church is growing. It happens when you soften your teaching to react to what society wants.

      • Duh,the catholic church is the first Christian church and the only one for hundreds of years,then people wised up (Martin Luther) and Protestants started their own churches.We know all about the catholic church from the very beginnings and it isn’t pretty.I love the way Henry VIII told the pope to kiss his ass and started the Anglican church,you can defend the catholic church all you want but we know what they’re all about.By the way,your beenie and dress are showing,catholic are we?

  8. Well, bishop. I’m Episcopal so no need to concern yourself with me defending myself or any other congregants at your church.

  9. If only someone would close the loopholes that grant churches tax free status, and the protection of pedophile priests.

    • Churches use their tax free status to help people when they are in need. While this does have a lot of potential for abuse (and does get abused), it is my belief that the far majority of tax free charities do this in a much more financially responsible way then the government would do with any tax money received from churches.
      And a “loophole” is taking advantage of a shortcoming in a law. It is not a loophole if what is happening is what the law is designed to let happen.

    • Churches maintain a nonprofit, tax free status because they operate on donations.

      You can’t tax a church for the same reason your donations to Red Cross are not taxable. You cannot tax a person twice, once for their income and then again when they make a donation.

      • I’m sure that most protestant churches operate on donations but I don’t think that is the case with the catholic church,I can’t even imagine what all that artwork and antiquities are worth,not to mention all the untaxed real estate the vatican owns,I’m sure they have a big,fat,juicy,stock portfolio that is worth billions if not trillions of dollars.They also get a lot of free labor at their winery’s.I’m sure they get donations but I would guess that is the smallest part of their income.They also used to launder money for the Italian mafia but they got caught on that one.

        • You should spend some time in a Catholic church then. Get to know the parishioners. They operate on donations, believe you me. I’ve been an active and practicing Catholic my entire life; I’ve held positions on volunteer boards in various parishes. The Church is not in the business of making money.

          This is the case with local churches and parishes; I will not venture to assume how the Vatican operates.

        • Russ, Maybe things are different in AK, but that’s not how it works in any Catholic Church I’m aware of. Basically, money comes in and is re-distributed by the Diocese. Rome also is involved. Pensions and what not are (in America) handled on a Diocese-level.

      • “You cannot tax a person twice, once for their income and then again when they make a donation.”

        Sure you can. I get taxed twice every time I buy something. If you can do it with sales tax, you could do it with donations. Just because we’ve chosen as a society to specify some organizations as exempt from some taxes (a policy I do agree with), doesn’t mean it has to be that way.

        • Pfft not taxes twice even thinking about how many times we are taxed makes my blood boil…….. should we be taxed at all is a more relevant question….taxes are like rapefugees never going away on their own

        • Most sales taxes (if not all) are at the local and state level, so what you are in a sense advocating is the Federal Government to expand their power even further. Than again, we have the Federal Government who can financially penalize you for not buying a private product, so I gess everything is possible now.

        • I’m not “advocating” anything. I’m just pointing out a flaw in his reasoning.

          Personally, I think all taxation is immoral, and should be abolished. Threatening someone unless they pay you money is a very serious crime when it’s done by an individual, but somehow, we’ve been told that it’s acceptable when it’s a government entity behind the threats.

  10. Why is he on the internet? That scary place of full-auto pixel firing devices.

    His free speech rights only extend to hand cranked presses and hand-written letters, the “safe spaces” for speech.

  11. “This policy is rooted in the belief that our churches, schools and other places of worship are intended to be sanctuaries – holy sites where people come [AND GO AT WILL, AND YOU WILL DENY ANY LIABILITY IF SOMEONE DOESN’T HONOR YOUR BELIEF SYSTEM OR YOUR GUN-FREE ZONE AND INTRODUCES THEM TO GOD].

    Let us pray that our legislators will see this as a human and not a political concern so that gun violence can be mitigated through appropriate legislation that allows us to [FOOL OURSELVES INTO BELIEVEING THAT WE] live in a safe environment while [IGNORING] our Second Amendment rights.”

    There fixed him.

  12. The Catholic Church is the horror of condoning priest who raped boys. Then the gall of claiming two juristictions to maneuver itself away from lawsuits. Whatever good the institution is now undone forever. I cannot be in the same room with a Catholic priest.

  13. I am saying this as a Christian, so other Christians don’t be offended.
    Prayers are not bulletproof shields. Prayer is an essential part of faith, but just like prayer alone does not put food on the table or a roof over your head, prayer and a feeling of righteousness will not protect a Christian in a self defense (or lact thereof) situation.

    • I believe that God intervenes in situations from time to time but as a general rule,he lets the world turn the way it is supposed to,if God intervened in every situation,wouldn’t that be the definition of heaven?

      • If God intervened in every situation, we would not have free will. And love does not exist if there is no free will.

        In the beginning God created us and the world to have free will and love without any suffering. Unfortunately, every single human being has chosen to ignore God’s standards at some point or another and we often suffer as a consequence.

      • Yes, this would be my understanding of the situation as well. God does intervene as part of a plan. This does not remove our responsibility to work towards fixing situations. In fact, we ate biblicaly mandated to provide for our families (can’t remember the verse for that one). I firmly believe that part of providing for our families is providing for their defense.

        • Maybe the church should concern itself with all these welfare bums that are able to work but won’t,the verse you were referring to actually means,you don’t work,you don’t eat.

  14. I talked to a bishop about this a few weeks ago. From what it sounds like is more, if not most, bishops in Texas are going to ban both open and concealed. I’ve concealed carried during Mass many, many times and I suspect many of you have as well. If there hasn’t been a problem with concealed carry all these years why ban it now?

    Isn’t it a class C misdemeanor, basically a traffic ticket, if you carry (concealed or open) where 30.06 and/or 30.07 is posted?

    There are some churches located in neighborhoods where I won’t go if I’m not carrying.

  15. Well, that’s one way to get thugs and villains to start going to churches. I mean, not that they will actually get anything useful out of it, but they will find a whole lot of soft opportunities.

      • Years back down here in Flori-duh, one of those Assemblies of God or Pentecostal mega-churches was robbed right after the service.

        The crooks scored about $50,000 in cash, if memory serves.

        I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bishop was a practical man and had a few discreetly armed parishioners keeping an eye on things…

    • If you want to get thugs in a church in atlanta,have a funeral service there,they’ll show up and murder a few more people.

  16. Question: did the president even actually sign any executive orders? I know there was a great deal of talk about those orders but I never saw if any were signed.

    Now, as to the Catholic Church and the diocese of Dallas and elsewhere. Their misguided policies (not just regarding firearms) are the reason why I haven’t attended mass in years. They have separated themselves from reality and the world around them and gotten into bed with a political ideology which despises them and would destroy the Church in the United States in a heart beat.

    • Then you may have missed that one of the Catholic church’s biggest projects is resettling Islamic “refugees” into the US. For which they are funded by good old Uncle Sam.

  17. The Catholic Church is all about control. No surprise here.

    Also, did the law change so that churches have to expressly ban carry via signage?

  18. There is way too much dumb going on in here!
    Assault stupidity is abounding,from the article itself to some responses.
    Wow.i didn’t think ignorance could move like wildfire.
    I’m at a loss???

  19. Somehow, I think my pastor (a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Dallas) is going not only heavily imply that he will not enforce such a ridiculous ban, but that any and all who visit his church are encouraged to carry a gun. Plus, if it’s concealed, it’s not like anyone is gonna see it.

    • “I hope this shepard didn’t just condemn his flock to a wolf attack.”

      The Bishop will preside over a lovely funeral for the slaughtered sheep.

  20. It will be interesting to see if/ how many of the Catholic Churches will see a drop in attendance, continuing the trend for [Roman] Catholicism.

    Kinda like businesses that are GFZ’s, or, as mentioned above,“Victim Ready Zone.”

  21. Man, he could have just kept it at “gun free.” I know a bunch of Dallas Catholic gun owners who just shut their wallets.

    • It is my understanding that cops,priests,and so called holy men are supposed to set an example for the rest of us,if he is implying that we shouldn’t own weapons,he is going against Gods word.

  22. Thank God that someone finally has the courage to close the pedophile loopholes in our pitiful pedophile control laws to reduce the number of mass rapes, abuses and molestations that have become a plague in our country.

    STFU you hypocrite! How dare you wag your finger at the people. The catholic church and the Vatican are apostate, ‘MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH’

    Spend some of those BILLIONS on armed guards at the doors of these so called “sanctuaries” to protect the people. Funny how the Vatican and The Pope are surrounded by armed guards WITH guns but not the peasants

  23. I posted this on his page… but it will be awaiting moderation likely forever:

    “Thank God that someone finally has the courage to close the loopholes in our pitiful gun control laws to reduce the number of mass shootings, suicides and killings that have become a plague in our country.”

    Homicides in the US have been on the decline for decades. Gun control does not curb suicides.
    2012: (per WHO):
    South Korea suicides = 28.9 per 100k (Guns are banned)
    Japan Suicides = 18.5 per 100k (Guns are banned)
    France Suicides = 12.3 per 100k (Guns are heavily regulated)
    United States Suicides = 12.1 per 100k
    Obama’s executive orders closed no loopholes – but keep telling yourself that so that subconsciously you can leave us lawful gun owners alone.

    “President Barack Obama’s executive actions, though modest, are first steps in correcting gun laws so weak that they are ludicrous.”

    It is our gun laws that are ludicrous. Sure – on a rifle a 15″ barrel deserves 10 years in prison but a 16″ barrel is fine. You can hold a pistol to your shoulder and it is still a pistol (unless it is an AR15), but put a wood stock on it and hold it to your shoulder and go to prison for 10 years. Build a silencer and put it on your rifle and go to prison for 10 years (Silencers are unregulated and sold off the shelf in the UK). All victimless crimes. Maybe it is you sir who are ludicrous.

    “Congress has unabashedly sold itself to the gun lobby.”

    Only if the gun lobby consists of 100 million or so Americans. Representatives in congress know there is a line they don’t cross or they get voted out – by you named it – voters. Not the NRA and not lobbyists.

    “If there was ever any doubt, its recent action to kill legislation to ban people on the terrorist no-fly list made it obvious.”

    Senator Ted Kennedy was on the terrorist watch list. He was delayed at the airport for it. It took weeks to get off the list. The terrorist watch list is a list of people with “accusations” against them – not convictions. Not only is adding gun owners to the list wrong, but adding anyone to the list is wrong. Zero due process. It was a political ploy to harass gun owners – nothing more.

    “It is absurd that terrorists, criminals, and mentally unbalanced people can freely and openly buy weapons not intended for sport, but designed to kill people. Writers of the Second Amendment envisioned smooth bore muskets and not semi-automatic and automatic weapons of war . . .”

    At the time, muskets were weapons of war. Writers of the 2nd amendment intended the people to have “weapons of war.” Read the federalist papers – educate yourself.

    “Under the new law churches may prohibit CHL holders from carrying open or concealed weapons on church premises with appropriate signage. In accordance with the law, the Diocese of Dallas will prohibit the possession of any weapon in any facility owned, leased and operated by the diocese or a diocesan entity, except as specifically permitted by diocesan policy.”

    Instead of “Gun Free Zone” – They should call it “Victim Ready Zone.”

    The gun signs they post and declare only stop people with zero intent to harm. A criminal ready to spray someone’s brains on the wall at risk of execution or life in prison with “bubba” will not be deterred by a mere sign, as has been clearly proven by the charleston murderer.

    “This policy is rooted in the belief that our churches, schools and other places of worship are intended to be sanctuaries – holy sites where people come to pray and participate in the ministry of the Church.”

    I agree with this. Nobody is forcing you to carry a gun. If you think God is looking out for you when you are in the church (or elsewhere) – by all means don’t carry a gun. If you believe God has a plan for people killed in churches (or elsewhere) – so no need to worry about it – by all means don’t carry a gun. If you think regardless of what God plans are, the risk of being a victim of violence and death are extremely small and not worth the bother of carrying a gun – by all means don’t carry a gun – this is the reason I don’t.

    “Let us pray that our legislators will see this as a human and not a political concern so that gun violence can be mitigated through appropriate legislation that allows us to live in a safe environment while respecting our Second Amendment rights.”

    I suppose that depends on what your concept of “appropriate legislation” means. If you want to curtail violence Reverend, you should talk to the people performing said violence rather than about the tools they are using. After all, you don’t punish Frank for what Bob is doing right? Gun control laws impact law abiding gun owners much more than they do criminals.

  24. I am not the church going type but my wife is. She said that after the SC incident, some of the members of her (Protestant) church began discussing the need for someone to always be armed during the services. Apparently a bunch of retired LEO’s volunteered. (This is NC, not NYC, so they do shoot straight.)

  25. This is why I’m baptist. They don’t care much about bringing firearms into church in fact my pastor encourages it. I know for a fact that he carries a small NAA mini revolver during service.

    • ” …I know for a fact that he carries a small NAA mini revolver during service.”

      Yeah, but does he carry a gun?

        • Haha very funny. However with everyone else that carries there he doubts he’s going to need it for anything more than dispatching snakes. Plus having a bigger gun will weigh him down so he can’t jump as high when he gets worked up. Also don’t forget that those little .22 magnums are powerful enough to dispatch two legged critter as well.

  26. … gun control laws to reduce the number of mass shootings, suicides and killings

    That there, ladies and gentlemen, is one whopper of a false premise. Where is the evidence that gun control laws reduce violent attacks with firearms … much less violent attacks with alternate weapons?

    [Congress’] recent action to kill legislation to ban people on the terrorist no-fly list …

    Thus Bishop Farrell also opposes our Fourth Amendment right to due process. And he never bothers to posit the question, “If we must not allow ‘suspected terrorists’ to fly on an airplane or purchase a firearm, why are they walking freely among us — free to set buildings on fire, chop people’s heads off, and poison untold masses of people?”

    Finally, we have this gem:

    Writers of the Second Amendment envisioned smooth bore muskets and not semi-automatic and automatic weapons of war . . .

    Wow, another whopper of a false premise! Where is the evidence that the writers of the Constitution only envisioned smooth bore muskets? Where is the evidence that the writers of the Constitution did not envision semi-automatic and automatic “weapons of war”?

    But it’s all good … Bishop Farrell knows that the First Amendment protects his right to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church since it existed at the time when the authors wrote the first Amendment. If Bishop Farrell were a member of the Christian Reformed Church, which was founded in 1869, he would not be entitled to any protection from the First Amendment since the authors of the Bill of Rights never envisioned the Christian Reformed Church that would form almost 100 years later.

  27. Religion. Wars are fought over it. People kill people over it. And, no offense to the believers out there, but it’s all bunk. We’re born. We live. We die. That’s it. No pearly gates. No 72 virgins.

    • Jesus Christ died and rose again, that you changing your mind from the drivel you just posted would actually benefit you. I’m praying your heart and mind open up before it’s too late.
      Oh, and you *are* religious, you just haven’t figured that out yet. Your statement is the exact same as “all guns are bad” attributing human factors to non-human things.

    • You are right about religion being responsible for a lot of deaths but lack of religion is also responsible for a lot of deaths,communism specifically. The USSR,Red China,Cambodia,Vietnam,Cuba,ect.,ect. and facism,nazi Germany being the best example,are responsible for more deaths than all religions combined.

      • The USSR,Red China,Cambodia,Vietnam,Cuba,ect.,ect. and facism,nazi Germany being the best example,are responsible for more deaths than all religions combined.
        Oh, those countries and regimes had religion, just of a different sort.

        • If you want to call atheism and secular humanism religions,I agree.Those are the religions of the liberal left and communists.The state religion of nazi Germany was astrology and the occult.

        • Goose, I think he was talking about statism as a religion, not atheism. Those regimes just cut-and-pasted religious dogma and replaced “God” with “the State”. The early Marxists were smart enough to know that you couldn’t take God away from people without replacing it with something new to revere and fear. Look at how they deified Lenin – they wouldn’t even let his corpse decompose, to further the myth that he was more than a man.

  28. So if I follow His Excellency, the Second Amendment allows criminals, terrorists and mentally unbalanced people to buy weapons intended to kill, and not for sporting use. So if we restrict the criminals, terrorists and mentally unbalanced to sporting weapons, that’s fine and dandy? Where is that distinction, and who gets to decide?

    And not to be a party pooper, but when it comes to the First Amendment, seems like I’ve read a few stories recently where the Catholic Church has been howling at the moon to extend separation of Church and State to any issue touching on doctrine, like birth control and abortion.

    Or maybe he’s just worried about the potential shooting death toll among predator priests. //sarc.

  29. I disagree vehemently with the Bishop’s assessment of the executive orders, the scope of the right to bear arms, and his judgment in banning weapons from church grounds. He is wrong.

    Of course, none of this has anything to do with the catholic-bashing so many other posters have engaged in above. I thought that personal attacks were banned? Considering a full 1/4 or 1/5 of the population is catholic, do you all really think that this kind of vitriol is productive?

    • You’re sounding like a liberal,I saw no catholic bashing,I have seen a lot of truths that need to be said to remind people what hypocrites the catholic church is full of. Hypocrites have no right to tell us how to live our lives unless they’re setting an example……………..which they don’t.Why do you think so many people are pissed at law enforcement and politicians nowadays?

      • You saw no catholic bashing? How about when you said “He needs to stick to sucking the pope’s dick,that would seem to be the only use he has for opening it.”

        It doesn’t get any more clear than that. And shame on Robert Farago and TTAG for their selective outrage about what constitutes “personal attacks”. Considering they feature catholic-bashing blog posts, I shouldn’t be surprised. TTAG: this is *not* “big-tent” being successfully practiced. Your credibility is seriously on the line.

        • I have reviewed the comments and removed some that are beyond the pale (such as the one you cited). Generally, we do not delete comments for content. We try to read all the comments but depend on our readers to give us a heads up. Because of the large volume of email received, please call 401 835 5054 if you see a comment that exceeds the boundaries of taste.

        • So it’s your opinion that it’s ok to say anything on here as long as it doesn’t offend you,maybe this site needs a little more talk about the first amendment and what it means.The first amendment wasn’t created to protect popular speech,it was created to protect unpopular speech.If you find yourself defending the catholic church,maybe there’s a reason for it. I don’t have any ill feelings for catholics,I do have a problem with it’s hierarchy.

        • The first amendment was created to protect speech from the government. This is a private site, operated by private individuals. TTAG is free to set whatever rules it wants about what speech they choose to allow here.

        • Goose is trolling this thread. And agree, where is TTAG’s righteous indignation over the overwhelmingly Jewish representation behind the anti-2nd Amendment movement?

  30. My Patron Saint, Gabriel Possenti, requires me to carry at all times. Surely the good Bishop wouldn’t want to deny a man the ability to practice his religious beliefs?

  31. I’m so glad that Bishop Kevin Farrell can channel the Founders to share with us what the “true intent” of the Second Amendment is. I will now lay down all of my “weapons of war” in lieu of muskets.

    /sarc off

  32. Writers of the Second Amendment (and the rest of the document as well) envisioned a United States without the pernicious and corrupting influence of the Catholic Church. This country was founded by Protestants with guns, maybe the Catholic Church would like to decamp these shores for a more hospitable country.

    • Pretty sure that ship sailed a few decades ago. Now we’re in the process of going Mohammadan. Got something to say about them? It’s not PC you know. Obuma says have to accept their BS as equal to Western civilization.

      • Soon odumbo will be a former president,a true Republican or an Independent will undo his illegal executive orders.And yes,I think muslims suck big,fat,donkey dicks.

  33. This idiot thinks there are no laws already in place that make it illegal for terrorists and criminals to buy guns.

    Obama did nothing that would change virtually any shootings by bad guys, yet he gets all this praise from the left. Its all about looking like you are doing something and taking credit.

    • Odumbo is like a small child about getting attention and credit,LOOK AT ME MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN JUMP HIGH AND RUN LIKE THE WIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  34. It is absurd that scam artists, bigots, and mentally unbalanced people can freely and openly televise religious programming intended not for salvation, but designed to extract money from people’s wallets. Writers of the First Amendment envisioned small community churches and not semi-automatic and automatic cash extraction engines .

    • If we didn’t have all these scam artists, bigots, and mentally unbalanced people,something else would take advantage of these people,a fool and his money are soon parted and there’s a sucker born every minute.

  35. If somebody make an “no gun zone” he should go in prison too for all violence that s going on there and faced 10 million + fine not “only” the shooter !!

  36. I’d believe and respect the concept of sanctuary – a millenia old concept for places of worship in the Judeo-Christian traditions – if it were not for the political diatribe that preceded it.

  37. It never ceases to amaze me when anything connected to Catholics is brought up here at TTAG. The church haters come out of the woodwork to get there pound of flesh. The Bishop may not be correct on this policy but instead of discussing the topic we hear about the crusades, molestation of little boys, the vast riches of the Church, and various other topics that either are half baked or flat out wrong. When it comes to conspiracies anything connected to the Church is seen as probably true. Hey people I got news for you, Dan Brown’s work is fiction. Maybe do a little research and see what the church really is and don’t buy everything the media states about it. It seems no other topic unites members of TTAG then hating the Catholic Church.

    • It really calls into question whether TTAG is serious about “big-tent” pro-gun rights policies. Personal attacks are forbidden in the comments (and blog posts), unless it’s a catholic. I am seriously disappointed.

      • Catholics are the only religion bashed? You haven’t noticed how members of the Muslim religion are treated? I’ve even seen the occasional ugly comment on Jews. I generally ignore the vitriolic comments, considering them more a reflection on the writer than anything else.

      • James, Catholics do seem to take the brunt of religious criticism here on TTAG, but that should not be surprising, it is the same in the mainstream media and culture.

      • I have made comments about ad hominem attacks on several threads, and am always vilified for it. Though I will admit I made a lawyer joke and got called something not so nice, but I will excuse that because on some level, I earned that. This reminds me of a quote by a man much wiser than me: Miyamoto Misashi (1584-1645, Samurai, artist, teacher and philosopher) said, “Like a sword, a word can wound or kill, but as long as one does not touch the blade, the sword is no more than a smooth piece of steel. Someone who knows the qualities of a sword does not play with it, and someone who knows the nature of words does not play with them.”

        • Q: What do you call 100 lawyers chained together at the bottom of the sea?

          A: A damn good start.

          Was that the lawyer joke?

        • Whatever. Until you need the best/slimiest/well-connected-money-can-buy attorney to get you out of some jam the “law” has put you in. Then they’re fine and dandy…

          (Not a lawyer. Understand their usefulness.)

        • We joke about attorneys, but as it’s said “Everyone hates attorneys until they need one”, and when you do, a good one is worth every penny.

    • Spare us the righteous indignation. As a former Catholic who left the church long before the pedophile scandal for several reasons I simply can’t take any practicing Catholic that comes out swinging to protect the institution of the Catholic Church seriously. The handling of the pedophile priests and the cover up damaged thousands of children over decades. To each his own in beliefs but shame on you for defending the institution that knowingly protected criminals that repeatedly harmed children.

      On this subject even in the New Testament, the good Bishop is misleading his flock. God does not expect us to stand idly by defenseless while evil acts are committed. Quite the opposite pretty clearly. Unless the Romans are killing his Son, of course, as Paul was told by Jesus himself.

      Turn the other cheek to pettiness and taking vengeance but not to evil is very useful way to conduct yourself when your are carrying a firearm. I think of it that way often.

        • This article was about the exercise of personal liberty and defense (with guns, specifically)—– don’t turn this into a “catholic bashing” article when its intent is clearly about a priest who thinks he has the power to disarm people by making them feel bad for carrying because it’s against his (or church) policy. If it were Billary or Obama some of you’d be fuming.

        • Exactly. Perhaps you should just think about the meaning instead of smugly dismissing it as inconsistent or duplicitous. I suppose it may be a complex concept for some so I will attempt to explain. You can believe in the Catechism without supporting the institutional apparatus of the Catholic Church. Blind faith in an institution isn’t good religion, it’s blasphemy. Think about it.

        • The pedophile scandal alone went across several nations, not just the US. Institutional rape on a wide scale, covered-up by the institution from the top down. A few priests have finally been charged and sentenced, everybody else got off (so to speak) scot-free.

          If that alone doesn’t make you not want to quit the Church, you might want to seriously consider your humanity.

    • What pisses me off is that when confronted with the allegations,the catholic church said,”we’ll handle it from the inside ourselves”,like they don’t have to answer to the police.I guess they found out whats what.

  38. I grew up catholic, went to catholic school, and was married catholic, but have fallen away due to many issues with the church. I guess I can now add another reason not to be a catholic.

  39. Yikes-approaching a record for comments today? I am a non-catholic born-again washed in the blood believer in the death,burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ-who is soon to return. Not really a Baptist but the large church I attend(Hammond,Indiana 1st Baptist church) is awash in guns. Saw a gentleman with an NRA cap and complimented him on Sunday. This dude does not speak for ME or a very large swath of evangelical Christians. PERIOD.

    • Watch out,you’ll be reported to the PC Gestapo if you speak ill of the pope and his minions,I think his big hat is stupid.

  40. I thought that it was already the crime of unlawful carry by a license holder, a violation of Texas Penal Code section 46.035(b)(6), to carry in a church. From just now reading the statute again, the open carry law didn’t change that, and posting 30.06 and 30.07 warnings aren’t needed since 46.035(b) includes a list of places that license holders can’t legally carry such as a church, amusement park, correctional facility, and a few others. 30.06 and 30.07 say that someone commits the crime of criminal trespass by a license holder when they carry into property of someone else that has given notice not to carry in there. But this is separate and apart of 46.035. 46.035 appears to say that license holders just can’t carry in those listed locations.

  41. Hmm, I learned recently that violent attacks again people of faith in the US is staggering high. I guess if some radical, like an Islamic terrorist or a Progressive activist, attacks one of his churches, we should not come to their aid. Instead, we should ignore the screams, and simply walk away. My kind is not welcome in his church. I got the message loud and clear. BTW, I wonder if he would have turned Jesus away after he ordered his apostles to arm themselves with swords.

    • It’s all about putting asses in the seats on Sunday,the catholic church has a habit of evolving to suit liberals for some reason or another.

  42. The juvenile, ad hominem attacks on this site have gotten to the point that it’s nearly impossible to enjoy, digest or discuss the content. Starting an argument and winning it seems to be the primary goal of some. Disgusted.

    • Maybe you’re to thin skinned,I’ve been insulted by plenty of people on this site and it just rolls off my back,if you’re looking for insincere,nicey,nicey, conversation,I suggest you try facebook. I’m a White,Christian,Southern conservative,the last group that it’s ok to bash,insult,and make fun of.Muslims get more respect than my peer group.

      • And maybe you’re validating my point on some level, but I don’t want to be too presumptuous. To answer your question, maybe I am. Honestly, I’m not very nice and I really don’t like people very much. I do not participate in Faceplant, namely due to it being a global platform for the unbridled dissemination of cultural narcissism. To counter your point, I’m not compelled to restructure any aspect of my existence over a comment consistent with the exact logically fallacious behavior I was making a point about, with the fallacy of special pleading injected to reinforce the previous statement. Attacking a persons traits, character, or behavior in an attempt to undermine their argument or case without engaging the core point has become prevalent here, and can be empirically proven. Many of these dialogues degenerate into school yard name calling or worse – that was my point. It was simply and an observation, not a referendum on anyone’s ability to weather criticism of their position.

        • I haven’t read anything in this thread that isn’t true,some people don’t like hearing the truth.I’m not a big fan of humanity myself,I started flying my confederate battle flag a few months ago just to piss off some people,my property borders a major highway and I’m having a 200 foot flagpole put up so you can see it from the highway.That’s what I think about free speech and PC and I will go to great lengths to piss off ignorant people.

    • Tom, this forum, like many others, is very likely astroturfed by people whose job is to disrupt conversations and prevent real discussion of real issues.

  43. Somebody ought to point out to all the church-going Catholics in Dallas that this clown just announced in public that every one of their gatherings will be utterly defenseless.

    Precisely the same mistake that Domino’s keeps making, which is always followed by a rash of armed assaults and robberies against their delivery people.

    Domino’s Vobiscum, Bishop!

  44. I always feel badly for those people who take their spiritual guidance from priests/pastors who don’t even understand the Bible they claim to proclaim.

  45. Saint Michael the Archangel,
    defend us in battle.
    Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
    May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
    and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host –
    by the Divine Power of God –
    cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
    who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
    Amen.

  46. Poor Catholics, many dioceses across the country are trying to bypass local laws and ignore state vaccine exemption laws. At the same time there is a rift with common core, some unconditionally supporting it while other dioceses rejecting it.

    • I fail to see any relationship between vaccines,common core,and spirituality.Does the catholic church think they need to think for their flock? Sounds like the same thing the liberals are doing. I smoke cigarettes and have all of my life,I intend to continue to smoke for the rest of my life,I know what the facts are concerning cigarettes,I know what the government and some church going folks think about it,I really wish they would stay out of my business,the government will try to tax me to death and the church going folks will actually tell me that I’m going to hell for smoking,the government and the church are two institutions I can do without.I can obey the law without the government breathing down my neck every day and I can have a relationship with my creator without a church getting in the way.

      • Pretty much agree. That was my point, the Catholic diocese should avoid getting involved with mandatory medical procedures and untested educational methods.

  47. Bishop Farrell just painted a target on every Catholic congregation in his Diocese for the criminals, crazies, Islamic Jihadists and Catholic-Haters. A very unwise move in today’s World.
    Stating the Founders only envisioned smooth bore muskets as weapons of War when they drafted the Second Amendment is completely erroneous. The Second Amendment specifically uses the term “Arms”, which includes a broad spectrum of objects and devices beyond firearms and not limited to any particular firearm.
    Apparently, it requires neither actual common sense nor intellectual acumen to become a Bishop in that Church.

    • Unfortunately Catholics are already used to being socially accepted targets of bigotry, discrimination, ridicule from Hollywood, mainstream culture, and the politically correct political class. This socially accepted(encouraged even) bigotry would not be accepted anywhere else in western culture.

    • I can’t remember the last time I heard about someone being physically attacked or murdered for being catholic.Well maybe northern Ireland but that one is a two way street.

  48. Tell you what, Padre. I’ll stop carrying concealed every week at Mass when the Pope gets rid of the Swiss Guard.

    Deal? Didn’t think so.

  49. Signed. Please spread the word, folks!

    Bishop, please allow 30.06 so responsible citizens can protect themselves and other souls if something tragic were to happen, like Bishop Joseph Edward Strickland has done! These 30.06 signs only do two things: inform honest citizens they can not protect themselves and others, and inform bad guys that there are no honest citizens armed or at least down to a few off duty officers able to protect others.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here