The Southern Baptist Convention is now using its massive sway to call for gun control in Tennessee.
Brent Leatherwood, the Southern Baptist Convention’s president of the church’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), demanded gun control in a letter published by The Tennesseean.
“Yes, it is true we live in a world tainted by terrible acts and deeds, but that is never an excuse for inaction,” he said in the letter. “While it may not prevent every instance of this sort of violence, it will prevent some, and thereby save innocent lives. That should be more than enough reason to advance this proposal.”
He echoed the same sentiment on Twitter.
“Because our lives are so consumed by the political drama of any given day and we ourselves have been turned into unthinking activists, we tend to miss real information about what’s going on around us. The statistics below should grieve us as a society,” he said in response to a graph showing an uptick in teen gun violence.
Because our lives are so consumed by the political drama of any given day and we ourselves have been turned into unthinking activists, we tend to miss real information about what’s going on around us.
The statistics below should grieve us as a society. https://t.co/aP3gKEOBAj
— Brent Leatherwood (@LeatherwoodERLC) April 11, 2023
Leatherwood voiced support for Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s recent call for “Order of Protection” laws in Tennessee.
“Order of Protection” laws are the same as “Red Flag” laws, and would allow authorities to strip law abiding citizens of their firearms based on a certain set of subjective criteria, like whether a person is considered to be a danger to themselves or others.
Lee called for those laws on April 11.
“This new stronger order of protection law will provide the broader population cover, safety from those that are a danger to themselves or to the population,” he said at the time. “It’s going to require coming together, laying down our previously held positions potentially.”
Opponents of “Red Flag” laws, like Executive Director of the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) John Harris, say the laws are likely unconstitutional.
Harris joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on April 17 to discuss the issue.
He said the following:
The problem is that Tennessee’s governors and our legislature don’t think that the Second Amendment applies to them, and they read that initial phrase well-regulated to mean that the government has the authority to create laws that restrict the access of the people to own or possess or even purchase guns.
We just had, as recently as two years ago, a House member Brandon Ogles who expressly said that in committee hearings that well-regulated gave them that authority. They clearly misread it as we talk in the Constitution book that well-regulated was intended to mean it is critical to the freedom that this nation is founded upon, that civilians own guns, and that they be well prepared to use them if necessary, like in the Battle of Athens, to stand up to our own government.
Just like the founders had done with England. So it’s completely the opposite of where they think that phrase was intended to lead us.
– – –
Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Brent Leatherwood” by Brent Leatherwood.
I am a member of a Southern Baptist Church know his feelings do not reflect the majority of members in my small rural church. The SBC needs to stay out of politics. If this position is to reflect the opinions of the majority of members, then I need to begin a search for another church. Doesn’t this nimrod understand that guns are not the problem, it is people. People don’t have to use guns to commit mass murder. Remember all the mass stabbings that have occurred in England where guns are not allowed. Also, that about the bombs like those used in the downtown Nashville bombing that had the potential to kill many. Memo to SBC or other church leaders: Bring lost souls into your churches, pray for them, and lead them to know Jesus as their Savior. But STAY OUT OF POLITICS.
Did it occur to this clown that once you advocate for the government to violate the Second Amendment it won’t be long before they violate the First Amendment, which guarantees your right to practice your religion.
The Southern Baptist, a once great denomination now gone woke. RIP
Right. Because gun control has worked so well in Illinois and, especially, Chicago, which has the most draconian gun control laws . . . .
Did Brent Leatherwood take down the southern Baptist convention? You know a 501 (c) (3) organization is expressly forbidden from lobbying.
That’s exactly what he did. Wonder how many complaints will be fine with the IRS now?
Our autonamous church has stopped giving the state convention a penny. We still give to the mission programs but that’s all. Each church is free standing and makes their individual decisions on what they do and give too. They don’t speak for us!!!!