Episcopal leaders in Massachusetts are rallying alongside gun safety advocates to preserve a sweeping state gun control law against a campaign seeking to repeal it by voter referendum.
The Massachusetts Legislature voted overwhelmingly in 2024 to adopt the law, which further strengthened the state’s already substantial protections against gun violence. It implemented new prohibitions on guns in public places, imposed stricter licensing requirements related to mental health history, enhanced “red flag” measures for specific threats, expanded the definition of illegal “assault-style firearms” and outlawed “ghost guns,” those made privately to avoid tracking.
Since then, pro-gun advocates have objected, and they forced a referendum onto the ballot in Massachusetts’ general election this November. Unless a majority of voters say “yes” to the law, it will be repealed.
The Boston-based Diocese of Massachusetts, which includes congregations in the eastern half of the state, has gone on record opposing the law’s repeal. Its Diocesan Council endorsed the “yes” campaign in a vote on April 16, and Bishop Julia Whitworth has personally gotten behind the efforts to maintain the law.
“Episcopalians regularly promise, through our Baptismal Covenant, to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. This compels us to take action to prevent gun violence, in the name of our faith,” Whitworth said in a written statement to Episcopal News Service.
— David Paulsen in Massachusetts Episcopalians rally behind effort to preserve state’s strict gun safety measures
Welp … If they truly think removing weapons from the hands of the law-abiding will reduce violence, there’s no working with them because their entire casual understanding of reality and human nature is broken.
Oh, and another example of why organized religion shouldn’t have tax-exempt status.
Episcopalian church leadership has a tendency to make stuff up.
‘ “Episcopalians regularly promise, through our Baptismal Covenant, to strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being. This compels us to take action to prevent gun violence, in the name of our faith,’ Whitworth said in a written statement to Episcopal News Service.’
First, their ‘Baptismal Covenant’ does say “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” and the response from the people is “I will, with God’s help.”
The false part is “This compels us to take action to prevent gun violence, in the name of our faith,’ – its false dogma.
‘gun violence’ is a false term – its criminal violence [valid self-defense, and suicide, are not ‘gun violence’ – valid self-defense is allowed by mans law and by Gods word thus not criminal in the eyes of mans law or Gods word, suicide is a personal choice of self-inflicted harm. This leaves only criminal violence by criminals who commit violence and not guns committing violence.]. Criminal violence is a matter of mans law.
In the old testament [Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:17, Psalm 82:3] ‘justice application’ is defined for believers, and God cautions in other sections of the bible against mixing mans dogma (the law in this case) with Gods word. Later, in the new testament we find the words and teachings of Jesus where he is teaching [echoing in direct example Gods word, holding up a coin] says (the context line of the passage) “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
Criminal violence is a matter of mans law, ‘Caesar’ – it is not a matter of ‘in the name of our faith’ or intervention by the church or believers.
It is false that their ‘Baptismal Covenant’ compels them to “take action to prevent gun violence, in the name of our faith.” – This is false dogma, mixing the purview of mans law with a claim of ‘their faith’ in Gods word to create a concept believers and the church are not suppose to be involved with. This is not in the name of their faith, this is in the name of left wing anti-gun activism.
Note for above: I tried posting all the details. I had to cut some stuff out though because of this stupid SNW ghost post thing which would have required me to butcher it so badly that it would have been basically unreadable.
“Episcopalians regularly promise…”
And its not a promise. According to official Episcopal Church definition, its a small catechism for use during the rite of initiation into the Church. That they think its a promise or repeat it often does not make it a promise. It is not an oath.
A ‘catechism’ is a summary or exposition of doctrine (often used for religious instruction or reminder of doctrine and faith). If the Episcopalian ‘Baptismal Covenant’ were an oath then it would be a promise as that’s what an oath is, a solemn promise – but its not an oath.
The Episcopal Church has been overrun with left-wing ideology that is directly contrary to the word of God and Jesus and biblical usage they invoke in the typical out of context usage to create dogma that is false.
For example, the Episcopal Church supports the left wing ideology that trans men can get pregnant and give birth – they do this by taking advantage of the fact the bible does not specifically say only (actual biological) women can give birth. They twist this into meaning that a trans man imagining they are biologically female can naturally get pregnant, bear a child, and then give birth.
You are a terrible Christian if you support gun control. Because the Bible does speak about the government denying weapons to God’s people. The purchase and carrying of weapons. Is supported. The righteous use of violence is allowed. And the misuse of violence is condemned.
Stop listening to others who say what’s in the Bible. Including a pastor. And read it for yourself.
Yet more left wing LGBTQ+ Movement trans lies exposed: Review Finds the Case for Transing Kids Is Built on Lies.
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In other words, they were cherry-picking data and moving goalposts to achieve the result they wanted.
…”
[note: cherry-picking data and moving goalposts is a typical left wing deception thing – we see it from anti-gun orgs and people a lot, we see it a lot from Miner49er in its posts here, we see it a lot from democrat politicians.]
ht* tps://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/06/07/the-case-for-transing-kids-is-built-on-lies-n4953687
“Bishop Julia”
What do you expect when you import modern cultural values of feminism over 1,900 years of tradition and scriptural teaching?