But critics wonder how people who claim to worship Jesus Christ - who taught his followers to turn the other cheek and warned that those who pick up the sword would die by the sword - can justify it. Read more

Calls have come from several quarters for priests to take advantage of a 2014 law allowing journalists, priests, lawyers, doctors, nurses, accountants and engineers to carry firearms outside their homes.

The calls come after three recent shooting incidents involving priests.

"Arming priests is not a solution to crimes against them," said Father Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Public Affairs Committee of the bishops' conference.

He said there is no need for priests to arm themselves because, like any ordinary citizen, they are also entitled to protection from the government.

"If [priests] antagonise other people, killing them is unnecessarily excessive and brutal," said Father Secillano, adding that priests should never be considered as "enemies".

The country's Justice Secretary, meanwhile, said he intends to include in next year's proposed budget for his department funding for the purchase of firearms for prosecutors.

Menardo Guevarra said the move is in response to the killing of prosecutors in recent months, especially in the provinces.

He made the announcement following the killing of a prosecutor during a robbery incident in Quezon City on June 4.

At least seven prosecutors have been killed in the past two years, according to police.

Prior to the 2014 law, people like priests and prosecutors, like any other citizen, were required to prove they were "under actual threat" before being issued a special permit to carry firearms.

Now, all that is required is that they pass a drug and psychiatric test and prove they have no pending criminal case punishable by two or more years in jail and no prior convictions.

Source

• ucanews.com
• philstar.com
• Image: asianews.it

The Church Protection Act passed the Senate with a 28-4 vote and the House of Representatives with an even more decisive 85-8 vote.

The Catholic Diocese of Little Rock joined the local bishop of the Episcopal Church in opposing the measure.

Gun control has become an increasingly contentious issue in the United States since the schoolhouse massacre of 20 children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, in December.

The Arkansas law says "personal security is increasingly important" and "this act is immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety".

Among the opponents of the bill, Democrat Senator Linda Chesterfield of Little Rock said she was "trying to wrap my head around how we get Jesus Christ being non-violent and churches as a house of prayer".

The bill was sponsored by Republican Senator Bryan King from Green Forest, a rural town in northern Arkansas. In an interview with CNN, he called churches "soft targets" that deserved to be able to protect themselves.

In particular, King said, the law was important for rural communities, where "it could be thirty minutes to an hour" before police responded to a violent incident in a church.

The new law will allow individual religious leaders to continue a complete ban on firearms, allow a select few to carry firearms, or allow all members of the congregation to carry firearms inside the church, given they have the proper permit.

According to CNN, religious leaders were primarily concerned about any effect the law would have on insurance rates for houses of worship that choose to allow concealed weapons.

When the bill becomes law, Arkansas will join a small number of states that have passed legislation specifically allowing concealed weapons in houses of worship.

While about 20 states allow the practice because of "right to carry" laws, only a few states have singled out houses of worship in legislation.

Sources:

Christian Post

CNN

Image: All Christian News