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Rabbi Evan Moffic and Father Jonathan Morris explore whether faith has an role or influence in this national discussion
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Admire the grace.
And you resolve that you all show.
And I must say I've been deeply affected by your faith -- well.
And the president -- -- everything to try to match the resolve you've demonstrated.
This -- the land of the free and it always will be.
As Americans we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights that no man or government can take away from -- -- joining me now to debate that religion and gun control rabbi even -- Spiritual leader -- congregations so well in Chicago.
And good morning -- and a good afternoon rather -- my Father Jonathan Morris.
-- that Roman Catholic priest and a Fox News contributor and you can follow -- both on Twitter at Chicago rabbi and at father not that so welcome obviously you're different.
Twitter pages that.
And thank you -- ever since you are in Chicago want to bring you have a -- first because and you know is is is there any kind of religious undertone is there any kind of religious understanding of gun control -- how do you fashion the debate.
Using religion.
Absolutely.
The biblical verse I think most is especially here in Chicago where we at 500.
Homicides last -- do not stand idly by while your neighbor police.
And it's it's an impaired -- you know our our highest Jewish value is.
And so we need to do what we can to save life.
And that's a moral imperative now that the ancient Jewish -- didn't write about guns because they didn't exist at the time.
But they did right about the protection.
Of innocent lives and the imperative of civil authorities to do what they can to protect life.
And the idea of weapons.
As you say you know we don't we certainly don't have a kind of weapons.
Yet they didn't have a kind of weapons that as they have today killing of you know assault right is whether is it ideal weather and defending themselves is there any kinds of reference to people.
Taking arms.
Sort of in an immoral way.
Absolutely you know there's some fascinating debates about this.
-- and the -- Is a discussion about swords.
About when it was legitimate to Wear a sword and when it was -- And partially it was legitimate in the end in Jewish law there was a right to defend your home.
In that was a right to bear arms but there were restrictions on how could be used and when it could be used -- example on the -- It wasn't permissible to where soared.
The rabbis also did not -- certain people to have dangerous weapon so there was the equivalent of what today.
We have you know gone registries -- background checks and so forth.
The equivalent happened and for for people the -- thought.
It would be -- dangerous for them to have swords or other kinds of weapons.
Thought that might get this just basically your thoughts about the religious undertones of any kind of gun laws are gun restrictions well I couldn't agree more with with the rabbi here all of that is certainly in line with that Christian understanding and and tradition.
That one of the greatest I think misunderstandings.
From an ethical reasoning point of view.
Or lack of ethical logic is when we -- the right.
Game which is.
Relative.
An absolute -- for example.
I have the right to bear arms.
Yes according to our constitution we do -- this does not mean it's an absolute right meaning without any restrictions.
Whatsoever exactly I was bringing out actually brought my little constitution out here with the actual words on her because it it's very short I can reader and it says.
Good Second Amendment says a well regulated militia being necessary to be security of a free state the right of the people to keep and bear.
Arms shall not be infringed those -- the words of Second Amendment that's it that's right and then.
Well we certainly have an obligation to defend -- families and defend ourselves from any intruder anybody wants to take -- our lives.
As an ordered society we have to come up with rules and policies that help us keep that order.
You don't -- about one thing is that is never is not discussed.
In the role of the gun law debate at least I have not heard it and I didn't hear -- sound bytes written by vice president.
Joseph Biden or President Obama is the moral issue that's at stake here.
Is that you can't just address one issue here -- -- I'm thinking maybe you can win this.
Can you really addressed only one issue of whether certain kind of density available are not available without addressing.
The morality behind it someone's decision to use or not years ago.
Absentee is that that the issues are so interconnected there's this debate it's not just about gun control.
Gun controls a huge part of the debate.
But it's about our larger culture and it's about.
Are we mean are we reinforcing.
Values of life in community and culture are we giving people hope.
You know here in Chicago.
We have.
People in literally a mile from from where I am who -- who feel no sense of hope.
Who who really having a gun is is and an assertion of authority an assertion of strength.
In some would feel they needed to protect themselves but it's an underlying issue in our and our society and it's not.
It's not left or right it really has to do with the dignity we afford human beings in the dignity we afford light and and that's the real underlying issue.
You know Lauren as -- speaking I'm thinking of the just how in the for sixteen days correct me if I'm wrong rabbi.
That just the first sixty days and should I would this year.
26 people.
-- were killed by the same exact numbers sandy hook that does not mean that sandy hook is and how unimportant it's it's massively important I couldn't agree.
War with some of these some of these regulations that are going to put into place but.
We should also recognize that.
How can we get so much attention to this as we should and it's not take on and much broader issue is -- -- I was saying.
Of what's going on -- families and our communities especially in the most marginalized.
And -- -- -- society.
I have -- end.
I would think that the president who has such personal experience.
In Chicago.
And in and in the big cities of our country would recognize.
That this is an urgent issue.
And he like perhaps no other.
Politician in the past.
Or presently.
Is able to go -- to Chicago into our other big cities and to do something in it in to call attention to the problem.
But this is one of the issues is the morality issue the gun control of the the but the president really can't.
Where you can you can try to try to restrict morality one of the things that happened this week is at 47 faith leaders and maybe understand -- about this.
That they issued a letter.
And they're calling -- members of congress -- -- actually prevent gun violence now want to things that they.
Come up with the reinstate the ban on assault weapons require background checks on gun buyers and make trafficking a federal crime.
There is nothing in this these requirements it has anything to do -- -- Nothing it's all legality it's all politics should faith leaders be involved on this level rabbi -- Yes I I think so in here's where draw the distinction.
We all public officials who I know are often deeply driven by their faith.
And that's part of who who we ours people of faith but.
Their -- to be of good secular reason to to promote legislation that's that and there are enormously important secular reasons to promote.
An assault weapons ban it's it's dangerous in their statistics show.
Where I draw the line is they can motivate our feelings in what we -- important but it shouldn't be the only factor there also has to be.
Other reasons to implement legislation and on gun violence those reasons are abundant -- I just -- -- -- you're -- to underlined.
Those those regulations that you just read not a single one of those.
Right of those those major regulations.
Will do anything to curb the violence that we're seeing in Chicago and other major cities none of them -- nothing.
Great so.
It's it's also -- thinks of utmost importance that we go from sandy hook.
We use it as it is a great jumping off point to say but what about this other violence.
How is that we're letting all these.
These young men without fathers.
Without family structure just to -- -- and -- into into have to survive bacteria -- getting involved.
Then this past month I guess that's kind of what I'm saying is that why are we not putting those other issues on the table because -- you've got in the black community or any community is a high percentage of young men.
Born into families without fathers raise without -- they have a much higher probability of lining up in jail and they're committing violence.
That's a -- -- that's sitting at the root of the issue why.
Couldn't faith leaders get involved on that level and not on this sort of blue -- you.
We have to -- I think -- Jonathan pointed out so.
Well.
That you know this is an opportunity for the president for the vice president for our elected officials to speak out on this issue to speak out about our culture of violence.
That should be the real focus out.
I do think it's okay for religious leaders to lobby on certain legislation but our real -- our most important role.
Is to provide a critique of our culture.
To talk about the values that really matter and that's what's at stake here right about a dominated the last work.
This is just talking like this says there as a -- not rabbi and I are doing is the beginning and then we have to take a step.
Much and I'm sure the -- is doing it I'm not doing his -- -- the jobs that could -- but in my own community.
I I've -- -- three here in New York City it had three young people died.
This year.
Who have just got involved in drugs and he got caught up with the wrong people.
So we take it yes the big issues -- policy.
Then we have that is speaking out at about critique and cultures that rabbi suggested but then it's hard work you're doing it within our communities.
Right a lot thank you very much for being here today and talking about gun violence have been Republican getting what you -- about more.
But thank you very much rabbi and it -- -- -- Father Jonathan -- here to talk about.
And the debate right.
