Don, you and I are usually on the same page, but we seem to disagree on this one. If we don't want the Church to meddle in social legislation regarding things like gay marriage and human reproduction, why should we want them to meddle in this issue?

There is nothing intrinsically evil about self-defense. The question is a technical one about which means are appropriate. It isn't the role of the Church to get involved in debates about karate lessons vs. knives vs guns and technical conversations about the difference between automatic and semiautomatic weaponry. Those are things that should be discussed and debated by citizens within a free society.

I favor strong gun control legislation. But inviting the bishops to weigh in on the minutiae of the matter isn't going to bring that about. It will only make the Church look even more meddlesome, ridiculous and irrelevant than it already does.

This is one issue where the bishops need to keep quiet and let the laity drive the conversation.