(CNN) - Responding to the deadly mass shooting Friday in Newtown, Connecticut, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said new laws regulating guns won't deter such shootings, linking a lack of religious discussion in the classroom to increased violence in schools.
"We ask why there's violence in our school but we've systematically removed God from our schools," Huckabee said on Fox News. "Should we be so surprised that schools have become such a place of carnage? Because we've made it a place where we don't want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability."
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"That we're not just gonna have to be accountable to the police if they catch us but one day we stand before a holy God in judgment. If we don't believe that, then we don't fear that," he said.
"People are going to want to pass new laws," Huckabee continued. "This is a heart issue ... laws don't change this kind of thing."
Huckabee made similar comments following the mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, earlier this year saying violent acts should not be a surprise considering the removal of religion from public forums.
"We don't have a crime problem, or a gun problem, or even a violence problem. What we have is a sin problem," he said after the July shooting on Fox News. "And since we've ordered God out of our schools and communities; the military and public conversations... we really shouldn't act so surprised when all hell breaks loose."
Friday morning a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and opened fire killing 20 students and six adults before apparently killing himself. The tragedy has intensified the debate over gun laws in the U.S.
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Same morons who refuse to admit we need gun laws changed by manipulating the second amendment to fit their ridiculous beliefs...
I agree with Huckabee!
If Mr. Huckabee wants religion in the classroom he can send his kids to a religious school. It's not the lack of religion that creates violence it the lack of a personal responsibility, accountability and parental involvement. Gun violence or any kind of violence is glorified in our society and I do blame that on violent video games, TV and movies. Americans have become desensitized to the violence and thus its consequences. It's this culture surrounding guns and violence that's the bigger issue. Not the lack of Huckabee's version of religion. Keep his/your religion out my house! I'll teach my child at home and at our place of worship thank you.
What does religion have to do with teaching accountability and responsibility? That is more than a little insulting to the many non-believers who would consider themselves plenty accountable and responsible.
I agree 100% with you Huckabee.
This is just plain cruel to make such statements like this at such a tragic time from a FOX news contributor who use to be a minister but traded that in for the love of money and politics. Huckabee is a total disgrace.
Yeah. Right.
Blame God.
The "sin" Mr. Huckabee neglected to mention is no providing of assistance to people in need,counsel,financial,emotional support....programs to involve children and young adults in community growth and care....programs a lot of republicans make fun of or belittle. Church can and is involved as should be our federal and state and local governments!!!
He who is without sin,cast the first stone!!!!
That's funny. I went to public school in the sixties and seventies. I don't remember any mention
of god. Polled my mother and father who went to public school in the forties and fifties. Still no god. Huckabee
is a disgrace. He should just sit quietly on the beach outside his mansion and let the adults talk. To make such
an idiotic comment on such a tragic day is par for the course for this man. No surprise here.
Laws do change behaviors. Smoking, seatbelt and drinking and driving to name a few. MADD was a movement. I think there should b a new one. MAAW Mothers Against Assult Weapons!
Religion has nothing to do with this ; How aragonite are you to even go there ... It is lack of Gun control, it amazes me that it takes more time and education to License to drive then to buy a gun... It is time to put stricture guide lines and laws that if you buy a gun and someone else uses the gun to kill your responsible as much as the one that pulls the trigger... You can not afford a safe you can not afford a gun....
Agree our moral values have gone out the window since prayer was taken out of schools prove me wrong because you can't.
It starts with the parent first and our relaxed anything goes press doesn't help.
Wake up America we are turning to a hate Country and that's about it.
Stronger gun controls will not help you need to think about blaming yourself when things like this happen you let a few control our Christan ways and now everyone is paying for it.
Thanks ACLU and the people who think the minority has the right to say their feelings are hurt and control the majority. We were raised with moral values and that seems to be gone out the window.
It seems to me that Huckabee could have waited at least a few days before he started politicizing the deaths of these CHILDREN to rally his radical evangelical voter base for his next attempt to get elected. Please note, he also sucked up to in his rabid NRA base at the same time. Typical that it would occur on fox.
Mythology is Not the answer, truth and accountability are!
The president and the worthless Congress are the real problem and their total lack of will to deal with this national outrage.
Take a good look at the mindless trash in video games and almost every TV show and movie saturated with Guns used as a solution to everyones problems,real or imagined!
We are dying as a culture as I can testify being 70 years old and knowing how our country has changed in a increasingly violent way.
We look to leadership, and what do we get; Governors impeding voter-ship, destroying women’s rights, dismantling the middle class one union at a time, Wall street destroying the marketplace with greed, taking from the needy and giving to the wealthy..
The people are appalled at what has transpired and our worthless Congress is bought and paid for by the highest bidder.
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Violence is on the upswing along with increasing anger at the lack of responsibility by those in charge.
I am an atheist, as are most sensible people I know. I hadn't realised I want to go around shooting people -and neither have they – but now you mention it, what a sensible idea.
There is clearly no motive not to shoot other people. Heck, what's with 'empathy', 'rationality' and 'compassion'? Quite clearly the only reason anyone doesn't shoot anyone else is faith in the Lord; and the removal of the threat of punishment in the after-life is the only thing stopping anyone going on armed rampage.
Because that doesn't suggest that you're a complete PSYCHO, Huckabee.
Finally, someone's come to say it. God bless you Huckabee.
Um, no, it doesn't. Rather, it's religious zealots like your beloved Tea Party that make the world an unsafe place. I say keep religion confined to places of worship and private residences. God has no place in politics, nor should religion be forced down the throats of non-believers.
No Church is not school, the family has that job!
This guy is a nut! Which religion is he talking about? Hinduism? Buddhism? Jainism? Sikhism? Taoism? Confucianism? Islam? Christianity? Catholicism? Mormonism? Seventh Day Adventism? Jehova's Witnesses? Scientology? Judaism? Eastern Orthodox? Which one should there be in the classroom? Keep religion within families, individual choice and places of worship.
It is amazing to watch Republican trolls like Huckabee- representatives of the Party of "personal repsonsibility" suddenly decide that being the shills for the "guns for crazy people" , Wayne LaPierre's NRA that it is the kids' parents who are responsible for these atrocities and not themselves who allow every WalMart and corner market sell guns like so much Christmas candy. Still playing the "legitimate rape" card I guess.
What foul humans these GOPpers are.
Lack of religion in W.H. - and among those who elected it - lead to "unimaginable" domestic and foreign policy horrors
Mr. Huckabee is right on the money.
Families should teach their kids religion, not schools. You want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, and accountability, Mr. Huckabee? Fine, let us also talk about gun control.
Or it could be the excess of religion.