Is it a religion?

Not for one minute do I believe all guns are idols, but I do believe some guns are idols. I’d never say all gun owners are idolatrous, but I insist some gun owners are. I don’t use the words “idol” and “idolatry” to be melodramatic, only accurate. Former NRA executive, Warren Cassidy, was serious when he exclaimed, “You would get a far better understanding of the NRA if you were approaching us as one of the great religions of the world.” This belief helps explain why the fight over any gun control measure immediately takes on the quality of a crusade for those whose guns have become idols.—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, pages 19–20

<idle musing>
Indeed it does. I've run into people like that. They seem to be the ones who are controlling the debate; for them any form of gun control is an affront to their rights. While 12,000 die every year from gunshot wounds...
</idle musing>