Interfaith Call-in Day to Prevent Gun Violence

December 14^th is the one-year anniversary of the tragedy in Newtown.  Since then, federal lawmakers have failed to make any progress toward curbing the scourge of gun violence in this nation.  We call on our leaders and say:

Enough pain. Enough despair. Enough injustice. Enough inaction.

In an invitation to Presbyterians to lift voices and take action, PC(USA) Director for Public Witness, the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, said, "It is imperative that we pass common sense gun legislation to avoid more mass killings through gun violence in the United States. We must also be cognizant of the alarming numbers of persons killed on our streets by handguns each year. Our faith reminds us that the moral imperative to save lives supersedes our selfish need for false allusions of power witnessed by our over zealous desire to possess guns. The way of faith suggests that 'perfect love cast out fear.'" (I John 4:18)

Call now at 1-855-438-2982

When you call, tell your Senators:

• 11,000 more Americans have been murdered with guns since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.
• The majority of Americans support gun violence prevention measures and wish the Senate had passed the background check bill this year.
• In memory of the children of Sandy Hook and the thousands of people killed by guns each year, support the bipartisan Manchin-Toomey background check compromise. It is a step in the right direction.

Let them know that you are calling as part of Faiths Calling to Prevent Gun Violence.

And if you haven’t already, sign the PC(USA) petition to prevent gun violence and/or send a message directly to your Members of Congress and President Obama.

In light of the one-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy, and in memory of the thousands of Americans killed by gun violence in our country every year, we can and must transform our grief into action.  Already, we have come together several times with our interfaith partners to tell our lawmakers that we support common sense measures to prevent gun violence in this country, but it is time to unite our voices once again. We must let Congress know that we will continue to sound the moral drumbeat until there is action.

Add your voice to the chorus of partners from diverse backgrounds and traditions that have spoken out to end gun violence. On December 13th, call your Senators and tell them that we are committed to changing the culture of violence that pervades our society and to stopping the rampant gun violence problem plaguing our communities.

FaithsCalling—Interfaith Call-in Day to Support Gun Violence Prevention—December 13th

visit: www.faithscalling.org 

call: 1-855-438-2982

Text “FaithsCalling” to 877-877 for a reminder message

God is Love: A Statement on Gun Violence in the United States

God is Love

A Statement on Gun Violence in the United States

This statement was given by Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson at a press conference held in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2013. Religious leaders and Faith Against Gun Violence came together to press for tighter gun regulations to stop gun violence in the United States. 

First, let me give honor and praise to our Creator for the opportunity to speak with the press today regarding the eradication of gun violence in the United States. I am the Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC. I represent nearly two million members of our denomination. I also represent today the National Council of Churches which includes 37 Christian denominations and their over 100,000 congregations and 45 million persons in the United States. Our collective presence of interfaith leaders gathered today is a witness to our belief in the need for faith leaders to bind ourselves together on both national and local levels. We are aware that pressure from the gun lobby and gun owners continues to mount around this issue. But we believe that political leaders in Washington can resolve this problem and achieve meaningful gun reform if only they have the will.

As we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on his birthday today, it is imperative for us to be reminded that he was a man who advocated for peace and justice. I am convinced that if he were here today, this issue would be the priority of his leadership. In the United States today, since 1997 we are witnessing gun deaths of more than thirty thousand persons per year. From the Revolutionary War in 1775 to the Persian Gulf War in 1991 which totaled 116 years there were 650,858 persons killed in combat. In the eighteen years from 1979 to 1997 we have experienced 651,697 deaths by guns. There were 839 more persons killed by guns during this 18 year period in the United States than in 116 years of foreign wars involving the United States.[i] No longer can faith communities stand idly by and commit to performing burials while bowing to lobbyists whose motivations are driven by a false standard of profit and power. We stand today on the premise that faith does have something to say about life and death. Therefore, it is imperative that we declare that our Creator affirms life abundantly while giving leadership to those of us who will challenge the false choice between guns and freedom.

We have gathered to call for 1) a ban on all assault weapons. These are weapons of war and there is no reason for common citizens to purchase or possess them. We do not use AK-47’s to hunt deer! Therefore, we are calling for the reinstatement of the assault weapons ban which lapsed in 2004. 2) We are calling for universal background checks. Presently, there is no federal provision for background checks and some states that do not require them at all. Therefore, persons that are mentally ill or do not know how to fire a gun or possess criminal records can make gun purchases. 3) Gun trafficking should be made a federal crime. Currently, prosecutions only happen through a law that prohibits selling guns without a federal license, which carries the same punishment as trafficking chicken or livestock. We must empower law enforcement to investigate and prosecute straw purchasers, gun traffickers, and their entire criminal networks.

We must not minimize the struggle of families who mourn the loss of those children and teachers killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The Newtown community tragedy brought this issue of gun violence to the forefront in public debate. However, it is a greater tragedy that we live in a culture of violence that self-perpetuates and makes gun violence acceptable.  According to one journalist, each evening on the eleven o’clock news many television stations wait until two to three minutes before the broadcast to determine the lead story, because they are waiting for the possibility of a late night shooting. The common term in the media for this is “if it bleeds, it leads.” Newtown is representative of a long list of tragic community killings through gun violence. Our purpose here today is to declare that our faith perspectives and holy books call us, first and foremost, to love one another, not to protect ourselves against one another.

In inner city and some rural communities today, the criminal element connected to guns is rampant due to a lack of economic opportunity – dismal job prospects; low wages; and historic, flawed, and failing public education. Without opportunities, children are forced to choose gangs, guns, and incarceration over graduation. All of these dismal realities of community life are perfect for drugs, trafficking, prostitution, and other public safety issues stemming from illegal activities that create an environment for guns to neutralize the affects among criminals in a community. If the real truth is exposed, we would realize that none of us are safe in this country. Shopping malls, political rallies, temples, mosques, churches, schools, including college campuses, and a host of other public venues are all potential sites for gun violence at any given time. The challenge of eradicating gun violence is that there must be a change of heart and Spirit in our nation. This issue of creating peace for our nation is tied to justice and how we treat our neighbors and whether each person has an opportunity for economic livelihood.

If Dr. King were alive today, he would remind us that the United States is a great nation, when it measures its greatness on its moral and ethical actions. “Let us be first in love,” he would declare. Guns must be brought under tighter legislative restrictions for the purpose of saving lives and restoring the integrity of our commitment to promote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We stand together today, because we know beyond all else that God is love. Let our love bind us together to challenge the onslaught of gun violence in our nation. Tell Congress and our President to pass legislation that will tighten gun laws in this country. God is love!

View the video of this morning's remarks: 

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[i] James Atwood, America and It’s Guns: A Theological Expose (Eugene Oregon: Cascade Books, 2012) Appendix p. 227-228.

Tell NBC to Air PC(USA) documentary: TRIGGER

TELL NBC TO AIR PC(USA) GUN VIOLENCE DOCUMENTARY – TRIGGER

IN PRIME TIME

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons (daughters) of God. (Matthew5:9)

The 219^th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) adopted a policy statement: Gun Violence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call. The policy called for “the church [to] take responsibility to build public awareness of gun violence and the epidemic of preventable gun-related deaths, totaling more than 620,000 over the past twenty years, with hundreds of thousands more wounded. Even while taking the focused and urgent efforts below to achieve practical solutions, that the councils and congregations welcome discussion from all viewpoints, and that the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy review and summarize responses for the 220th General Assembly (2012).”

Trigger Documentary – Produced by the PC(USA)

NBC has first dibs through May, 2013, on airing a PC(USA)-produced documentary on gun violence. The documentary named TRIGGER:The Ripple Effect of Gun Violence is produced by award-winning producer David Barnhart. Our latest inquiry reveals that many of the local NBC affiliates are not even aware that the documentary exists. We need your help! Pleasecall your local NBC affiliate today and request that the documentary be aired in prime time given the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, and more than 30,000 people killed in the U.S. every year by gun violence.   

To find your local NBC affiliate, go to NBC’s website, search by state and choose your local station.  Once on the right website, look for a “contact us” or “feedback” link. Ask them to air TRIGGER in prime time.

Gun violence daily affects communities on levels equivalent with major natural and human disasters, and it is seen in almost every community. We may hear briefly about the victims and survivors of these shootings, but what happens after the media attention moves on and the wider public becomes numb to "just another shooting"? Drawing upon conversations with lawmakers, emergency room chaplains and surgeons, survivors and victims' families, former ATF officials, police officers, community leaders and others, this documentary shares the story of how gun violence impacts individuals and communities and examines the "ripple effect" that one shooting has on a survivor, a family, a community, and a society. TRIGGER also addresses the critical issue of gun violence prevention (such as keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill) by moving the conversation away from the polarizing extremes that have long dominated the debate and by lifting up the voice and experiences of those who seek common ground and a new way forward. View the documentary trailer. Please call today!  Encourage your friends and church members to do the same.

Resources for responding to gun-related tragedy:

In the Aftermath of Two Mass Shootings this Week: a statement from Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons and Presbyterian Mission Agency Executive Director Linda Valentine

J. Herbert Nelson’s statement in response to the same

PC(USA) Resources on GunViolence

UNBOUND

Prayer Litany for vic­tims of gun violence

Gun Vio­lence Pre­ven­tion Cur­ricu­lum: Sup­port­ing Those Who Grieve

Gun Vio­lence Pre­ven­tion Con­gre­ga­tional Toolkit

Other Resources, including hymns

Worship Resources

Liturgical Resources

Children’s Message strategies

God Not Guns Sabbath Worship Guide from the Brady Campaign

Hymns in response to Gun Violence by Presbyterian Pastor Rev. Carolyn Winfrey Gillette

On Gun Violence

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW) extends its sympathy to the students, faculty, staff and families affected by the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.  This shooting represents another mass shooting leading to the senseless killing of twenty-seven people, including 18 children at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

OPW Director, J. Herbert Nelson reissued the call for all people to take seriously a movement to eradicate gun violence in the United States. “We are living in a society in which random gun violence is making everyone vulnerable to premature death. Whether it be the movie theater, houses of worship, college campuses or elementary schools, none of us are safe with automatic weapons; illegal sales of guns; limited background checks; and a host of inconsistencies that exist in present gun laws. We must call on our elected officials to committed action to stiffen gun laws in this country.”

(See the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) policy entitled GunViolence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call approved by the 219^th General Assembly (2010).