Statements from our faith traditions

Where does My Faith Community stand?

 

American Baptist

(1/29/13) — In a unanimous vote at its meeting in Atlanta, Ga., last week, the Board of Directors of American Baptist Home Mission Societies adopted a Public Witness Statement on Gun Violence that included recommendation of 10 measures aimed at reducing the impact of firearms on individuals, families, communities and our nation.

These measures include: banning assault weapons; requiring criminal background checks for sales at gun shows; strengthening regulations of gun dealers; required reporting of lost or stolen guns to law enforcement; and restoring firearms research funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We want to provide the tools for local churches to take action,” said Board President Dr. Clifford Johnson when he introduced the statement. “This will be a board of action,” he said. “If we are to be true to our history, we have to speak out on issues on like gun violence.”


 

Catholic

US Catholic Council of Bishops

Regarding gun violence prevention the bishops wrote, "We support measures that control the sale and use of firearms and make them safer (especially efforts that prevent their unsupervised use by children or anyone other than the owner), and we reiterate our call for sensible regulation of handguns."

At the Bishops’ General Assembly in fall of 2019, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, …spoke favorably of Extreme Risk Protection Orders among other options.  The USCCB also supports recent proposals to set a more appropriate minimum age for gun ownership, and to ban “bump stocks.”  Finally, the USCCB supports wholistic measures, such as the promotion of mercy and peacebuilding in our communities through restorative justice policies and practices, ongoing encounters and discussions at the parish level regarding violence in communities.

Catholics and all people of good will are urged to contact their Senators and Representative to support policy and legislative measures that uphold the safety and wellbeing of all persons in our communities.  


 

Church of the Brethren

From Church of the Brethren Newsline, March 13, 2018

Lukewarm no more: A call for repentance and action on gun violence

“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more” (Matthew 2:18).

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?” (Matthew 5:13a)

The Church of the Brethren has spoken and acted for peace and healing throughout our history of discerning the leading of the Holy Spirit. While we have not always lived this as we should, we have marked our way in this discernment through publicly recalling the scriptures and our mutual understanding found in Annual Conference statements.

In the wake of repeated mass shootings and the proliferation of gun violence, we are called to remind and recommit ourselves to the work of peacemaking.

http://www.brethren.org/news/2018/lukewarm-no-more-statement-gun-violence.html


 

Episcopal Church

Bishops Against Gun Violence

"We believe in a God of life in the face of death who calls our church to speak and act decisively against the unholy trinity of poverty, racism and violence.  To that end, Bishops United offers: 

Public liturgy including processions, vigils and prayers services to commemorate the dead and inspire the living.

Spiritual support for those living with gun shot wounds with grief, with fear and with the temptation of hopelessness, and advocacy for broader and easier access to mental health services for those at risk of suicide.

Sound teaching for those yearning to bring an ethic of Christian compassion and concern for the common good to bear on debates regarding unjust economic and legal structures, public safety, individual rights and our responsibilities to one another as children of God.

Persistent advocacy for common sense gun safety measures that enjoy the support of gun owners and non-gun owners alike, such as handgun purchaser licensing, background checks, restrictions on gun ownership by domestic abusers, safe storage of firearms, and federal funding for research into gun violence prevention strategies."

 


Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

The ELCA is a church in society striving for peace in all the world. Let us join with others in calling for greater gun safety, including preventing easy access to assault-style weapons and strengthening our federal system of background checks for all gun sales. We call for support and protection for those living out their vocations to protect and defend society, enforce the   law and work toward restorative justice. We pray for rostered ministers who provide support and counseling services to those affected by gun-violence-related crimes even as we pray for the perpetrators of violent acts. We call upon congregations to hold safe space for those dealing with the fears and threats related to violence in all its manifestations.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton

Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America  3/26/21

 


Hindu statement regarding gun violence

HAF Policy Brief: Gun Control - Balancing Ahimsa and Self Defense

Deaths from gun violence, whether they are related to robberies, domestic disputes, hate crimes, or mass shootings affect all Americans, including Hindu Americans. It is the natural and just role of both the state governments and the Federal government to establish and enforce fair, effective, and common sense regulation of firearms to prevent such violence in society and protect its citizens.

The Hindu American Foundation endorses the following policy recommendations for curbing gun violence in order to maintain a just and peaceful society:

  • Establish a national computerized registry of all gun sales

  • Universal background checks for all gun owners, including stronger mental health background checks and criminal background checks for every gun sold

  • Mandatory waiting periods for all firearm sales

  • Tighten rules on how many guns can be purchased in a month, as well as limits on the amount of ammunition that can be purchased at one time

  • Reinstitute a ban on assault rifles and military-grade weapons, as well as high capacity magazines

  • Establish safe storage rules for all firearms

  • Increase federal funding for research on gun violence

 

 

Mennonite

The Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office witnesses to the U.S. government, seeking to promote peace and justice domestically and internationally. The prevalence of gun violence in the United States is a major public policy concern that affects too many individuals, families and communities every day.

 


Presbyterian Church, USA 

The 219th General Assembly (2010) approved the following: The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), recognizing the need for a new approach to the plague of gun violence, recommends that the 219th General Assembly (2010) approve the following: To awaken members and communities to the faith dimensions of our on-going tragedy: 1. Encourage the church at every level—from individual member to congregation, presbytery, synod, and national church—to become informed and active in preventing gun violence, to provide pastoral care for victims of gun violence, and to seek a spiritual response of grief and repentance, grace and courage to resist that violence and celebrate the Lord and Giver of Life. This proposal does not preclude the legal use of personal firearms for hunting or sports-related purposes. 


 

Reconstruction Rabbinical Association Resolution to End Gun Violence, Marach 12, 2013

Whereas we are called by the word of the Torah:  Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbors (Lev. 9:16) and by Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra’s commentary “that one not be joined with people of blood warning against complicity of silence and whereas the Talmud raised awareness of the danger of weapons falling into the wrong hands . . .we may not sell to them armament nor accessories of armament . . .(Babylonian Talmud Avodad Zarah 15b-16a).

 


Reformed Judaism

From The Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism: http://www.rac.org/gun-violence-prevention-jewish-values “Jewish Values and Gun Violence Prevention”

Jewish Tradition 

Jewish tradition emphasizes the sanctity and primary value of human life. The Bible commands us, “Thou shalt not murder” (Exodus 20:13). The Talmud teaches us that “he who takes one life it is as though he has destroyed the universe and he who saves one life it is as though he has saved the universe” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5). In an increasingly impersonal and alienating society, the dehumanizing of the human being and the carelessness with which human life is taken stand in direct violation of these affirmations of our tradition.

Scripture encourages peaceful pursuit of our mutual welfare. Isaiah exhorts the people of the earth “beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks.” (Isaiah 2:4) We are commanded to turn weapons of destruction into tools for the greater good of society. The following text from the Bereshit Rabbah (21:13) further idealizes the land free of weapons, “The Rabbis, commenting on the words: ‘He placed at the East of the Garden of Eden the Cherubim and the flaming sword’ say: ‘At the East of the Garden of Eden at the very spot where stood the Cherubim with the flaming sword – there was Gehenna created.’

The Reform Movement and Gun Violence Prevention

The URJ has long recognized the need for legislation “that would limit and control the sale and use of firearms” and has called on the United States government to “eliminate the manufacture, importation, advertising, sale, transfer and possession of handguns except for limited instances.” (URJ 1975). Over the years, the URJ has spoken out on gun violence prevention with particular passion, insisting that gun regulation is “a vital necessity.”

The Reform Movement makes gun violence prevention a top priority. In 1999, URJ President Rabbi Eric Yoffie made it the primary social action topic of his Biennial sermon and called for a nationwide campaign to end gun violence. The Biennial passed a resolution urging congregations to initiate projects and speak out publicly on the issue that we continue to abide by in our legislative advocacy.

The North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) has also taken an active stance with gun violence prevention and passed a strongly worded resolution calling for stricter gun laws.

 

 

United Methodist Statement Book of Resolutions  2016  #33428  

As followers of Jesus, called to live into the reality of God’s dream of shalom as described by Micah, we must address the epidemic of gun violence so “that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in God’s paths.” Therefore, we call upon United Methodists to prayerfully address gun violence in their local context and . . . for congregations to make preventing gun violence a regular part of our conversations and prayer times. .  .


 

United Church of Christ

From: United Church of Christ http://www.ucc.org/gun-violence

Gun Violence

Members of the faith community have long advocated for sensible, responsible policies to end gun violence. In 1995, The UCC 20th General Synod passed a resolution entitled “Violence in Our Society and World,” in which it recognized the complicated and interwoven layers at the root of violence.

That same General Synod also passed a resolution entitled “Guns and Violence,” inviting UCC members and congregations to advocate for legislation to strengthen licensing and registration of gun sales, strengthen regulations of gun dealers and ban semiautomatic assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips.

The faith community has come together many times in the aftermath of gun tragedies to urge lawmakers to pass laws that prevent gun violence. Tested by our grief, resolute in our faith we remain committed to continuing this drumbeat.



The Unitarian Universalist Association

From: The Unitarian Universalist Association http://www.uua.org/liberty/guns

Take Action to Prevent Gun Violence

By our silence, by our willingness to compromise principle… by our readiness to allow arms to be purchased at will and fired at whim, by allowing our movie and television screens to teach our children that the hero is one who masters the art of shooting and the technique of killing, by allowing all these developments, we have created an atmosphere in which violence and hatred have become popular pastimes.
—Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, that killed 20 children and 8 adults, our hearts are broken. Although we are especially affected by the fact that so many of these victims were young children, we are mindful that this incident was but the latest in a long string of tragic and deadly incidents of gun violence. More recently, fifty people died in a nightclub patronized by Orlando, Florida’s LGBTQ community after a person opened fire with two assault weapons.

·       Read Rev. Peter Morales’ statement on the Orlando mass shooting

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has assembled a page of resources, Orlando, Boston, Newtown: Responding to Trauma, to help all of us process the Newtown shooting and its aftermath, emotionally and spiritually.

The purpose of this page is to help all of us understand how we can reduce the likelihood, or at least the frequency, of such tragic events by understanding the factors that lead to gun violence, what changes in public policy might mitigate or reduce gun violence, and how we and other people and communities of faith might advocate for such changes. UUA Witness Ministries will update it as additional resources become available.