{"id":30495,"date":"2022-07-09T09:46:17","date_gmt":"2022-07-09T13:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=30495"},"modified":"2022-08-17T10:30:58","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T14:30:58","slug":"united-methodists-take-stand-against-gun-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=30495","title":{"rendered":"United Methodists Take Stand Against Gun Violence (July 2022)"},"content":{"rendered":"

During a 2022 Fourth of July parade, our country was (once again!) rocked by a mass shooting.\u00a0 This time, a gunman randomly shot at parade goers from a rooftop and 7 people were killed.\u00a0 The United Methodist Church does not live in a cultural vacuum, surrounded by the protection of our church walls.\u00a0 Jesus calls all of us to do something for those\u00a0 who are suffering: for the hungry, naked, imprisoned (Matthew25:34-36<\/a><\/span>).\u00a0 Our Lord’s call also applies to those who are killed or injured by senseless gun violence.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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The United Methodist Church has and is responding to this situation in many different ways.\u00a0 As an example, below are two of those responses.<\/p>\n

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Northern Illinois Bishop…<\/span><\/h3>\n

The most recent mass shooting happened during a 4th July parade in Highland Park, ILL.\u00a0 Highland Park is located in the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the Conference’s bishop responded.\u00a0 Bishop John Hopkins (Northern Illinois Conference) offered the following challenge:<\/p>\n

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“This mass shooting calls us to mourn, pray, remember innocent lives lost, and strengthen our resolve to find ways to address the growing epidemic of gun violence in the United States.<\/span>“<\/p>\n

– Bishop John Hopkins<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The above quote is from a message that’s on the Northern Illinois UMC Conference website.\u00a0\u00a0 To view the bishop’s article, click the following button:<\/p>\n

N Illinois Bishop Statement<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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General Conference Resolution<\/span><\/h3>\n

The “General Conference” is the body which meets every four years to consider changes to our church’s “Book of Discipline.”\u00a0 This “Book of Discipline” is the governing document which controls the organization of every United Methodist Church.\u00a0 The General Conference consists of delegates from local “Annual Conferences” from around the globe.\u00a0 The “General Conference” is the ultimate authority (behind Jesus!) which speaks for the world-wide denomination.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the 2016 session of the General Conference, the below resolution was adapted.<\/p>\n

Much of the information in this resolution comes from a a Bible Study entitled “Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities” which is produced by the United Methodist Church’s\u00a0 General Board of Church and Society<\/a>.\u00a0 The resolution is actually part of this study.\u00a0 To view the PDF document of this study, click this button:\u00a0\u00a0 Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Here’s the text of the General Conferences’ resolution…<\/p>\n

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Resolution #3428 \u201cOur Call to End Gun Violence\u201d <\/span><\/h4>\n

Passed by the 2016 General Conference of The United Methodist Church\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

\nJesus\u2019 call to his followers to be peacemakers (Matthew\u00a05:9<\/a>) is tied to intimate relationship with God, and echoes God\u2019s dreams for peace for all of creation as expressed in Micah\u00a04:1-4<\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIn days to come, the mountain of the LORD\u2019s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills.<\/span><\/p>\n

Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: \u2018Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.\u00a0 He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;\u00a0 nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,\u00a0 and no one shall make them afraid;\u00a0 for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken\u201d (NRSV).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Micah\u2019s prophetic dream points to a time when all peoples will journey to God\u2019s presence so God \u201cmay teach us his ways and that we may walk in his path<\/em><\/span>s\u201d (4:2).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\nMicah describes God as the final judge and the nations will travel to God\u2019s presence out of their desire to live in peace without violence and bloodshed. The stunning imagery of Micah\u2019s dream is the transformation of weapons into instruments of harvesting food that occurs after the judgments are handed down to the nations. The transformation is not complete until the nations participate in their own transformation. The work that went into creating the weapons will be matched by the human effort it will take to transform those weapons into peaceful instruments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\nKingdom Dreams, Violent Realities<\/span> <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

God does not collect or hide the weapons from the nations, nor does God transform the weapons outside of human effort. The text states that the nations themselves, \u201cshall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks<\/span><\/em>.\u201d Violence, in so many ways, is fueled by fear and self-protection. Iron plows and pruning tools can be used as weapons. Yet, in Micah\u2019s vision, genuine peace and security are given to all people by God after the weapons of violence are transformed: \u201cthey shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.<\/span><\/em>\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Culture as well as weapons will be transformed: Indeed, \u201cneither shall they learn war any more<\/span><\/em>.\u201d Whether it happens in the towns of northeastern Nigeria, a suburb in the United States, the streets of Australia, or an office in France, gun violence has become an all-too-often frightening phenomenon. We need the reality of Micah\u2019s vision more than ever. <\/span><\/p>\n

Small arms include assault rifles, submachine guns, light machine guns, grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns, among other weapons (Small Arms Survey<\/a><\/span>). Nations encumbered with violence from small arms face the greatest obstacles to delivering social services to those who need them the most (Ibid<\/a><\/span>.). Armed violence contributes to crime, human trafficking, drug trafficking, gender-based violence, racial and ethnic conflicts, systemic economic inequalities, persistent unemployment, and human rights abuses among other social maladies<\/span><\/p>\n

In many countries small arms are the greatest hindrance to food security.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\nKingdom Dreams, Violent Realities<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

One crucial step toward curbing this violence on an international scale is the Arms Trade Treaty that passed the United Nations in 2013. Its focus is to prevent arms from being traded into already dangerous situations. The treaty does not regulate the trade of small arms within nations. In adopting the treaty, the 118 nations that signed it and the 31 nations that have already ratified it are stating that gun violence is a universal problem devastating lives and creating tremendous instability in nations and entire regions in the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

Gun violence also greatly affects families and individuals. One of the most prominent forms of gun violence is suicide. Worldwide, there are nearly one million suicides every year, which amounts to more than 3,000 per day (World Health Organization, International Association for Suicide Prevention, http:\/\/www.who.int\/mental_health\/prevention\/suicide\/suicideprevent\/en\/, Worldwide Suicide Prevention Day is September 10, http:\/\/www.iasp.info\/ wspd\/<\/span><\/em>). <\/span><\/p>\n

NOTE: \u00a0 The above links about suicide prevention are no longer active. You can learn more by visiting this webpage instead:\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/em>\nhttps:\/\/www.who.int\/health-topics\/suicide#tab=tab_1<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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While not all of these involve firearms access to firearms makes suicide more attainable for many who attempt it. Indeed, firearms are the most frequent method for suicides in countries where firearms are common in private households (World Health Organization, ). When domestic violence incidents involve the use of firearms the results are often deadly. \u201cGender inequality, tolerance and cultural acceptance of the use of violence against women, and common notions of masculinity that embrace firearms possession (which may be supported by both men and women) all combine to create a climate that places women at risk of Intimate Partner Violence involving firearms\u201d (Small Arms Survey<\/a><\/span>). A U.S.-based study of mass shootings between January 2009 and January 2013 revealed that 57 percent of the incidents involved the killing of a family member, or a current or former intimate partner of the shooter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\nKingdom Dreams, Violent Realities<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As followers of Jesus, called to live into the reality of God\u2019s dream of shalom as described by Micah, we must address the epidemic of gun violence so \u201cthat he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in God\u2019s paths.\u201d Therefore, we call upon United Methodists to prayerfully address gun violence in their local context. Some of the ways in which to prevent gun violence include the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. For congregations to make preventing gun violence a regular part of our conversations and prayer times. Gun violence must be worshipfully and theologically reflected on, and we encourage United Methodist churches to frame conversations theologically by utilizing resources such as \u201cKingdom Dreams, Violent Realities: Reflections on Gun Violence from Micah 4:1-4<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u201d produced by the General Board of Church and Society<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. For congregations to assist those affected by gun violence through prayer, pastoral care, creating space, and encouraging survivors to share their stories, financial assistance, and through identifying other resources in their communities as victims of gun violence and their families walk through the process of grieving and healing. <\/span><\/li>\n
  3. For individual United Methodists who own guns as hunters or collectors to safely and securely store their guns and to teach the importance of practicing gun safety. <\/span><\/li>\n
  4. For United Methodist congregations that have not experienced gun violence to form ecumenical and interfaith partnerships with faith communities that have experienced gun violence in order to support them and learn from their experiences. <\/span><\/li>\n
  5. For United Methodist congregations to lead or join in ecumenical or interfaith gatherings for public prayer at sites where gun violence has occurred and partner with law enforcement to help prevent gun violence<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \nKingdom Dreams, Violent Realities<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    For United Methodist congregations to partner with local law enforcement agencies and community groups to identify gun retailers that engage in retail practices designed to circumvent laws on gun sales and ownership, encourage full legal compliance, and to work with groups like Heeding God\u2019s Call that organize faith-based campaigns to encourage gun retailers to gain full legal compliance with appropriate standards and laws. For United Methodist congregations to display signs that prohibit carrying guns onto church property. For United Methodist congregations to advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence. Some of those measures include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n