Gun Violence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call

This report, approved by the 219th General Assembly (2010), challenges our society's fatalism and numbness in accepting the highest gun death rates in the world, reviews past church positions and proposes a new "spiritual awakening" approach: a church-related, community-based strategy inspired by “Heeding God’s Call” in Philadelphia, with similar groups in Richmond, Virginia and central New Jersey. The report looks at our culture of violence-acceptance, with its undercurrents of fear and desperation.

Download PDF

(2.5 MB)

  1. "If the PCUSA can't become a voice against gun violence, then we can't be a voice for God in the world. " Matt 19:28 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." That's how we become a voice for God in the world. Nothing there about the progressive Lefts fetish with gun control and social justice.

    by Darryl Boyd

    September 23, 2011

  2. The sad thing is that there is so much fear in some of our communities that some people look to guns as needed for their safety. How can we change that? Then there are those who say "guns don't kill people; people kill people." We have to address the apparent emotional effect that guns have on people.

    by Darry Carlstone

    January 24, 2011

  3. Christ was an ("the" for me) active pacifist with no flaw. He never murdered (or killed) anyone. I have found no other better way, I am a Christian. May I walk the walk as well as talk the talk! Being in the most afluent and highest standard of living per capita country - the U.S. - in the world (from my personal point of view admittedly) to a large extent made possible through a over developed "military industrial complex" - I am grateful and left awestruck and broken. I cannot claim to be "peaceful" when also being responsible for U.S. military policy and local gun use as a U.S. Citizen and enjoying the "fruits" of this great country. As to "Love the U.S. or leave it" proponents, I wholeheartedly agree but "Love" for me means being a Patriot who stands up for following Christ first - then the country I live in. I praise God for the right to be in a country that allows this even as the country itself is dangerously close to becoming like tyranist states found in the world's past and seen in the world today. It is a cop out to say we are fighting to keep the U.S. safe from tyranny when we are ourselves fostering and even breeding tyranny by militaristic actions. It is my prayer that these words help you to reduce our "military industrial comples" and increase "The Peace Corps Model" and "Americorps" model endeavors in a "free" country that supports education, R&D with a moral fiber, mass and "small" production firms and as individuals we each help people within our influence even to the point of extending our individual resources too thin. Perhaps we will then become "the majority" and our republic will then be more like Christ, after all, ellected officials swear to uphold their constituents views. How can we expect legislators to be "like Christ" in action/deed when "we" are in the minority? I cling to my faith "God's Will will prevail". I feel at peace being a Presbyterian - a denomination that recognizes interdenominational and interfaith religions as "of God". I have seen personally actions from the individual congregations and people to that of the PC(USA) acting for all people irregardless of religion - just as Christ did when he walked on this earth.

    by Cara Bissell

    January 21, 2011

  4. Thanks for this excellent paper. If the PCUSA can't become a voice against gun violence, then we can't be a voice for God in the world.

    by john wimberly

    January 20, 2011

  5. At last we have heard a strong voice from the church on our ongoing tragedy of guin violence. We must mobilize.

    by James E. and Roxana M. Atwood

    January 15, 2011

Leave a comment