Gun violence protests
Families and children protest gun violence. (Photo by Heather Mount on Unsplash)
A United Methodist Insight Column
With the continued challenges of climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, it’s easy to forget other crises facing society today. One such crisis in America is the ongoing plague of gun violence.
According to The Marshall Project:
“A tragic new record confirmed. More than 45,000 Americans died by gunfire in 2020, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s a 14% jump from 2019 and the fourth year in a row gun deaths surpassed car crashes as a leading cause of death. Officials say a spike in homicides – up 35% from 2019 – helped account for the final tally. Statistics also show that gun deaths in the South are roughly five times higher than they are in the Northeast. THE TRACE
Gun violence prevention is one of the social issues on which The United Methodist Church has taken a firm stand. The General Board of Church and Society is charged with overseeing the UMC response to gun violence. Following are excerpted recommendations from the Church and Society website, some of which will have to be adapted to meet the constrains of the coronavirus pandemic. Keep in mind that these suggestions fulfill the instructions of General Conference, the only body that can speak for the entire worldwide UMC.
Gun Violence Prevention
The United Methodist Church urges “congregations to advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence.” Some of those measures include:
- Universal background checks on all gun purchases;
- Ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty;
- Ensuring all guns are sold through licensed gun retailers;
- Prohibiting all individuals under restraining order due to threat of violence from purchasing a gun;
- Prohibiting persons with serious mental illness, who pose a danger to themselves and their communities, from purchasing a gun;
- Ensuring greater access to services for those who have mental illness;
- Establishing a minimum age of 21 years for a gun purchase or possession;
- Banning large capacity ammunition magazines and weapons designed to fire multiple rounds each time the trigger is pulled;
- Promoting new technologies to aid law-enforcement agencies to trace crime guns and promote public safety. (Book of Resolutions, 3428)
Three Things You Can Do:
- Host a viewing of The Armor of Light or The Interrupters at your church, and use it to introduce the “Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities” Bible study. This study on Micah 4:1-4 offers a United Methodist theological reflection on the issue of gun violence. Conduct the study with your congregation or small group, and then have the small group or study leaders guide a church and community discussion.
- Connect with and support those who are directly impacted by gun violence. Support gun violence prevention programs, de-escalation groups, safety trainings, and support groups for survivors of gun violence.
- Advocate against laws that seek to increase the presence of guns in society, especially in public places such as schools, churches, airports, and elsewhere. Work with your congregation’s leadership to display signs that prohibit carrying guns onto church property.
Getting out of the coronavirus pandemic
Writing for the Washington Post, public health expert Dr. Leana S. Wen suggests that the best way to get ourselves past the COVID-19 threat is to adopt a strategy of mitigating social disruption that will also reduce infections. She has the creds to propose such a strategy: she previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner and now is a visiting professor at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Dr. Wen writes: “We don’t need to ask people to stay home, but we should require that they wear high-quality masks in all indoor public spaces. We don’t need to cancel gatherings, but we should mandate proof of vaccination — and boosters — for all indoor dining, gyms, movie theaters, and sporting events.”
She terms this approach a “third way” that would work better than another lockdown (Heaven forbid!) or letting the omicron variant run its course, which would further burden our already-stressed health care facilities. She cites the third way as “… our new reality going forward. There could well be surges of new variants every year — or even every few months. As long as vaccines continue to protect against severe illness and the risk to most individuals remains low, our paradigm has to shift from preventing infection to stopping societal devastation.”
For a look at how omicron is affecting United Methodist churches, be sure to read Sam Hodges story for UM News: Churches Face Another Test with Omicron.
Climate setback: more greenhouse gases
From the Washington Post’s “The 7” newsletter:
Greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. surged last year.
There was an overall increase of 6.2% over 2020, a new analysis found, although emissions are still below pre-pandemic levels.
What drove the increase: A jump in coal-fired electricity use, probably because of higher natural gas prices.
What this means: The U.S. is far off track from meeting climate goals President Biden set for the end of the decade.
Again, Church and Society has a resource for United Methodists to respond to this development. There’s a sign-up form on the Church and Society website where individuals can sign in to urge their U.S. senators to prioritize the climate provisions of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill and other legislation now before Congress. The website says:
“Right now, decisions are being made about the priorities that will be included as part of a budget reconciliation bill (the Build Back Better plan) as well as annual funding bills (appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022). Both bills could make significant progress in addressing climate change in the United States and around the world.”
If you’d rather contact your senators on your own, here are the priorities that Church and Society suggests:
“Contact your Senators today and ask them to prioritize climate provisions in upcoming bills that would:
- “Reduce emissions swiftly and in line with scientific recommendations;
- “Support workers and communities in a just transition to a clean-energy economy;
- “Fund the United States’ fair share of the global effort to assist climate vulnerable countries; and
- “Promote racial equity and invest in frontline communities, that are currently suffering from the first and worst impacts of climate change.”
Media Mentions as of Jan. 10, 2022
Peace activist Stanley Campbell calls on churches help those in need - Rockford Register Star
Local church ministers pray for unity at city's annual MLK Jr. holiday breakfast - EnidNews.com
12 Bulawayo churches face demolition - Bulawayo24 News
Ministry maintains focus on promoting healthy eating habits in new year - The Oklahoman
Homeless and hungry ministries look to 2022 | Life | The Brunswick News
Elgin warming center back at First United Methodist Church with COVID precautions in place ...Chicago Tribune
Christian nationalism has deep roots in America, faith leaders say - The Washington Post
Anti-vaxxism is the latest in America's esoteric religions – Religion News Service
Violence isn't the only way Christian nationalism endangers democracy - Religion News Service
Pope on COVID vaccines says health care a 'moral obligation' | AP News
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.