Our Children Are Dying

by Clayton Childers

April 20, 2023

6:48 AM

Attack weapon

The AR-15 is the attack weapon used most often in mass shooting events,. (Photo by Felipe Jimu00e9nez on Pexels.com)

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

Lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

She refuses to be comforted for her children

Because they are no more.”

–Jeremiah 31:15

Our children are being killed, every week, more and more. Now is not the time for “thoughts and prayers.” Now is the time for lamentation – crying out to God and refusing to be comforted.

It seems many Christians feel it is their “God given right” to own an AR15 or any other gun they may want to buy. Yet, time after time, week after week, we are waking up to news stories of children and grandchildren being gruesomely murdered in schools, co-workers murdered in offices, teenagers murdered at birthday parties, innocents killed because they drive into the wrong driveway.

When will we lament?! When will cry out for the children? Surveys say that “White Evangelical Christians” are more supportive of assault weapons than any other segment of Americans. How is this possible! Is this what Jesus would teach? He seems to say:

“Yea, verily, I say unto each of you- go buy a weapon that pierces through body armor, rips huge holes in those it targets, destroys the bodies the children it hits, and can do all of this, dozens of times, without reloading.”

Not my Jesus! Not this Christian! I believe in the Bible and I believe Jesus does not teach a weak gospel of “can’t we all just get along.” No! Jesus tells the truth! Jesus loves people enough to point his finger and hold people to account.

Certainly, Jesus weeps with those who weep and mourns with those who mourn, but I have to believe that Jesus also would never quietly turn the other way when children are being murdered by weapons of war.

Church & Society Photo

Clayton Childers

The Rev. Dr. Clayton Childers

The Rev. Clayton Childers is a retired United Methodist clergyman living in Manassas VA. For 19 years he served with the Board of Church and Society, for a while Director of Advocacy for the Imagine No Malaria campaign. This post may be reproduced elsewhere with credit to the author and a link to the original posting on United Methodist Insight.

Comments (10)

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It's Bad, But Where Is Perspective?

Let’s keep things in perspective, shall we?
• Now, over 150 (one-hundred-fifty) USA fentanyl USA deaths per day
• Nearly all fentanyl comes from China through Mexico
• Open borders also invite non-friendly people from China, Middle East

Indeed, all childrens’ deaths are painful to us all, but the numbers do not begin to challenge what we are losing to fentanyl and the open border policies of politicians. What children are being tortured, raped and killed from human trafficers far exceeds the senseless killing elaborated on the news.

Also, with now millions of undocumented, unscreened, unvetted illegals coming into our country, we Americans need our guns – all of our guns – now more than ever. We are facing chaos, anarchy, and crime as never before. Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Philadelphia are the proverbial “canaries in the mine”. They give us clear warning of what is coming if we don’t get our act together.

As I spoke of my life frustrations to high school friend who had become a preacher, asking for guidance and prayers, he said, “Reese, it’s always good to have prayer, but it’s best to put legs on them.”

Reese more than 1 year ago

Perspective?

My heart is on the ground reading the words, from a Christian perspective, of anger and blame. Three short verses from Hebrews 13:1-3 profoundly challenge and call each of us to love God and to love every one of God's precious children. We are invited to be 'in the world' and take higher ground showing "a far more excellent way" rather than to stoop to being 'of the world' parroting the hatred.

w. f. meiklejohn more than 1 year ago

Hatred? Survival!

Although we share much in our belief in Jesus, we obviously come at it from different directions. My Faith is strong, but I have prayed at the cemetery at Concord. And, the National one in Arlington. And, the one near Manila while I was stationed in the Philippines during Viet Nam. Nearly all the graves had crosses. A few had Stars of David.

And, in my native Texas, I have prayed at Goliad where four-hundred Texans were slaughtered, and at the Alamo. Christian markers. Many believers. Few survivors.

While we Christians truly believe that our God and Jesus grant we believers eternal life, but the facts are indisputable, our belief gives no warranty for life on earth. How many Christians were eaten by Lions? How many Christians have the Communists in Russia and China killed? Jews, God’s chosen? Evidently, Adolf did not get the memo.

So, when it comes to worldly life, I will fight for my family’s life, my own life, my country’s life against the forces of evil whenever they attack us. Today, evil surely is now coming from inside our own borders! (Because we essentially have no borders!)

So, you pray and quote scripture. I will pray, lock and load.

Reese more than 1 year ago

Mass shooting

An AR 15 is not a weapon of war. No Army uses such a weapon. As far as mass shootings go handguns are used in the overwhelming majority (59%). The term "assault weapon" is a political one not a technical one. It is meant to elicit an emotional response and does not lend itself to rational discussion.
I know of no one who says owning an AR 15 is a God given right. Bearing arms is a Constitutional right in this country.
Precise language is important if you really want people to listen.
Precise language

Kevin more than 1 year ago

precise language

When your innocent loved one has been murdered, does it make any difference engaging in semantics of definitions about the murder device? It is still the same funeral and life-long grief processing for those who remain. Murder of a loved one is highly likely to "elicit an emotional response". Having a "Constitutional right in this country" does not mean having the ability or the responsibility to steal someone else's right to life. Maybe the idea of doing good to those who perceive differently is superseded by the idolatry of firearms?

w.f. meiklejohn more than 1 year ago

Our children are dying

EXACTLY!! Perfectly said. 👍🏼

Wanda Marie more than 1 year ago

Our children are dying

Give me a break. 🙄
Hogwash. Excuses.

Wanda Marie more than 1 year ago

Yes, AR-15 is a weapon of War.

Sir,
The often used tactic of pointing out slightly incorrect naming conventions (Assault Rifle) is a ploy to detract from facts. The Armalite Rifle mode 15 was first manufactured in 1959, and entered service as the US Army standard infantry rifle in 1963. Versions of that design remain the premier rifle of choice for not only the US Military, but all NATO countries and many others. The reason for this success the same as the reason it is so dangerous and so often used in mass shootings. It is very easy to learn to use accurately, it fires a high volume of bullets (28 in a standard magazine) as fast as the trigger can be pulled (6 lbs. pressure), is reliable and can be found at any gun store or gun show in this country. There are 20 million of these in the country today, and we make as much as a million more each year. There is nothing emotional about these facts. When the 2nd amendment was ratified a musket (rifles didn’t exist yet) could be fired by an expert soldier 3 times in a minute, with the weapon becoming nothing more than a club while the shooter reloaded. Anyone can fire an AR-15 28 times in about 30 seconds, and reload another 28 in about 5 seconds, faster with an hour of practice. Every person should not be given access to this weapon. A Marine recruit doesn’t start to train to fire until after 6 weeks of training and observation, and then a real bullet is only shot after a week of intense training, and a part of that training is to make sure that we want that recruit to have the power to kill. We can comply with the 2nd amendment while still applying some common-sense laws. I would go further and amend the amendment. That is the American way. Amendments are just that, changes. We amended the constitution twice on the topic of alcohol, and before that to abolish slavery and provide the right to vote to women. Giving anyone access to mass murder is wrong, and while I respect (and once swore my life to defend) the constitution, I can’t find any reference to it in the gospel of Christ.

BC Cali more than 1 year ago

Yes!

Thank you so much for this explanation. So well said by someone who clearly knows what they are talking about

Clayton Childers more than 1 year ago

AR 15

The AR 15 was initially developed for the military but the version that was adopted during the Vietnam war era was fully automatic. One trigger squeeze and multiple rounds are fired. This version is called the M16 and subsequent models are still in use. No military uses an AR 15 which requires a trigger pull for each round fired. The Supreme Court has ruled that arms that are in common use cannot be banned. The AR 15 has been around for decades and millions have been sold. Clearly meets the common use standard. Musket rates of fire have no bearing on exercising our 2nd Amendment rights nor does USMC bootcamp.
If you don't like the Second Amendment go ahead and change it. Article V of our Constitution tells you how.

Kevin more than 1 year ago