NRA and the Second Amendment

Part IV

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities;

for there is no authority except from God....Therefore, whoever

resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those

who resist will incur judgment.

Romans 13:1-2

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security

of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Second Amendment

United States Constitution

The foundation of the NRA's gun advocacy is in the Bill of Rights-Second Amendment, adopted on 15 December 1791 in Philadelphia.  The force of the amendment is in its interpretation. Historically, there have been two basic interpretations: 1) Gun rights within the context of a militia; 2) Individual rights.  The NRA stresses individual rights.  We need to understand both interpretations.

MILITIA:  What is a militia?  To quote Jack Anderson, "It is a body of citizens enrolled for discipline as a military force but not engaged in actual service except in emergencies, as distinguished from regular troops or a standing army."  It is with this understanding that six former U.S. Attorney Generals signed a letter which stated:

For over 200 years the federal courts have unanimously determined that the 

Second Amendment concerns only the arming of the people in

service to the organized state militia.  It does not guarantee

immediate access to guns for private purposes.

INDIVIDUAL:  The NRA contends that the 2nd Amendment grants permission for an individual to purchase, possess and use almost any weapon with no legal restrictions.  To support their argument, the NRA turns to the 2008 Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, which overturned a Washington D.C. law that banned handguns for self defense.  The court said the 2nd Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms for lawful use, such as self defense.  The result of this decision was this pronouncement by Wayne LaPierre of the NRA: 

Our Founding Fathers wrote and intended the 2nd Amendment

to be an individual right.  The Supreme Court  has now acknowledged it.

 The 2nd Amendment as an individual right now becomes a permanent

part of American Constitutional law.

It is important, however, to look at the details of the ruling. Writing for the majority, Justice Scalia was careful to state that the Second Amendment is not absolute, and a wide range of gun control laws remain "presumptively lawful", including laws that :  1) Prohibit carrying concealed weapons; 2)  Prohibit firearm possession by felons, the mentally ill; 3) Possession in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings; 4) Ban firearms that are "dangerous and unusual"; 5) Impose "conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms."; 6) Regulate firearm storage to prevent accidents.

Notice the caveats within the ruling.  There is no carte blanche individual right permission.  Therefore, laws can be written that provide for the "domestic tranquility and general welfare".  The NRA, however, will continue to push the individual right button as the true meaning within the Second Amendment. This bias needs to be rightfully challenged.  To quote former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger in referring to the NRA's Second Amendment myth, calling it "one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word fraud, on the American people by any special interest group than I have ever seen in my lifetime." He continued: "Prior to Heller, the Supreme Court never recognized that individuals had an individual right to keep and bear arms".  Significantly, the dissenting opinion to Heller reinforced the historical opinion that supported guns for use only in the context of  militia and further stated that the decision does not limit government's authority to regulate civilian use in possession of firearms.

Recently, an editorialist for GUNS AND AMMO magazine (December 2013, p. 120) commented on the interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. Quoting the amendment, Dick Metcalf wrote: "Note carefully: Those last four words say 'shall not be infringed'.  They do not say 'shall not be regulated'. 'Well regulated' is, in fact, the initial criterion of the amendment itself." The response by subscribers was so strongly opposed to his comments that he was relieved and replaced of writing responsibility.

I conclude there is significant weight to Constitutionally regulate  the sale, purchase, and use of firearms.  Furthermore, the NRA has fraudulently abused the letter and spirit of the 2nd Amendment to justify its position of  non-regulated individual right to bear arms.  The result has been catastrophic for the United States.

In an article published in the DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE, Monday, December 9, 2013, State District Court Judge, Mark Munger wrote: "We require duck and goose hunters to plug their shotguns.  They only get three chances to down a bird. Why do we protect migratory waterfowl better than our children?".

The NRA likes to quote from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution to justify their positions.  Here is what they leave out: "...establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,...promote the general welfare...." And "all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  There is more than ample justification for those in authority (as Paul writes) to write laws that guarantee good order.  Indeed, it is significant that the verses before and following Romans 13:1-7 speak of love.  He is saying that the prime function of government is to insure LOVE.   Proper laws and regulations concerning the sale, purchase, and use of firearms can and must point the way to greater love.  Failure to regulate only results in the judgment of death.

Peace!

Ron Letnes

NRA and Business

Part III

Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy with a mail order rifle purchased for $19.95.  The rifle was advertised in the NRA's American Rifleman magazine.  During November 2013, the same month the United States is remembering the 50th Anniversary of JFK's assassination, this same magazine was advertising the following:

...high capacity concealed carry pistols, semiautomatic

military style assault weapons, including a mobil device

to aid the accuracy of snipers "that can take the guesswork

out of...long-range ballistic solutions."

The magazine also features a full-page ad presenting a

"Historic NRA exclusive offer from NRA corporate 

donor Universal Coin and Bullion to purchase a JFK

half dollar - - "the last circulating 90% Pure Silver

Half Dollar Minted in U.S. History" for only $11.95.

(For the record, UCB has given between $500K and 

$999,000 to NRA Corporate Partners and is a member 

of the "NRA Business Alliance.")

(Huffington Post-22 November 2013)

The point of the above reference is to cite the relationship of the NRA as an weapons business.  One of the main purposes of the NRA is to sell guns.  Furthermore, its marketing techniques challenge sensitive ethical boundaries, having the audacity to use JFK's assassination anniversary to market the silver half-dollar in the same magazine advertising high-capacity rifles helpful to snipers.  Was not Oswald a sniper?  Did not Oswald purchase his rifle from the NRA magazine?  

But business is business.  According The Rolling Stone magazine, "The NRA says it is not a trade organization.  Lie.  NRA patrons include 22 firearms manufacturers, 12 of which make assault weapons.  Industry donors, including Blackwater (now Xe), have funnelled up to $52 million to NRA bank account in recent years."

In 1995, Wally Arida, publisher of Gun Games, introduced his magazine at the NRA Convention.  "According to Firearms Business, Arida 'sees his magazine as a route for the industry to take a new direction in promotion and marketing.' He is quoted as saying, 'I'm trying to publish a magazine and build a whole industry around it.'" Arida asks: "Which gun is better for self defense? What bullet design causes the biggest wound channel?" And the NRA allowed him to advertise at their convention.  But, business is business.

Tom Diaz, in his book Making a Killing, comments: "The Violence Policy Center has documented financial links between the NRA and the industry, and the NRA and others are active participants in industry planning sessions.  The following conclusion from a 1993 Boston Globe series on the NRA summarizes well what is known about the NRA and the firearms industry: 

The bond between the gun manufacturers and the

NRA involves direct financial contributions, almost-

always-favorable reviews of newly developed products

in NRA publications like American Rifleman, and 

including NRA literature in the packaging of new guns.

Tom Diaz writes: "The United States is the world's greatest market for civilian firearms....Foreign gun companies have increasingly exploited the U.S. gun market." Now, look at the prolific marketing of weapons in the NRA's American Rifleman. But business is business.

The New Republic of 28 May 2013, reports that gun ownership is declining from 1/2 of American households in the 1970s to 1/3 of households today.  Senator Joe Manchin (Democrat from West Virginia and an NRA member), noted that "A recent Al Qaeda tape urged would-be terrorists to load up on arms at American gun shows."  And which organization is prominent at gun shows? But business is business.

The NRA is majorly involved in the business of promoting and selling all types of firearms.  Contrasted with its gun safety program called "Eddie the Eagle", is the powerful marketing of weapons. Indeed, this segment of the NRA is the largest part of its organization's reason for existence.  After all, business is business, regardless of the carnage it creates.

"By their fruits you shall know them."

Matthew 12:33

Peace!

Ron Letnes

N.R.A. and Values

Part II

Part II of this series on "N.R.A.: Testing the Spirits" will focus on values.  Values drive an organization, move it forward, provide the lens through which it activates its purpose. What are some core N.R.A. values?  I would suggest that the following values are on balance more expressive of the N.R.A. leadership rather than regular members.  Let's see some values.

INFLEXIBLE, ABUSIVE BULLIES:  Four respected national leaders resigned their membership saying: "[The NRA has become] very inflexible and almost radical; they appeal to a fringe element of gun owners." General Norman Schwarzkopf; "[I object to the] ludicrous and offensive implication that federal agents are encouraged to commit acts of violence against ordinary citizens." Congressman John Dingell; "They've become abusive, accusatory, sick, violent, threatening bullies.  They want absolute subservience, and they are not going to get it from me." Former Colorado Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell; "[I object to the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) being referred to as a bunch of] jack-booted thugs." Former President George H.W. Bush (1)

ANTI-RESEARCH: In 1995 the N.R.A. mounted a successful campaign to cut funding for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control whose responsibility is to do research on why accidents and tragedies happen, believing that understanding the reason will help lead to higher safety standards and fewer accidents and deaths.  The reasons for their opposition: "They want to foster a negative image against law-abiding gun owners.... All their research comes to the conclusion that owning a gun is bad and dangerous to your health." Their research is "obviously flawed". (2)

Also criticized were two highly respected medical journals: The New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association saying, "We have a problem with these organizations, too, for not holding the articles to their usual standards." (3)

RACIST AND DISRESPECTFUL: Jeff Gordon, N.R.A. Board Member, referred to the Japanese as "Nips" and suggested calling South Africans from Gauteng Province "Orang-gutangs". Comparing Los Angeles with Ho Chi Minh City he said, "LA and Ho Chi Minh City have declared themselves sister cities.  It makes sense as they are both Third World metropolises formerly occupied by Americans." (4)

Ted Nugent, N.R.A. Board Member and celebrity spokesperson, called Hillary Clinton a "toxic c--t".

"This bitch is nothing but a two-bit whore for Fidel Castro." Also, "I met a couple of guys in line yesterday who go, 'Write something to my girlfriend, she won't let me go hunting'.  I wrote her something and I said, "Drop dead, bitch.' What good is she, trade her in, get a Dalmatian. Who needs a wench." (5)

INSPIRED "RIGHT TO CARRY" AND "STAND YOUR GROUND" LAWS: Stand Your Ground laws make it legal for a person who is attacked in public to use lethal force as a first resort.  A new study out of  Texas A&M found that "...lowering the expected costs associated with lethal force..." these SYG laws "...induce more of it".  In Florida justifiable homicides tripled between 2005-2011 because of SYG laws. (6)

STOKE FIRES OF FEAR: Wayne LaPierre writes: "Americans are facing the reality that they are on their own.... People are anticipating dangerous times and are responding in the only sensible, logical way possible - they are buying guns." "America's women are leading the way!... The more women who buy and shoot guns, the safer and better off we'll all be." (7)  The N.R.A. has run ads to promote gun purchasing: "Should you shoot a rapist before he cuts your throat?" and "If you are attacked on your porch, do you want your neighbors to be opposed to gun ownership or a member of the N.R.A.?" (8)

EXTREMIST-MILITIA MOVEMENT FRIENDLY:  "The N.R.A. has made martyrs out of two odd characters, not because either is particularly heroic, but because both came in the cross hairs of the BATF."  Jack Anderson is speaking of Randy Weaver, an avowed white separatist, and David Koresh, child sex molester, who is quoted as saying, "I am God's chosen instrument, and the laws that govern mere mortals do not apply to me." (9) The N.R.A. is consistently referenced in the Southern Poverty Law Center's magazine Intelligence Report which is dedicated to exposing right-wing extremist militia groups, as defending citizens' right to bear arms.  In fairness, the SPLC does not say the N.R.A. directly supports  violent militia actions. Yet, one needs to ask, why the linkage?  Even Jack Anderson asks for an investigation of the linkage between the N.R.A. and the militia movement. (10)

A word about the sources for the above commentary.  Jack Anderson's book, Inside the NRA, copyright 1996, is cited in numbers 1-5, and 9. Jack was a member of the NRA, a Republican, a respected journalist, and a dedicated Mormon, hardly the type of person who would have an ideological axe to grind. I find that what Jack wrote in 1996 is consistent with the present NRA actions.             The Rolling Stone, a 2013 article, is quoted in numbers 6-8.  The Intelligence Report is referenced to support Jack Anderson's inquiry.

Since this is the second commentary on the theme of "NRA: Testing the Spirits", connecting the NRA with a Biblical witness is necessary.  Hence, I conclude with words from the hymn, "Healer of Our Every Ill", ELW 612:

Healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow,

Give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorrow.

Too often the NRA leadership fails the test of being a healer, but instead foments fear, creates the rationale for justifying more violence, makes people into objects, and instills a spirit of "the enemy", us vs. them. I find these outcomes contrary to Biblical witness.

Peace!

Ron Letnes  

The N.R.A - Testing the Spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, 

but test the spirits to see if they are from God;

for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I John 4:1

It is right and proper to sift all life events and organizations through the sieve of the Word.  The Word is the foundation for discerning what is True of God.  As Christians we are bound to the Word as the source of action.

The National Rifle Association needs a proper sifting.  The NRA is the number one defender of gun rights in America.  The NRA has enormous political clout.  The NRA strikes fear into all politicians: woe to the pol who criticises the NRA or supports gun control measures, as you will be opposed or primaried in the next election cycle.  The NRA is fiercely opposed to most gun safety, gun restriction measures: opposed to universal background checks, opposed to research on gun violence, opposed to bans on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, opposed to restrictions on purchase of "cop killer" bullets, opposed to restrictions on large capacity ammo magazines.  After all, "guns don't kill people, people kill people".  Furthermore, their appeal to the Second Amendment as the holy grail of gun liberty is blindly obsessive! 

Nearly all attempts at common sense gun violence prevention are opposed by the NRA.  Why?  They believe it will infringe on a person's right to bear arms.  They say it is in the Constitution.  They believe people need to have the right to protect themselves, and the government may come and take away your rights. They say a person has the right to protect themselves from government tyranny.

Yet, we have a problem in America.  The United States leads the world in mass shooting homicides.  According to the World Bank-Organization for Economic Cooperation and development, nations who are classified as high income, "...the United States has the highest homicide rate, the highest number of guns per capita, and the highest rate of deaths due to assault.  The USA has more homicides by gun than all other nations than all of the other high income countries combined". 

In spite of this tragic reality, the NRA's intimidation tactics, its blind arbitrariness to opposing nearly all gun violence prevention measures, its obsession with stoking fear of the enemy and vigilance of government tyranny, grind reform to a halt.  Even the massacres at Sandy Hook, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine make no difference to their passion.  

The spirit of the NRA needs to be tested against the Spirit of Jesus.  I am beginning a series of blogs to "test the spirits".   As an introduction, here is a "Special Report" from the NRA leadership to its membership:

THE FINAL WAR HAS BEGUN

A DOCUMENT SECRETLY DELIVERED TO ME reveals frightening evidence that the full scale war to CRUSH your gun rights has not only begun, but is well underway.... What's more, dozens of federal gun ban bills suggest this final assault has begun - not just to ban all handguns or all semi-automatics but to ELIMINATE private firearm ownership completely and forever....

WHAT YOU MUST DO AT ONCE

1.  BURY CONGRESS WITH YOUR LETTERS! Write and ask your congressman to vote against these gun bans....

2.  DEAFEN CONGRESS WITH YOUR CALLS!  Tell your congressman about the secret anti-gun agenda to abolish gun ownership in America.

GET EVERY GUN OWNER YOU KNOW to send money to join the NRA or to renew or upgrade "Your Value-Packed NRA Menbership." 

CONFISCATE, DISARM, DESTROY

HARASSMENT, LAWSUITS, AND CRIMINALIZATION of lawful gun owners.  While armed, violent CRIMINALS rage through a defenseless society, the Second Amendment goes up in flames.  That's the tomorrow your children face.  Only you can stop it, through NRA membership....

GUN OWNERS, STAY FOCUSED

THE FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOMS 

IS FAR FROM OVER!

(Source: Inside the NRA by Jack Anderson)

This apocalyptic spirit of the NRA needs to be tested.  Lives are at stake.  The character of our nation is  at a crossroads.  A Christian response cries out!

Stay tuned.

Peace!

Ron Letnes

  

Evil Redux

Linda and I watched all 13 episodes of "House of Cards", the American version of the original English work of the same name.  It is a political thriller of ambition, narcissism, retribution run amok. Sadly, the series seems appropriate for much of the dysfunction within many legislative leaders today. 

Francis Underwood is the key player.  He is the Democratic Majority Whip who supported the victorious Democratic candidate for President in hopes of being nominated for Secretary of State.  To Francis' chagrin the president nominated someone else, with the president explaining that he needed Francis in the House in order to pass his legislation.  This change of plans unleashes Francis' anger,  causing him to orchestrate the demise of political careers and the death of a House member.

The word describing Francis' character is evil.  Yes, we all do evil. His actions, so dramatically portrayed by Kevin Spacey, can help us recognize evils in Washington, DC and within ourselves. Recognition is necessary for transformation with the caveat that we cannot know all of the evil within. It is God's grace that reveals evil and God's grace transforms our hearts of evil and makes us new. God's grace  "knows" our hearts completely, readies us for renewal, and transforms us to new life. Psalm 139:23-24 lifts up God's microscope of the heart.  "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

What is evil?  In The City of God, Augustine defines evil as "a perversion or destruction of a previous good" as it seeks to dissolve or destroy what is.  Francis' goal is to dissolve and destroy the good of people's lives to satisfy his ambition, to justify his ideology to achieve what he believes is his.  What "evils" does Francis do?  

A partial list would include: 1) Destroying others' legitimate careers;  2) Taking advantage of others' weaknesses;  3) Infidelity;  4) Harmfully using others;  5) Obsessively controlling others and limiting their legitimate actions;  6) Spirit of retribution and revenge;  7) Destructive manipulation;  8) Murder; 9) Sex for favors;  10) Betrayal of truth;  11) Harming the well-being of the nation by promoting one's ambition.

One scene captures his depth of evil.  Francis enters a church, walks to the chancel area, kneels, and defiantly confesses, not out of belief but of his personal credo: "I pray to myself, for myself," while acknowledging the insignificance of heaven and hell. His face is cold as he walks away from the cross.

At this moment in our nation's history, too much "evil" is poisoning our well-being and destroying the common good.  The sequester is denying necessary resources to the most needy.  The shutdown doubles down on squeezing those same vulnerable citizens. The movement to cancel the Affordable Care Act is unconscionable.  The demand for cuts to Social Security and Medicare "triples down" on the most vulnerable. The quest to destroy President Obama's presidency at the expense of the people's good is treasonous. And all the while the rich get richer and the rest of the country suffers. The list goes on.

What is the way through this evil morass?  Confession.  Acknowledgement of our evilness.  Naming the evil.  Kneeling before the transforming Christ and calling for mercy.  It is then that God's grace leads us forth as new people and prepares us for transformative actions for the common good.  Hymn 843 in the ELW sings:

Praise the One who breaks the darkness with a liberating light;

praise the One who frees the pris'ners, turning blindness into sight.

Praise the One who preached the gospel, healing every dread disease,

calming storms and feeding thousands with the very bread of peace.

Peace!

Hopeful Words-Hopeful Actions

I recall a WWII movie starring Richard Widmark, in which a common phrase served as motivation for action: "Hope is the mother of all men."  At various times during battle, and as he lay dying on the battlefield, the character uttered these words.

Jurgen Moltmann tells the story of how he came to write A THEOLOGY OF HOPE.  He was a captured German soldier living in a POW camp in England after the German surrender.  He writes that his dreams for Germany lay in the ashes of Auschwitz.  He felt hopeless.  The turnaround happened when an Allied chaplain gave him a Holy Bible.  As he read through the witness, the word HOPE became his light.  In Christ was hope.

Certainly there is considerable evidence to validate hopelessness today,  Yet, there are also considerable words and actions which yield hope.  

The ELCA Churchwide Assembly this past August passed a resolution asking ELCA members, "consistent with their bound consciences," to ask their elected officials to pass legislation that promotes universal background checks, prevent gun trafficking, and require reporting of gun loss or theft to law enforcement.  The ELCA is on public record.  Yes, there is "wiggle room" to not take action.  The ELCA has high respect for the individual conscience which can create ethical "mushiness." But it can also inspire, give permission, give cover for those who need cover, for action on gun violence prevention.  HOPEFUL WORDS-HOPEFUL ACTION

Our congregation in Circle Pines, Minnesota, is hosting a RESPECTFUL CONVERSATION on "Guns in Minnesota."  The event is sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Churches.  To quote the MCC, "The focus will not be on changing minds, but on softening hearts while discussing a divisive issue in Minnesota.  Join us to learn and practice how we can discuss this significant issue without disliking each other more, but instead by understanding each other better."  Yes, I know this seems like a weasel-like approach, but keep in mind that the MCC sponsored 50 of these RCs last year focusing on discussing LGBT marriage in response to the anti-LGBT marriage amendment that was proposed for the Minnesota Constitution.  The proposed amendment "failed" to be passed, making Minnesota the only state to defeat similar successful proposed amendments in 30 other states. Perhaps these RCs can assist in encouraging the Minnesota legislature to pass a universal/expanded background check bill this coming session.  HOPEFUL ACTION-HOPEFUL WORDS

Pope Francis said recently in a provocative interview: "This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all, not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people.  We must not reduce the bosom of the universal church to a nest protecting our mediocrity." Pope Francis seems to be openly inclusive, faithfully and lovingly critical, willing to engage the warp and woof of diversity, and embrace an ecumenical spirit within the Body of Christ.  He further says: "...the church has become obsessed with gays, abortion, and contraception to the detriment of its larger mission to be home for all."  HOPEFUL WORDS

Finally, Secretary of State, John Kerry, is engaging in diplomatic efforts with Russia and Syria to eliminate the danger of chemical warfare in Syria, with Israel and Palestine to create a peaceful solution to their decades long impasse, and now with Iran regarding its nuclear intentions.  Diplomacy instead of war.  HOPEFUL WORDS-HOPEFUL ACTIONS

I love the hymn which begins "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." And another hymn which was also Linda's and my wedding hymn, "Lord of all Hopefulness." Paul's mantra in Romans 5 weds hope with life: "Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.  And hope does not disappoint."

HOPEFUL WORDS-HOPEFUL ACTIONS

PEACE!

Words B4 War

Thankfully, there is hopeful news to solving the Syrian crisis.  War drums are morphing into words, phone calls, person to person diplomacy, and the clicking of characters on paper spelling out specifics. It appears that Syrian leadership will accept the Russian proposal to hand over Syrian gas WMD to an international body like the United Nations, thereby averting a military strike. It appears.  Let us hope appearance leads to resolution.

Interestingly, this surprising development occurred after Sec. of State John Kerry made a comment that a way through the crisis could be just what is happening.  The remark at a news conference was more of a hope than a proposal. Or was it?  President Obama and President Putin had discussed the possibility at the recent G-20 Conference in St. Petersburg.  Whatever the truth, the important fact will be the end result: no military strike and the elimination of poison gas as a tool of war during this sectarian conflict.

Hence, the importance of keeping doors open, of continuing the struggle to find solutions as impossible as they may seem, of restraining the use of military action until all else fails, and then perhaps second guessing oneself and deciding to not strike.  But KEEP TALKING, KEEP BEING CREATIVE, KEEP DOORS OPEN.

This is a key component of NONVIOLENCE.  Let words, nonviolent intentions, struggling creativity, quest for peace, and personal relationships lead the way.  I am reminded of stories during union negotiations with CEOs.  Sometimes they had stayed in the room until there was a solution.  Also, there is an island in Scotland called the Island of Reconciliation, where clan leaders and individuals would go to work out their differences and not leave until resolution.

Yes, the threat of force by the "mightiest military in the world" may have nudged Assad towards this apparent solution.  Yet, what also helped was the strong voice of the American people and other nations to hold back.  People and nations spoke their opposition.  Words again.  Words replaced war.

Words and nonviolence go together because together there is action.  Here are some more W-NV actions for resolutions:

MORE NATIONS OPENING THEIR BORDERS FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES UNTIL THE

          CIVIL WAR IS CONCLUDED

TRANSPARENCY IN EXPOSING THE WARS REALITY SO THE WORLD KNOWS THE

          TRUTH WITHIN THE CONFLICT

THE WORLD COURT DECLARING ASSAD A WAR CRIMINAL AND BRINGING HIM

          TO THE COURT OF JUSTICE

AFFIRMATION OF UNITED NATIONS PROTOCOL AGAINST POISON GAS

APPEALING TO UNITED ARAB LEAGUE FOR RESPONSE

STATEMENTS BY THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, NATIONAL COUNCIL

          OF CHURCHES, ELCA, AND ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES, AS WELL AS

          ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP IN OPPOSITION TO POISON GAS AND THE WAR

STATEMENTS BY NATO

STATEMENTS BY ISRAEL

IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS

CONTINUED UNITED NATIONS INVOLVEMENT

CONTINUED EFFORT TO BRING ALL SIDES TOGETHER FOR A DIPLOMATIC

         SOLUTION

COMMITMENT OF THE SYRIAN PEOPLE TO NONVIOLENT DEMONSTRATIONS

         FOR PEACE

Multiple nonviolent options exist for conflict resolution.  Words B4 War.  Come to think of it, Jesus used words and nonviolent action transform the world!  Is there a lesson here?

Peace! 

ELCA Gun Actions

I reviewed the ELCA synodical assembly action reports of 52 of 65 synods in THE LUTHERAN magazine relative to actions on gun violence.  Here are the actions:

SIERRA PACIFIC: Affirmed the moral imperative to reduce violence, death, and injury caused by guns.

PACIFICA: Memorialized the ELCA Churchwide Assembly to promote a culture of nonviolence through education and advocacy for background checks for all gun sales "regardless of point of origin."

NORTH/WEST LOWER MICHIGAN: Encouraged its members to explore "ways and means, including comprehensive background checks, to lessen and limit gun violence."

SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA: Encourage members to contact elected officials to support "responsible control of deadly weapons, background checks for all gun sales, greater action toward issues of mental health and domestic violence...."

NEW JERSEY: Affirmed anti-gun violence action by advocating for closing gaps in the background check systems; prohibiting large capacity ammunition magazines, and encouraging common sense, comprehensive legislative approaches to gun violence.

WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA: Established "gun free zones," prohibiting individuals from carrying concealed weapons within synod churches.

VIRGINIA: Postponed indefinitely a resolution calling for action on gun violence.  Referred to a synod council committee a resolution that requested advocacy for the restriction of the sale of military-style assault weapons and for the mandatory background checks on gun buyers.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: Defeated a resolution on gun violence.

ST. PAUL AREA SYNOD: (For the record, these actions were not mentioned in THE LUTHERAN synodical report even though the assembly voted to support them by 84%) Support for common sense gun safety laws, encourage congregations to contact their elected officials in St. Paul and Washington to support common sense gun safety actions to include the banning of assault rifles, elimination of high capacity ammunition clips, instituting universal background checks, closing gun show loophole, creating a national database to track movement and sale of firearms, expanded mental health checks, increasing penalties for carrying guns near school;s or giving guns to minors, separate criminal offenses for gun trafficking, hiring more agents, and elimination of the sale of armor piercing bullets.  Synodical leadership was urged to communicate synodical support for this resolution to appropriate elected state and national officials.

Now what?  Resolutions give moral force for action.  Congregations can cite them for study and response.  Resolutions give congregations and leadership "cover" for action: "The call to action didn't come from me but from the synod!"  Resolutions widen influence for change.  Permission is granted to address change.  A mandate is demanded.  We are not alone.  The strength of the Community of Christ has spoken.  We can act with courage.  The Church has our backs.

Synodical leadership must continue to be vocal in support.  Congregations must seize the call to action that has been placed on the table and burned into our hearts.  Otherwise, resolutions are only words which assuage the conscience into noble intentions but no action.

What of the assemblies that took no action? Did not the carnage of Sandy Hook, Aurora, Columbine, Virginia Tech and numerous other tragedies mean anything?  Why the silence?  Why the defeats?  Why no action?  Why only a referral to a synodical committee?

What is your church leadership doing? What is your congregation doing?

The Church is graced with the power of the Holy Spirit revealing the transforming compassion and call to the peacemaking justice of the Christ. We can be of good courage, fearing nothing, trusting that Jesus has our backs.

Press on!

Travel as Transformation

Linda and I just returned from a 25 day adventure to the Canadian Maritimes: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, New Brunswick, with Montreal, Quebec City, Campobello Island and Acadia National Park mixed into the travel salad.  

One of the greatest values of travel is the opportunity to allow experiences to become parables or metaphors for peace, justice, and nonviolence.  Psalm 27:13 says: "I believe I shall see the goodness of God in the land of the living."  Similarly, the parables of Jesus are at least 80% real life examples through which the writer gives a theological twist at the end!  If we allow our travel experiences to become parables/metaphors, we "flavor" our adventures with a holy taste, beyond fast food utility to become a banquet of Kingdom delites!  We see life as a gift of grace through which God calls us to care and reflect God's will in all places at all times.  Here are some Maritime Parables/Metaphors:

MONTREAL'S JARDIN BOTANIQUE:  Imagine life size and building size sculptures of animals and beings, made of steel, mesh, and millions of plants and flowers providing the color.  There were buffalo, sheep, monkeys, herons, and more!  There was a Bird Tree of many birds on the verge of extinction.  Mother Earth with her long tresses was notated with a quote from Chief Seattle: "The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth." A turtle was placed atop a grand piano signifying harmony between the animal world and humanity.  The Genesis Creation stories were alive!

PORT ROYAL, NOVA SCOTIA : Canada's first permanent settlement, founded by French settlers in 1604.  The French and Micmag natives formed a strong friendship.  This friendship was tested and triumphed when late one year the village was destroyed by the English.  Winter was approaching and the French were taken in by the Micmag people, enabling them to survive the winter.  Think of Paul in Galatians: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, [French or Micmag], for we are all one in Jesus Christ."

CEILIDH (pronounced "cay lee"): In Gaelic the word means "kitchen party."  It is an evening of foot-stomping, spirited, joy-filled music and dance!  The fiddler is central, accompanied by a guitarist, a form of drum, and keyboardist (if available).  No depressing sounds, just unabashed fun interlaced with Irish dancing!  Think Psalm 150: "Praise God with...."

CHARLOTTETOWN DANCING:  Prince Edward Island's capitol hosts a daily noontime history of Canada through costumes and dances of its many ethnic groups: Native, Chinese, Slovak, Scottish, French, and more.  Such color and joy!  Sing: "I danced in the morning when the world was begun.... I am the Lord of the dance said God."

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: Prince Edward Island is loaded with reminders of this iconic fictional character created by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Lucy made P.E.I. famous.  You name it and there are "Anne of Green Gables" this and that!  Her story comprise the adventures of an orphan girl growing up in a loving, church going household, surrounded by a caring community.  Anne was loved.  Think of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, Moses and Pharaoh's daughter, Boys Town in Nebraska.  And I John: "Where there is love there is God."

BED AND BREAKFASTS: We stayed in several bed and breakfasts.  Most were of Victorian style and accommodated three to six couples.  You go back in time, surrounded by knickknacks of earlier eras, walking on creaking floors, sleeping in comfortable yet aged beds.  Too survive in this highly competitive B&B business, HOSPITALITY is the number one priority.  The way you welcome guests, being comfortable with people, taking the time to converse, always being at the beck and call, keeping the house clean, are all vital for survival.  And then there is the cooking, the unique dishes, the flavor. And always the PRESENTATION of the food.  The owners don't just quickly slop something onto your plate.  There is the parsley, the stylish slicing of the orange, the lightly sprinkled powdered sugar topped with fresh blueberries.  Think of the Lord's Supper, the Upper Room, and Jesus telling his disciples to go into the streets and welcome all to his B&B!

Destinations are more than people and places as in a petting zoo.  I believe that as we allow our travel experiences to become parables/metaphors of God's Reign, we are better able to become expressions of Christ's peace, justice, and nonviolence.  Christ is present in life, and we will be allowing life to reveal the Truths of Christ.

As a good Lutheran travel guy, Rick Steves says: "Happy travels!"

Peace!

Seizing Our Contexts

All of the contexts within which each of us dwell present opportunities for addressing issues of peace, justice, and nonviolence.  The challenges before us in seizing these opportunities are: 1) COURAGE to seize the context;  2) DESIGNING the actions; 3) UNITING the designs with biblical witness. Certainly there are risks and we are faced with counting the costs.  Yet, our contexts present vibrant opportunities to give witness and at least humbly do what may be pleasing to God.

As an example, I will share how the staff at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp north of Rocky Mountain National Park seized the context to give witness.  

CABIN NAMES: Each cabin was named after persons who gave Christian witness.  On the wall was a description of the person and what they did with their lives.  All were committed to Christ and nonviolence: Ann Hutchinson, Desmond Tutu, Lech Walesa, Mothers of Sorrow and Hope, Martin Luther King, Jr.,  Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, and others. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was honored as a Lutheran pacifist at heart.  Campers learned their stories.

HUNGER MEAL: The Wednesday supper of each week was dedicated to a world hunger meal.  Relying on data from a world hunger organization, campers and staff were divided by percentages of the global family into groups representing first, second, and third world. Representative foods were served to each group.  Biblical texts were read as well as poems and stories shared during the meal.  Dances and dramas gave texture, and music was played such as "Luka", "When the Children Cry", "What Good Am I?", "Another Day in Paradise", and "The Great American Novel".  Following the meal we processed the event and came up with ideas about what we could do in our communities and world to address hunger issues.

GUN GAME: Remember "capture the flag"?  We played it in three phases: 1) Regular, straight up capture the flag; 2) Each side given an assortment of squirt guns with the instructions that if you are squirted in the head and chest you are out of the game, or if you are squirted in the arm you cannot use that arm; 3) At the flip of a coin, the winner is given the option of having his side have all the squirt guns or none,. If you choose to not have the guns they are given to the other side.  At the conclusion of the game we processed the phases.  Nearly always, the first phase was "the most fun, energetic, we got along."  The second phase aroused comments like "we got angry and was less fun."  The third phase responses were like "we hated each other, no fun."  The campers were asked what it would be like if when you arrived at camp you were given a loaded Uzzi or .357 magnum pistol.  The responses were fearful and "We would kill each other", "This wouldn't be camp."  Then the campers were asked if they could imagine Jesus walking into camp carrying an AK-47, .357 Magnum, or Uzzi?  The overwhelming response was "No!" This game challenged campers, sponsors, pastors to engage the reality of gun violence.

BARNABUS:  Years ago, Sky Ranch transported campers up the mountain from Ft. Collins in "Barnabus".  At camp,  Barnabus sat empty and out of commission for years.  So, we decided to make it a program venue.  Removing the seats, painting the inside and outside with "radical" thought-provoking statements, we turned it into a homeless shelter.  Sleeping, singing, Bible study, story-telling, were all part of the experience.  At least once the bus was "raided" by a band of guerrillas.  The point was to use simulation to converse about homelessness, powerlessness, hunger and injustice.

NUCLEAR BLAST:  Using Helen Caldicott's book on nuclear war describing the effects of a nuclear blast upon a city and people, we simulated the effects for those at ground zero, one mile, two miles, and outward.  This led to conversation about war and peace.  

B-17: In about 1946, a B-17 bomber while on a training flight carrying a crew of about eight, crashed into Stormy Mountain, killing all aboard.  We hiked up to the site and had a Bible study on war, peace, and nonviolence.

We "seized the context" of Sky Ranch to teach and experience ways to peace and justice.  

The question for all of us today is: How can we "seize the contexts" of our lives, our places of work, our communities, our congregations, our homes, to further the ways of peace, justice, and nonviolence?  My guess is that there are ways if we are prayerfully creative, and have the COURAGE to DESIGN and UNITE with Holy Scripture experiences to teach and empower.

Seize the context!

Peace!

What Keeps Me Going

Last week, Protect Minnesota sponsored a Peace Vigil in commemoration of the six-month passing of the Sandy Hook shooting.  It was held in a lovely Peace Garden, across the street from a beautiful Rose Garden, adjacent to Lake Harriet in Minneapolis.  There were three speakers.  I addressed the moral imperative underlying gun violence prevention.  Here are my comments, slightly altered.

We are gathered as a community of many faiths dedicated to gun violence prevention.  We have decided to step-up, stand-up, and speak-up.  The road ahead will be difficult.  But in the words of John f. Kennedy, "We have traveled too far, we have suffered too much, to disdain the future now."  It is our collective beliefs that will inspire us to victory and keep us going.  

Although I speak from a Judeo-Christian perspective, the moral vision is universal because the God of love is universal.

What keeps me going is the grace of God.  Grace frees and empowers action.  Grace makes GVP a moral issue. A moral issue is a people issue, a personal issue, a family issue.  The Koran reads: "My Lord, inspire me with gratitude for the grace which Thou hast bestowed upon me, and upon my parents, and inspire me to do good that will be pleasing unto Thee."

What keeps me going is the Creation story in Genesis where there was peace, shalom, harmony, nonviolence, and balance.  This is how we were and are created to live, as ONE people, brothers and sisters ALL.

What inspires me are the Ten Commandments where we read that we are not to kill or murder.

What inspires me is Isaiah: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares...."  Our nation is hemorrhaging guns beyond what is safe and necessary.  Gun manufacturers are now the barons of wealth, caring more about profit than people.

What keeps me going is the Prophet Jeremiah: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

What keeps me going is Jesus.  Jesus reminds us what it means to be a human being.  There is no record of Jesus carrying a weapon, nor of Jesus killing someone.  Jesus' weapon was love.

What keeps me going is the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God."  Children reflect the Kingdom, the Reign of God because of their vulnerability, their "clean slate", their innocence.

What keeps me going is the Great Commandment: "Love God, love others, love yourself."

What keeps me going is Jesus telling his disciples in rebuke, "Enough!" when a disciple presents Jesus with two swords.  Bob Dylan asked the question, "How many deaths will it take till we know that too many people have died?"  It is time to say "Enough!"

What keeps me going is Jesus telling Peter, "No more of this!  Put the sword back in its place, for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword."

What keeps me going is Paul telling us the Fruits of the Spirit are: "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control."  All the Fruits are nonviolent.

What keeps me going is the writer of Ephesians who talks about the Armor of God: shoes of peace, belt of Truth, shield of faith, breastplate of justice, sword of the Spirit, and the helmet of salvation.  All pieces are nonviolent.  An AR-15 is not the armor of God, nor is an AK-47, nor a Glock.

What keeps me going is the truth that together we can tap the deepest morality of our common faiths and say with courage and direct action: "Sandy Hook, no more of this, enough!  Aurora, no more of this, enough!  Red Lake, no more of this, enough!  Virginia Tech, no more of this, enough!  Columbine, no more of this, enough!  No more, no more, no more!  Enough!

Assembly Speech

Last Saturday, I gave a speech at the St. Paul Area Synod Assembly in support of a resolution titled RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE.  The resolution was a collaboration between the Joint Peace with Justice Committee and Pilgrim Lutheran Church Vestry.  The resolution passed overwhelmingly, 218-41 or 84%.  The timeliness of the resolution and the Spirit of God touched people's consciences.  

The RESOLVES focused on: 1) contacting elected state and national leadership as well as the general population about the passage; 2) that the laws to be considered are a "dream list" of strong actions: banning assault weapons and high volume ammunition clips, mandatory gun safety training, closing the gun show loophole, creating a national database to track movement and sale of firearms, expanding mental health checks, increasing penalties for carrying guns near schools or giving arms to minors, separate criminal offenses for gun trafficking, hiring more agents, and elimination of armor piercing bullets.

My Speech

I am here because of Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Red Lake, Aurora, Columbine, Oak Creek, and more. I am here because the USA leads the world in mass shootings.  I am here because the USA leads ALL Western Developed Nations combined in homicides and suicides by gun.

When Jesus confronted by violence of the sword in Gethsemane, Jesus said, "No more of this!"  When presented with two swords the disciples thought would please Jesus' test for what to take with them on their mission as disciples, Jesus said in rebuke, "Enough!"  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preached, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."

It is time for us to respond as Jesus spoke, and say "Enough" of this human carnage, "No more of this" massacre of innocents, and "Blessed are the peacemakers" for the sake of all!

It is time to move beyond fear towards safety for each other.  The government will not knock on our doors and demand our weapons.  The Supreme Court has decided that certain laws to regulate guns are Constitutional.  Gun owners can still exercise their Constitutional rights to keep their hunting rifles, sporting rifles, handguns for sport and protection.  This resolution supports universal background checks to keep weapons out of the hands of the mentally ill, felons, abusers, those too young.  It seeks to lessen illegal and lethal trafficking of high volume gun sales.  It seeks to allow military type weapons to remain in the hands of the military for the protection of our nation.  It seeks to lessen suicides by gun.  Most suicides are impulsive acts, and the availability of guns feeds the speed of fatality with no turning back.

Those who want guns can have guns.  The rest of us want the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" without fear of gun violence.

As the song asks, "How many deaths will it take till we know that too many people have died?"  It is time for us to say "Enough!"  It is time for us to say as the People of God, "No more of this!"

I urge we support this resolution.

Peace!

Gun Violence Strategy

Gun Violence Strategy

It takes more than a speech to accomplish significant gun safety measures.  The status quo, defend at all costs, yield not a millimeter, soldiers of guns are organized and wealthy.  Their arguments are honed, compromise is not an option, common sense is not even on the table, and they will fight to the death.

But we will win!  Their strengths are their vulnerabilities.  We will be persistent.  We will be faithful. We will be loving.  We will work together.  We have a goal and we have a plan.  The goal is: LESSEN GUN VIOLENCE THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD, EFFECTIVE LAWS AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.  What is the plan?

ENGAGING IN PERSONAL AND COMMUNAL PRAYER.  Trust that God will guide and provide ways through.  God is the ENLIGHTENER through the Holy Spirit. This goal is about us and more.  God's will is to be done and gun violence violates God's will.  God's will is stronger than the will of the gun.  Through prayer we are channeling God's will, God's power, God's wisdom to make real the goal.  Pray as individuals and as groups.

APPEAL TO THE MORAL SUASION OF FAITHFUL PEOPLE OF ALL RELIGIONS.  The goal is about saving the lives of ALL people.  Discover the moral common ground by gathering an ecumenical community of faith for prayers and conversation.  Tap into each others' Holy Books and traditions to lift up the common threads of life. Moral suasion appeals to the human, the heart, the personal, the common life. Moral suasion moves us beyond and adds another level to our narrow personal political ideologies and philosophical arguments and opens the windows to the Spirit of Life, to common sense, to ALLNESS.

GATHER PERSONAL STORIES. Enlisting personal testimonies from those who have suffered gun violence either as survivors or parents and family members, or friends are often the most memorable arguments for gun violence actions.

COORDINATE ALL PUBLIC ACTION GROUPS.  Unite all interests of all faith and public groups. Since all of life is holy, united secular and overtly religious groups take on a sacredness. We have heard that it takes a village to raise a child.  It takes a diverse action coalition to advance gun safety.

UPLOAD GOOD JUDGMENT, RESPECT FOR OTHERS WHO ARE DIFFERENT, AND BASIC VALUES OF RIGHT AND WRONG.  I read this statement from the NYT columnist, Thomas Friedman.  He continues, "They have to be uploaded the old fashioned way, by parents around the dinner table, by caring but demanding teachers at school and by responsible spiritual leaders in a church, synagogue, temple or mosque.  Somewhere, somehow, that did not happen, or stopped happening, with the brothers Tsarnaev."   

GET FACTS AND STATISTICS STRAIGHT AND ACCURATE.  Use the finest resources.  Document sources.  Address your points of view and also the views of the other side.  Realize the statistical battle may be a draw. Yet, if our facts and stats are clear and accurate, they can stand strong. A draw is a victory.

ADDRESS SECOND AMENDMENT CONCERNS. Know that the United States did not have a strong standing army at the writing of the Constitution so the people needed to be ready to take up arms to repel an enemy, foreign and domestic.  We were also a largely frontier nation and people had to rely upon their own resources for food and protection.  Essentially, organized police forces were non-existent. 

GIRD YOURSELF FOR THE LONG HAUL.  Remember that we have thousands of years of violence and 224 years of Constitutional history to address.  William Wilberforce worked for 20+ years to pass a law outlawing the slave trade.  John Muir worked for seven years to unsuccessfully challenge the construction of the Hetch Hetchy Dam in California.  It took nearly 60-70 years to undo the damage of Plessy vs. Ferguson.  Never give up!  Never go away!  Be patiently persistent.  Work together.  Celebrate and weep together.

OPEN THE GATES TO ALL FORMS OF COMMUNICATION.  Write letters to the editor, preach sermons, make phone calls, appear on television and talk shows, sponsor house parties, make personal visits and calls to law makers, organize religious educational forums, draft resolutions for synod and church assemblies, sponsor marches, picket and boycott gun dealers, Tweet, use Facebook and all social networks, wear T-shirts with a message to halt gun violence, seize one-on-one opportunities, create bumper stickers, give out balloons with a message!

BE PASSIONATE!  BE FAITHFUL!  BE TOGETHER!  JUST KEEP GOING!  NEVER GO AWAY!  NEVER GIVE UP!

Peace!

  

Courage vs. Cowardice

"Cowards die many times before their death;

the valiant die only once."

Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare

Cowardice!  Yesterday, the United States Senate voted down a bill that would have expanded background checks at commercial gun shows and for Internet sales, banned assault rifles, banned high capacity ammunition clips, and authorized stiff penalties for gun trafficking.  At the conclusion of the voting, Lori Haas, whose daughter was shot twice in the head at Virginia Tech, shouted from the Senate gallery, "Shame on you!"  President Obama echoed that sentiment when he spoke in the Rose Garden, backed-up by Sandy Hill parents, "A pretty shameful day in Washington."

Several surveys of public opinion indicated 80-90% support for background checks, including the rank and file N.R.A. members.  

However, fear ruled the day.  Fear of being "primaried." Fear of losing an election.  Fear of the power of the N.R.A.  Excuses were offered: This bill will lead to a Federal gun registry (even though the bill explicitly prohibited this action).  This bill violates the Second Amendment.  This bill will raise taxes.  "Criminals do not submit to background checks."  We have the right to protect ourselves.  Excuses fueled by fear.  Fear fuels cowardice.

Meanwhile, 30 people will be murdered today and 60 people will kill themselves.  Count 30,000 people a year.  The beat goes on.  The United States of America is #1 in gun deaths among Western civilized nations.  Is this the price of liberty?  Is this the example we show to the world?  Is this the greatness of our democracy?  Is this the crown jewel of our Constitution?  Is this the intended legacy of our Founding Fathers?

And some crow that we are a Christian nation?  "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  Really?  Grace with no cost?  I recall Jesus lamenting while overlooking Jerusalem: "Would that you knew the things that make for peace."  Jerusalem is a metaphor for Washington, DC.

I also recall Isaiah 58:12b: "...and you shall be called repairers of the breach, the restorer of streets to live on."  I recall Paul in Philippians 4:8ff: "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you."

What a minority of senators did yesterday was not true, was not honorable, was not just, was not pleasing, was not pure, was not commendable, was not excellent, was not worthy of praise.  The God of peace was not present in those deadly votes. Fear, cowardice, and evil won the day.

President Obama defiantly announced, "This is Round 1."  Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut prophesied: " The world is watching the United States Senate and we will be held accountable."

The evening of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr, Robert Kennedy spoke to a crowd of mostly African-Americans in an Indianapolis, Indiana park.  He quoted his favorite poet, Aeschylus: "Let us tame the savageness of man, and make gentle life in the world."  There were no riots that night. Today, in that park, is a sculpture of RFK and an African-American reaching out to each other in peace.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, 

for they shall be called the Children of God."

Do we have the courage to make for peace?  The courage to be guided by love rather than fear?  The courage to persevere for the sake of life?  The courage to be valiant?  The courage to let God's grace stir us to costly grace?

Peace!

TRANSFORMATIONAL CONVERSATION

How is one's mind changed when considering an issue about which you feel strongly? Specifically, take gun legislation.  If you were a legislator, what would cause you to reconsider your voting tendency regarding gun legislation?  These were the questions the Protect Minnesota Coalition was asking as we embark on a movement to pass strong gun legislation with a primary focus on universal background checks.  Here are some of the guidelines, many of which were successfully used during the last election when two amendments to the Minnesota Constitution were DEFEATED: one proposing tough Voter ID requirements, and the Marriage Amendment which limited marriage to only between one man and one woman.  What did we learn?

1.  Always focus on emotional and value-driven arguments about gun violence, not on the political food-fights in Washington or wonky statistics.  Similarly, arguments about the Second Amendment may be considered a toss-up with both sides claiming validation.  At least, put your side on the table, and then move on to personal narratives and value appeals.

2.  Tell stories with images and feelings.  Compelling facts should be used to back up the emotional narrative, not as a substitute.  Personal stories are the most powerful.  Statistics alone do not change hearts and minds.  At best, statistics may be considered a toss-up.  But they can help set the table.

3.  Claim moral authority and the mantle of freedom.  Combine faith statements with patriotic appeal.  Share Bible stories and Jesus' ethic of nonviolence.  Talk about everyone having the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", including those who want stronger gun safety legislation.

4.  Emphasize that extraordinarily dangerous, military style weapons are now within easy reach across our communities.

5.  Emphasize that America has weak gun laws and don't assume that people know that.

6.  Challenge opponents on our terms, not theirs.  Be clear about what we are asking.

How about Dos and Don'ts?  Words matter!  Select words that nurture openness and not defensiveness.

1.  DO talk about "preventing gun violence."  DON'T talk about "gun control."

2.  DO advocate for "stronger" gun laws.  DON'T use the term "stricter."

3.  DO be respectful of disagreement.  DON'T use the term "gun nut" or other pejoratives.  It gives the other side a chance to cry foul and distract from the substance of our argument.

Key Principles:

1.  Emphasize background checks as one of the most powerful ways to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

2.  Point out that background checks won't have their full impact until every gun sold in America is subject to a background check.

3.  Focus on the simplicity of background checks.  Avoid making the system sound complex.

4.  Emphasize that the purpose of background checks is to save lives vs. simply being inconvenienced.

What will follow are lots of telephone time, email time, speaking time, lobbying time, conversation time.

Protect Minnesota is aware of what is politically possible this year: UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.  We wanted more, such as an assault weapons ban and a large magazine clip ban.  These  bills are too far "this year." 

My major focus will be helping to organize all faith communities in the State of Minnesota.  Churches, synagogues, and mosques have the moral, values, and personal weight to call people to responsible, common sense action.  I know of no better structures to make the case for gun safety.  Silence or timidity from the faith communities would be tantamount to denial of our confessions and surrender to ideological whims.

Thank you Colorado, Connecticut, and New York for leading the way with strong gun safety laws.  We will work to stir Minnesotans to similar commitments.

Blessings and Peace!

ENOUGH!  

Last week, Linda and I attended a hearing of the Public Safety Committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives who were debating a proposed gun control bill.  I had been asked to give testimony in support of the bill as I was now on the Board of Protect Minnesota, an organization that promotes gun control.  The hearing room was packed full, with the gun control group outnumbering the gun support group by 2:1.  Several of the gun support group had T-shirts saying: "Civil Rights are Gun Rights." A person on our side passed out large buttons with pictures of those who were murdered at Newtown. 

A Republican legislator asked two of the clergy testifiers how they would interpret the story in Luke about Jesus telling his disciples to arm themselves because they were going out into a threatening world.  Neither of the clergy responded because the question was more of a statement by the representative and they had only one minute each to make their own statements.  I don't think he wanted a response.

As I sat in the audience, my mind immediately said, "Enough!"  That's what Jesus said.  After the hearing, I went up to the legislator and said,"You asked a good question."  Then I told him that Jesus said, "Enough!",  that Jesus' response was more of a rebuke than a call to arms,  that Jesus is unabashedly nonviolent.  He said he disagreed with me.  OK.  He asked me to pray for his grandson who was in the hospital with a jaundice.  I said I would.  I did, several times.  He said he was former ELCA, but now was Missouri Synod.  He said something like, "We can agree on prayer."  Yes, we can.

At the same time, a 20 year five month Navy veteran walked up, packing a Glock in full view.  We chatted a bit in a friendly manner.  He said he was grateful that the Founding Fathers were Christians who included the Second Amendment in the Constitution.  I said most of the Founding Fathers were Deists and some were Christians.  This caused him to do a double take.  He asked if I had read a certain historian.  I had read some of his writings.  He is a popular Right-wing historian who bends history and sees history through a Christian evangelical lens, trumpeting American exclusivism, American righteousness, American chosenness.  You know.  I told him to read some other historians for a fuller account of American history. There were no more friendly looks.

I think it is fair to say that the testimonies of the two groups were marked by significant differences.  The gun control group included several clergy who had personally conducted funerals due to gun violence, several more clergy representing various denominations, two mothers who had lost children to gun violence, a state leader in police work, and another state leader.  The statements were a mix of theology, personal grief, and reasoned statistical support. The other side included no clergy, no state leaders.  The comments were personal pleas in defense of guns, a question which had already been resolved, and a plea that legislators could save lives by banning abortions.  She had to be told to stay on the subject.  Another accused gun control advocates of bullying, when asked to name names, he could not.

The result of this hearing was the passage of a weakened bill, 10 to 9, with one Democrat switching sides.  The proposed bill now tightens the gun show loop-hole, but does nothing about private sales background checks.  The hope is that the Senate bill which is much tougher will add to the strength of the House bill, and that the reconciled bill will be stronger, passable, and signable by the governor.  This was a victory mainly based in hope.

Meanwhile, a group in our congregation has proposed a "Response to Violence" series of actions. During the discussion, a former Vietnam vet pulled a knife saying "Rule #9: when attacked, you attack.  Don't try to run." Half wanted to avoid the term "gun" when that was what brought us together.  A strong attempt was made to diffuse gun violence with other safety issues.  We will see if the Planning Council passes the R2V for referral to the congregation.  Meanwhile, Washington debates gun control measures.  Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 people have died due to gun related deaths since Newtown. Meanwhile,  Colorado passes strong gun control laws!  Thank you, Colorado!  You are a national light in the darkness!

Meanwhile, when will we all say "Enough!"?  When will we do what Jesus did?  It is Holy Week. Jesus told Peter "No more of this!" and then healed the ear.  

Peace! 

A DESIGN FOR PASTORAL FORMATION

IN

PEACE-JUSTICE-NONVIOLENCE

Previously, I presented a theological and practical foundation for the necessity of renewed pastoral formation in the areas of peace-justice-nonviolence.  What follows is what was affirmed by the Joint Peace with Justice Committee of the Minneapolis and St. Paul Area Synods and presented for consideration to the Curriculum Committee at Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

When a seminary student graduates from LTS, we believe the student

OUTCOME AND COMPETENCIES

Be equipped to address socio-political-environmental issues from a biblical and confessional

        perspective, as well as having formed their personal views

Be versed in the various social statements of the ELCA

Be familiar with strategies of nonviolence and how to empower transformative change

Recognize that being a pastor also means being prophetic

Dare to embrace times calling one to be counter-cultural

Know how to engage and preach prophetically on socio-political issues

Develop skills in working ecumenically to address community issues

Develop skills in addressing local, state, national, and global issues

Develop skills in recognizing stewardship to include working for peace and justice

Know the difference: charity and justice, personal and systemic

BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL-ETHICAL GROUNDING

Familiarity with Major and Minor Prophets

Familiarity with New Testament Ethics: Gospels and Letters

Familiarity with theology and methods of historical and modern activists such as: Cesar

         Chavez, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jim Wallis, Gandhi, Desmond Tutu, Robin Meyers,

         Shana Claiborne, Dorothy Day, and others

Familiarity with Luther's Ethics

Familiarity with ethical giants: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold and Richard Niebuhr, Douglas

         John Hall, Walter Brueggemann, Walter Wink, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Joan

         Chitester, Sallie McFague, Diana Butler Bass, and others

Professors in various courses integrate peace-justice-nonviolence into their material

CONTEXTUAL EDUCATION

During seminary, become part of a group which deals with nonviolent socio-political

         change: ISAIAH, JPJC, Minnesota Without Poverty, Protect Minnesota, various

         environmental groups, and others

Preceding the above design details, were several texts and quotes fro PJNV giants, such as:

God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted

up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent

the rich away empty.

Luke 1:52-53

We call you...to speak for justice in behalf of the poor and oppressed....

From: LETTER OF CALL

"Christians need to know that six million Jews were murdered by 

baptized Christians in the heart of Christendom.  There would

not have been a Third Reich if Protestants and Catholics had

not betrayed their Baptism."

Dr. Franklin Littell

"When someone says the word 'pastor' these days, what image

come to mind?  We still occupy a respected profession, but we tend

not to be 'resisters.'  We are not sent off to seminary to learn the

arts of noncompliance.  We learn how to run churches, how to

be present in love, how to preach sermons that won't get us fired - 

all good things.  But who teaches us how to be subversive?....

How many ministers could honestly be described as threats 

to the status quo?"

Robin Meyers

Already there is a hopeful sign.  A seminary professor has contacted me about getting together and developing an experiential PJNV experience for seminarians when they would meet and work with local people committed to nonviolent social change.

Pray for the Church and the seminarians.

Peace!