Ways United Methodists can take a stand against gun violence (UMC goes full retard on guns)

UMC website ^ | 13 JUNE 16 | A UMC.org Feature by Joe Iovino

[DCBryan1]

“Pray for Orlando" we read on Facebook and Twitter.
Prayer is vitally important, but is there more we can do?

As United Methodist Christians, we mourn with the victims and families of those wounded and killed in the shootings on June 12, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. We may even pray and wonder if anything could have been done to avert this heinous act.

But should we do more? Is there anything that can be done to keep something similar from happening in the future?

While we may not agree on a solution, many of us agree there is a problem. What can we do? The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church contains our official positions on many issues, including gun violence. The statement, originally adopted in 2000 and revised and readopted in 2008, calls upon The United Methodist Church—which means you, me, and every member of our denomination—to do eleven things. 1. Convene workshops

The Book of Resolutions calls us to bring together “clergy and mental health care professionals … to discuss ways by which The United Methodist Church should respond to this growing tragedy.” In order to be part of the solution, we need to research and understand the specific problems in our community. We need to work together to find creative solutions to stem the tide of violence.

2. & 3. Educate the community

We are called upon to teach “gun safety, violence prevention, adult responsibility around gun violence prevention, and the public health impact of gun violence.” We are to equip parents, members, and all in our community with steps they can take to make their homes safe, to lock and store their guns, and to deal with the dangers they may encounter.

We are also called to “identify community-based, state, and national organizations working on the issue of gun violence and seek their assistance to design education and prevention workshops around the issue of gun violence and its effect on children and youth.” In addition to creating helpful resources, this work facilitates cooperation among key players in the conversation.

4. 5. & 6. Advocate for regulation

Next, we are called to “develop advocacy groups within local congregations to advocate for the eventual reduction of the availability of guns in society.” While we may disagree about what those laws might be, we can agree to work to remove guns from the hands of those who have them illegally, and those who would use them to harm others.

The resolution further calls us to support federal legislation in the U.S. and to call upon other governments throughout the world to regulate the sale and possession of guns and ammunition.

7. and 8. Discourage promotion of gun usage

Sometimes gun usage is glorified in print media, movies, television, video games, and elsewhere. We are to call upon “the entertainment industry, to refrain from promoting gun usage to children” and to “discourage the graphic depiction and glorification of violence” in all media.

9. Assist victims

The Book of Resolutions then calls United Methodists to “call upon the federal and state governments to provide significant assistance to victims of gun violence and their families.” In addition to our thoughts and prayers, we want to provide physical, lasting relief to people who are grieving.

10. Name the sin and point to hope

Annual conferences of The United Methodist Church are to “make visible public witness to the sin of gun violence and to the hope of community healing.” As Christians, we are people of the resurrection. We know that systems, no matter how lost they appear, can be redeemed when we are willing to repent of our sin and submit to the healing power of Jesus Christ.

11. Provide weapon-free zones

The final statement in the resolution on gun violence states, “reflecting the traditional role of The United Methodist Church that has been one of safety and sanctuary, every United Methodist Church is officially declared a weapon-free zone.”

Our prayers should lead us to action.

We read in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, “We are constantly praying for you for this: that our God will make you worthy of his calling and accomplish every good desire and faithful work by his power” (CEB). We too pray for God to give us the wisdom and strength needed to fulfill the desires he has put within us for a world that is free from the violence of mass killings.

As United Methodists, this means getting involved in issues of gun violence and working to prevent these events.

[DCBryan1]

My church has gone full retard:

Summary:

1. Convene workshops (get a bunch of liberals together and talk about how bad guns are....kind of like Stasi meetings in East Germany)

2. & 3. Educate the community (find out how much smarter you are than your gun owning knuckle dragging churchgoer next to you. Tell them how stupid guns are)

4. 5. & 6. Advocate for regulation (Ban the guns, GOD will protect us! Vote for Democrats who consistently take away personal freedoms!)

7. and 8. Discourage promotion of gun usage (Call out your neighbor like this:

9. Assist victims (pray for them...don't protect them with guns!)

10. Name the sin and point to hope. (Just pray as you are being murdered. Being a pacifist and having your head sawn off is better than using a gun to defend yourself.

11. Provide weapon-free zones (Nevermind how gun free zones have worked out recently) .

[bigbob]

They can talk about “the sin of gun violence” but not “the sin of faggotry”...

Glad I quit the UMC.

[Lurkinanloomin]

I left when it was apparent they were going left.....

[BenLurkin]

Ah yes. Weapons free zones.

The Muslims would never dare attack those.

[EagleUSA]

Leftist stupidity. It just does not end.

You want to stop Muslim radicals killing people? Easy. Get rid of the Muslims.

[magna carta]

They were part of The Banner Project-sign in their front yards reading_stop Islamophobia We welcome our Muslim neighbors,etc...

[Genoa]

The typical UMC approach: study, confer, issue statements, study again. And again. Confer some more. Issue more statements. Talk about love. Don’t talk about sin. Avoid the real problem. Kick the can.

[Graybeard58]

But should we do more? Is there anything that can be done to keep something similar from happening in the future?

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Ban Muslim/middle east immigration (Except Jewish), deport those who are already here.

Do not elect Hillary.

[txrefugee]

Glad we don’t belong to the Methodist Church: Church of the Sitting Duck. Every militant with ill intent knows where to find a defenseless group to slaughter and get wall to wall media coverage.

[Gamecock]

Gun control. Because it worked so well in France.

[I want the USA back]

As expected. The mainstream churches, media and left refuse to admit the truth, that islam is violent and inspires its adherents to destroy and kill.
They hate Whites and Christianity so much, they love the fanatics who hate Whites and Christianity, and give them a free pass.

Islam did it. I condemn the murders.

[yureikumaTN]

I guess that, whilst I still consider myself a Methodist, I will no longer consider myself United....

[TheDon]

This is the type of nonsense you get when the children are running things.

[1Old Pro]

Trump is being handed the election on a silver platter thanks to Obama, Hillary and the Liberal Media ignoring the fact that we are at war with ISIS on our own turf.

[Navy Patriot]

Ways United Methodists can take a stand against gun violence (UMC goes full retard on guns)

No problem, they'll be storing guns armory style, when those Methodist Churches are converted into Mosques, shortly.

[jmaroneps37]

News flash for UMC the community is already “educated” about guns. It is YOU who need to get educated.

[Graybeard58]

I left when it was apparent they were going left.....

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40 years ago, I was friends with an elderly man who was a Methodist and was a Methodist all his adult life, very smart and Christian. He died long ago and didn’t have to witness what his church had become.

[Talisker]

The problem is that no one in that nightclub was carrying a gun.

If five hundred dancing gays were carrying five hundred guns, and that fact was publicly known, the damned Muslims wouldn’t even have shown up.

[nralife]

Nothing too new. The United Methodists have supported a total handgun ban for decades now.

[MuttTheHoople]

Good way to stop gun violence- armed parishoners.