rjcruiser
Senior Member
This is a cut & paste from the political forum. Thought it belonged in here too
Glad I'm not a part of the UMC.
If so, are you aware of your church's anti-gun agenda and activities?
Do you know how much money your church donates to organizations such as Handgun Control International and other activities who are working to deny you your Second Amendment rights?
This from the United Methodist Church BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS:
(1) convene workshops of clergy and other mental health care professionals from communities (urban, rural, and suburban) in which gun violence has had a significant impact in order to discuss ways by which The United Methodist Church should respond to this growing tragedy, and to determine what role the church should take in facilitating dialogue to address the issue of gun violence in our schools and among our children;
(2) educate the United Methodist community (parents, children, and youth) on gun safety, violence prevention, adult responsibility around gun violence prevention, and the public health impact of gun violence;
(3) 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;
(4) develop advocacy groups within local congregations to advocate for the eventual reduction of the availability of guns in society with a particular emphasis upon handguns, handgun ammunition, assault weapons, automatic weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits, and guns that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal detection devices. These groups can be linked to community-based, state, and national organizations working on gun and violence issues;
(5) support federal legislation to regulate the importation, manufacturing, sale, and possession of guns and ammunition by the general public. Such legislation should include provisions for the registration and licensing of gun purchasers and owners, appropriate background investigation and waiting periods prior to gun purchase, and regulation of subsequent sale;
(6) call upon all governments of the world in which there is a United Methodist presence to establish national bans on ownership by the general public of handguns, assault weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits, and weapons that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal-detection devices;
(7) call upon the print, broadcasting, and electronic media, as well as the entertainment industry, to refrain from promoting gun usage to children;
(8) discourage the graphic depiction and glorification of violence by the entertainment industry, which greatly influences our society, and recommend that these issues be addressed through education and consciousness raising;
(9) call upon the federal and state governments to provide significant assistance to victims of gun violence and their families; and
(10) recommend that annual conferences make visible public witness to the sin of gun violence and to the hope of community healing.
http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=937
_______________________________________________
RESOLUTION #2008-06
RESOLUTION TO 2008 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SESSION
Pertaining To Support For “One Handgun A Month” Legislation In Pa.
Presented By: Church And Society And A United Methodist Witness Pa
WHEREAS: The United Methodist Church has a long history of support for gun control legislation. The Social Principles 164 F states the position on the use of violence. Furthermore, the Bible discusses the following imperatives;
1) The Sixth Commandment, “Thou Shall not kill,” not only forbids killing; it also implies that we are obligated to prevent harm and to preserve life and the well-being of human life;
2) The book of Isaiah (1:17) encourages us to seek justice, Isaiah (65:29) speaks of a time when man will neither harm or destroy.
3) Micah 6:8 NRSV “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
4) In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus calls us to be peacemakers by saying “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God”; (Matthew 5:9 NSRV)
WHEREAS: An increase in the incidence of handgun violence has occurred in recent years, with the attendant result of increased deaths. According to Law Enforcement’s Uniform Crime Reports, in the year 2007 in the Central Pa. Conference the murder rate (expressed in per 100,000) in some of 8 our larger cities is as follows: Harrisburg 21.0, York 3.07, Williamsport 3.3, and Columbia 6.31 and, The overall rate for Pennsylvania is 6.2; and
WHEREAS: The Commonwealth’s existing gun laws make multiple handgun purchases easy and cheap encouraging the illegal trade in handguns. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the enabling factor in the illegal handgun distribution system in our Commonwealth
is “straw purchasing” of handguns in bulk by eligible individuals who are, in fact, stand-ins for prohibited felons who traffic in guns. They then sell to drug dealers, violent teens, and gang members; and WHEREAS: Statistics provided by the (ATF) Crime Gun Trace Analysis indicate that 76% of the guns used in the commission of a crime in Philadelphia were originally legally purchased within the
Commonwealth. However, nearly 87% of that total were not at the time of the commission of the crime in the hands of the original legal purchaser of that weapon; and
WHEREAS: By limiting purchases to no more than one handgun in a 30-day period, legislation would disrupt straw purchases and seriously decrease the number of handguns available to the
criminal element for use in violent criminal purposes. Reducing the supply would also reduce the incidence of handgun injury and death within the Central Pa. Conference. Substantial evidence shows that these laws effectively reduce illegal handgun trafficking without negative impact on lawful gun commerce.
WHEREAS: a recent survey, by Greenberg Research, demonstrated that most Pennsylvanians (70%) support enactment of a One Handgun A Month law, and almost all Pennsylvanians (96%) support a law to require the reporting of lost or stolen handguns.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the congregations in the Central Pa. Conference call upon the House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairs as well as Governor Rendell to enact and sign legislation to place limits on the purchase of handguns by individuals; require
reporting of lost or stolen handguns and track registrations; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Board of Church and Society request that the
Conference Secretary communicate this resolution to Governor Rendell and Judiciary Chairs; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Board of Church and Society be empowered to form a fully-diverse taskforce to work in coordination with other groups vigorously and continually towards enactment of the aforesaid One-Handgun-a-Month legislation until such time as it is signed into law; AND FINALLY, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Eastern Pa. Conference of The United Methodist Church encourage the aforementioned taskforce to provide educational materials and resources to congregations in its jurisdiction. These materials should provide information on 1.) the gun violence epidemic, 2.) the causes and affects of readily accessible guns, 3.) how the One-Handgun-a-Month legislation will reduce the supply and the number of handgun deaths, 4.) and finally, afford them a mechanism to use their voices to seek enactment of said legislation, corporately and individually.
Person Responsible for Presenting Resolution: Rev. David Tatgenhorst
_______________________________________________
Now: THERE is some cause for concern among all you "separation of Church and State" folks.
Glad I'm not a part of the UMC. If so, are you aware of your church's anti-gun agenda and activities?
Do you know how much money your church donates to organizations such as Handgun Control International and other activities who are working to deny you your Second Amendment rights?
This from the United Methodist Church BOOK OF RESOLUTIONS:
(1) convene workshops of clergy and other mental health care professionals from communities (urban, rural, and suburban) in which gun violence has had a significant impact in order to discuss ways by which The United Methodist Church should respond to this growing tragedy, and to determine what role the church should take in facilitating dialogue to address the issue of gun violence in our schools and among our children;
(2) educate the United Methodist community (parents, children, and youth) on gun safety, violence prevention, adult responsibility around gun violence prevention, and the public health impact of gun violence;
(3) 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;
(4) develop advocacy groups within local congregations to advocate for the eventual reduction of the availability of guns in society with a particular emphasis upon handguns, handgun ammunition, assault weapons, automatic weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits, and guns that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal detection devices. These groups can be linked to community-based, state, and national organizations working on gun and violence issues;
(5) support federal legislation to regulate the importation, manufacturing, sale, and possession of guns and ammunition by the general public. Such legislation should include provisions for the registration and licensing of gun purchasers and owners, appropriate background investigation and waiting periods prior to gun purchase, and regulation of subsequent sale;
(6) call upon all governments of the world in which there is a United Methodist presence to establish national bans on ownership by the general public of handguns, assault weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits, and weapons that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal-detection devices;
(7) call upon the print, broadcasting, and electronic media, as well as the entertainment industry, to refrain from promoting gun usage to children;
(8) discourage the graphic depiction and glorification of violence by the entertainment industry, which greatly influences our society, and recommend that these issues be addressed through education and consciousness raising;
(9) call upon the federal and state governments to provide significant assistance to victims of gun violence and their families; and
(10) recommend that annual conferences make visible public witness to the sin of gun violence and to the hope of community healing.
http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=937
_______________________________________________
RESOLUTION #2008-06
RESOLUTION TO 2008 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SESSION
Pertaining To Support For “One Handgun A Month” Legislation In Pa.
Presented By: Church And Society And A United Methodist Witness Pa
WHEREAS: The United Methodist Church has a long history of support for gun control legislation. The Social Principles 164 F states the position on the use of violence. Furthermore, the Bible discusses the following imperatives;
1) The Sixth Commandment, “Thou Shall not kill,” not only forbids killing; it also implies that we are obligated to prevent harm and to preserve life and the well-being of human life;
2) The book of Isaiah (1:17) encourages us to seek justice, Isaiah (65:29) speaks of a time when man will neither harm or destroy.
3) Micah 6:8 NRSV “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
4) In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus calls us to be peacemakers by saying “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God”; (Matthew 5:9 NSRV)
WHEREAS: An increase in the incidence of handgun violence has occurred in recent years, with the attendant result of increased deaths. According to Law Enforcement’s Uniform Crime Reports, in the year 2007 in the Central Pa. Conference the murder rate (expressed in per 100,000) in some of 8 our larger cities is as follows: Harrisburg 21.0, York 3.07, Williamsport 3.3, and Columbia 6.31 and, The overall rate for Pennsylvania is 6.2; and
WHEREAS: The Commonwealth’s existing gun laws make multiple handgun purchases easy and cheap encouraging the illegal trade in handguns. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the enabling factor in the illegal handgun distribution system in our Commonwealth
is “straw purchasing” of handguns in bulk by eligible individuals who are, in fact, stand-ins for prohibited felons who traffic in guns. They then sell to drug dealers, violent teens, and gang members; and WHEREAS: Statistics provided by the (ATF) Crime Gun Trace Analysis indicate that 76% of the guns used in the commission of a crime in Philadelphia were originally legally purchased within the
Commonwealth. However, nearly 87% of that total were not at the time of the commission of the crime in the hands of the original legal purchaser of that weapon; and
WHEREAS: By limiting purchases to no more than one handgun in a 30-day period, legislation would disrupt straw purchases and seriously decrease the number of handguns available to the
criminal element for use in violent criminal purposes. Reducing the supply would also reduce the incidence of handgun injury and death within the Central Pa. Conference. Substantial evidence shows that these laws effectively reduce illegal handgun trafficking without negative impact on lawful gun commerce.
WHEREAS: a recent survey, by Greenberg Research, demonstrated that most Pennsylvanians (70%) support enactment of a One Handgun A Month law, and almost all Pennsylvanians (96%) support a law to require the reporting of lost or stolen handguns.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the congregations in the Central Pa. Conference call upon the House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairs as well as Governor Rendell to enact and sign legislation to place limits on the purchase of handguns by individuals; require
reporting of lost or stolen handguns and track registrations; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Board of Church and Society request that the
Conference Secretary communicate this resolution to Governor Rendell and Judiciary Chairs; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Board of Church and Society be empowered to form a fully-diverse taskforce to work in coordination with other groups vigorously and continually towards enactment of the aforesaid One-Handgun-a-Month legislation until such time as it is signed into law; AND FINALLY, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Eastern Pa. Conference of The United Methodist Church encourage the aforementioned taskforce to provide educational materials and resources to congregations in its jurisdiction. These materials should provide information on 1.) the gun violence epidemic, 2.) the causes and affects of readily accessible guns, 3.) how the One-Handgun-a-Month legislation will reduce the supply and the number of handgun deaths, 4.) and finally, afford them a mechanism to use their voices to seek enactment of said legislation, corporately and individually.
Person Responsible for Presenting Resolution: Rev. David Tatgenhorst
_______________________________________________
Now: THERE is some cause for concern among all you "separation of Church and State" folks.
