Christians and Guns

January 20, 2011 by Greg Garrett

Continued from Page 2

But we the people could stand up—individually, collectively—and demand better. We could argue from our faith tradition that love of our neighbors demands that we protect them from preventable violence. We could acknowledge that controlling guns and accessories designed to kill people does not mean gun-lovers can't continue to hunt and shoot skeet.

And, if there's one thing we could learn from Arizona, it's that we could accept that there is disagreement without vilifying those with whom we disagree.

I think guns should be controlled; maybe you don't.

But I don't think that either of us is a monster.

We'll talk more about this next week, as we consider what the faith tradition has to say to us about right speech and those we oppose. Until then, I pray peace in every heart, and especially for those who loved or knew victims of the Tucson shootings.

Page: 3 of 3

1/20/2011 5:00:00 AM

Mainline Protestant

Faithful Citizenship

Violence

Guns

Mainline Protestantism

politics

Rights

Christianity

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About Greg Garrett

Greg Garrett is (according to BBC Radio) one of America's leading voices on religion and culture. He is the author or co-author of over twenty books of fiction, theology, cultural criticism, and spiritual autobiography. His most recent books are The Prodigal, written with the legendary Brennan Manning, Entertaining Judgment: The Afterlife in Popular Imagination, and My Church Is Not Dying: Episcopalians in the 21st Century. A contributor to Patheos since 2010, Greg also writes for the Huffington Post, Salon.com, OnFaith, The Tablet, Reform, and other web and print publications in the US and UK.

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