August 4, 1998

To the Presbytery of Southern New England

    We, the session of St. Andrew Presbyterian church, overture the Presbytery to overture the General Assembly to overturn the resolutions from the 1990, 1996 and 1998 General Assemblies regarding Gun Control.
    We place this overture in the hands of the Judicial Council, and await your response.

Gratefully,

[signed]

Joe Jackson
Clerk of Session
St. Andrew Presbyterian Church
 
 

"This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient and theworld will follow or lead into the future." Those words were spoken by Adolf Hitler, he was not the first or last tyrant to disarm his people.

There is a serious problem in the United States with violence, particularly violence amongst our youth. The answer to that problem is not gun control, but the Word of God. If we could revive Christianity in our country, we would not have a serious violence problem and we would not have to ban one fire arm.

Freedom is a gift from God and the freedom that we enjoy in America is a special gift, which God has given us. If we are not careful with that gift, God will take it away. I am concerned with our church's current policy on gun control. It demonizes guns and the people who own them. What will my children think of me when the Presbyterian Church sponsors a gun control poster contest , "Hey, my Dad own guns--he's bad." This is not a message that I want sent to my children. I am requesting that the Presbyterian Church change it's gun policy, by ending it's call for Presbyterians to turn in their hand guns and "assault weapons" and by ending their call to our elected officials to outlaw such. I would like to show that 1) our Lord does not forbid his people from bearing arms for self defense, if he or she wishes to (even Christ instructed his disciples to buy and bear arms), that 2) the right of the Individual American to keep and bear arms was the intent of our Founding Fathers and that 3) this right is guaranteed in our Constitution.
 
 

First, let us look at what scripture has to say. Exodus 22:2 says, 'If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed." We can see that the use of deadly force is not totally forbidden. In Genesis 12, Abram is called on by our Lord for a divine mission. Nowhere in the Old Testament do we find God stopping his children from waging warfare against evildoers. The Lord does not demand that godly men lay down their arms because they were evil. Abram's use of force was justifiable homicide, it was not a sin! There is no question, in scripture, that God instilled in His people that it was better to be armed than unarmed.

In the New Testament the same principle holds true, that not only did godly men bear arms but that God approved of it. In Luke 3:10-14, John the Baptist does not tell the soldiers to lay down their arms.

In Luke 22, Christ tells his disciples to protect themselves by saying' If you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." He was concerned with the disciples being able to protect themselves, his instructions were for their physical, not spiritual needs.

In 1776, we Americans came out of bondage with faith, understanding and courage. Against great odds and with much bloodshed we battled our way to liberty. Liberty brings freedom of choice, to work, to trade, to go and live wherever one chooses and to worship. We, with our constitution as a base for our laws, were the first nation in the history of the world to be founded on the base of individual rights, a country governed by "We the People".

After the War for Independence our founding fathers were struggling to form a government and developed our Constitution. However before many of them would submit to this new government they needed some assurances for individual freedoms. They wanted to make sure that the war they had just fought to get out of bondage, would not place them under the bondage of another. So they added the Bill of Rights to protect the rights of the individual.

One of the first ten amendments (the second), reads ' A well regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." What exactly is the militia? Title 10, US Codes, Sec. 311 describes the militia as consisting of not only the National Guard (active militia) but also all able bodied male citizens between the age of 17 and 64 (reserve militia). "A militia, when properly formed are, in fact, the people themselves and include all men capable of bearing arms" --Richard Henry Lee. "A well regulated militia composed of the people, trained to arms is the best and most natural defense of a free country."-James Madison.

It is important to understand that the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to protect the rights of the individual, not to give rights to the state. US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia offers two interesting comments on our Founders and the Second Amendment. The Founders were right, he says, when they feared that some misguided future generation might wish to abandon liberties that they considered essential, and sought to protect those rights in a Bill of Rights. To those modernists who assert that the right to bear arms is limited to musketry in the National Guard, Justice Scalia says, " that the right of the people to keep and bear arms meant just that. There is no need to deceive ourselves at to what the original Second Amendment said and meant."

Time and time again one can read from our Founding Fathers their intent, like "No freeman shall ever be debarred their use."- Thomas Jefferson. or 'A free people ought to be armed". - George Washington.

To summarize, I can find no passage in the Bible which prohibits a person from defending him or herself or the safety of his or her family. However there seems to be a number of passages in which our Lord allows us to defend ourselves.

The Bill of Rights, though only 462 words is the most precious part of our legal  heritage. That heritage stands for two fundamental principles. First, we have a democracy--the majority rules. Second, as expressed in the Bill of Rights, we are a democratic republic, the rule of the majority must be limited so that the individual liberty is guaranteed.

Brothers and sisters, if you cherish the freedoms that our founders and heavenly Father intended for this country and if you want your children and grandchildren to live in a free country, do not take away our right to defend ourselves. If we do, it will be the beginning of the end for all of our freedoms. Our heavenly Father gave us free choice. Do we as Presbyterians want to give that freedom away') Let me end with this quote:

'They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve
neither liberty or safety." -Benjamin Franklin

Subj: TESTIMONY OF DARRELL SCOTT
Date: 6/12/99 6:58:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: GW22230
 

TESTIMONY OF DARRELL SCOTT - FATHER OF TWO VICTIMS OF COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING - LITTLETON, COLORADO BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITEE ON CRIME - HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THURSDAY, MAY 27,1999 2:00 P.M. - 2141 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING

Since the dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the heart of men and of women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence.

The death of my wonderful daughter Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher and the other children who died must not be in vain. T'heir blood cries out for answers.

The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA.

I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy - it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame-lies!

Much of that blame lies here in this room. Much of that blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.

I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today.

                    Your laws ignore our deepest needs
                    Your words are empty air.
                    You’ve stripped away our heritage.
                    You’ve outlawed simple prayer.

                    Now gunshots fill our classrooms.
                    And precious children die.
                    You seek for answers everywhere.
                    And ask the question "WHY"?

                    You regulate restrictive laws.
                    Through legislative creed.
                    And yet you fail to understand.
                    That God is what we need!

Men and women are three part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our makeup, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc.

Spiritual influences were present within our educational Systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historic fact.

What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God and in doing so, we open the doors to hatred and violence.

And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs - - politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that continue to erode away our personal and private liberties.

We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre.

The real villain lies within our OWN hearts.  Political posturing and restrictive legislation is not the answer.

The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched!

We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy Television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored.

We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God.

As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right!

I challenge every young person in America and around the world to realize that on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School - - prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain.

Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your conscience and denies your God-given right to communicate with Him.

To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA - I give to you sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before you cast the first stone!

My daughter’s death will not be in vain. The young people of this country will not allow that to happen.