Remarks by Rev. Terry Davis, on behalf of the Social Justice Task force, introducing the 18 Sept 99 Presbytery of Southern New England debate on the request from the Groton: St. Andrew session to overturn the 1990, 1996 and 1998 GA resolutions reguarding gun control.

The Social Justice Task Force is grateful to the session of the Gorton Church for bringing the issue of gun control before the Presbytery.  It is our conviction that Christians are called to bring the resources of our Christian faith to bear on the social issues and dilemmas that are of importance to our society.  In view of recent highly publicized instances of gun violence and in view of the fact that gun control is being discussed in congress and state legislatures across the nation, it is clear that gun violence is a major social concern for our society. Thus it must be for the Church.  We believe that it would be good for all Churches, sessions and presbyteries to be engaged in study and discussion concerning this matter.

The referral of the Groton overture to our task force resulted in a great deal of discussion among the members of our group. We discovered that we were not of one accord on the issue; rather we represented a broad range of opinions.

I am here, not to represent the views of our task force, but on behalf of the task force to help the members of Presbytery understand what various General Assemblies have said about gun control and the reasons that the Assemblies have taken the positions they have. We want the General Assemblies' positions to be fairly presented and defended so Presbytery will have the benefit of a thought out presentation on both sides of the question before it, thus setting the stage for an intelligent discussion and vote from the whole body.

I do feel a need to respond to the paper from Groton at one point, and that is to argue with the characterization of Jesus as an advocate of being armed for self defense.  Anyone familiar with the Gospels knows that Jesus was a non violent person who advocated overcoming evil with good and hate with love.  It is true that in an apocalyptic passage he is quoted as advising followers to buy a sword, but when they take him literally and say, we have two, he said that was enough. He didn't tell them to go get a dozen, and certainly he did not tell them to get a machine gun.  When later that night Peter used one of the swords in question Jesus told him to stop, healed the person injured, and told Peter "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.   (Matthew 26:52)

In the material that went out with the call for this meeting we supplied the text of the actions of the 1998 and 1999 Assemblies on gun control.  I trust you have read them and particularly note the 1999 action clarifying that the denomination's position is one that recognizes the constitutional right to bear arms and recognizes legitimate uses of fire arms.  Previous Assembly actions have been directed primarily at controlling access to concealable handguns and assault weapons.

In the packet that commissioners received for this meeting we have supplied you with the text of previous General Assembly statements on gun control.  These go back to 1968 when the Southern Church met within days of the shooting of Robert Kennedy and petitioned congress and the states to pursue legislation to control the sale and possession of firearms.  The Northern Church took similar action in reaction to the attempted assassination of Governor Wallace in 1972, specifically calling for the prohibition of concealable weapons that are not specifically designed and registered for sporting use or law enforcement.

Subsequent actions of both denominations continued to point out the danger of uncontrolled access to firearms in our society, and concealable hand guns in particular.  After reunion the '88 Assembly reaffirmed the position of our predecessor denominations, and asked the council on Social Witness Policy to lead the denomination in a Church wide study of this vital issue.  The actions of the 1989, 1990 and 1996 Assemblies all appear to have come as a result to the work of the Council on Social Witness Policy, a process that involves producing study documents, engaging Churches in study of the issue and soliciting responses to the study documents before bringing policy recommendations to an Assembly.

If you look at the very first page of the booklet [PCUSA 208th G. A. (1996) Minutes, p. 690], the various whereas clauses listed justify our interest in limiting the availability of fire arms in our society.  A heavily armed society does not foster freedom. It increases the likelihood of citizens to be endangered by gun violence.  Even weapons in the hands of people of good will are dangerous in that they can be used in the heat of passion to inflict serious injury or death on others. They may become available by theft or other means to persons intent on self destruction or criminal violence. All too often such weapons fall in the hands of children who accidentally injure or kill other children or themselves.

A part of my personal passion for the control of firearms stems from one such incident early in my ministry.  The boys were 8 or 10, playing with a gun they found in the house, perhaps for the self protection of a single mother.  Somehow the one boy shot his cousin, shot him and killed him. The repercussions from this accident still effected every member of this large, extended family when I left that church 20 years later. I am certain they still do today.  Of course Derick was dead forever, and his cousin had to live the rest of his life knowing what he had done. The mothers could never entirely be reconciled. No matter how they tried, and despite all the efforts of their other brothers and sisters, the dead boy's mother would be forever childless while her sister had five children.