United Methodist bishop prays for shooting victims
By United Methodist News Service
Bishop Felton E. May
By United Methodist News Service
Bishop Felton E. MayOffering prayers for those affected by two shootings in Colorado, a United Methodist bishop questioned the use of guns "in a society that claims to be civil and compassionate."
Five people died in two separate incidents Dec. 9, including a gunman, and five others were wounded.
Bishop Felton E. May, interim chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, issued a Dec. 10 statement lamenting the loss of life from the two incidents, which may be related. "May God heal the bodies of survivors and the grief of those who mourn the dead," he said.
Early on Dec. 9, a gunman killed Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24, after being refused lodging at Youth With a Mission, a live-in Christian missionary center in Arvada, Colo. Two other staff members were wounded, one critically.
Later that day, at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, two teenage sisters, Rachael Works, 16, and Stephanie Works, 18, were shot and killed in the parking lot and their father, David Works, 51, was wounded. A female security guard shot and killed the gunman as he entered the church. The gunman's identity has not been released.
During a Dec. 10 press conference, the Rev. Brady Boyd, New Life senior pastor, said the church's biggest concern was for the Works family. "One of the young girls just returned from an overseas mission trip - they are very committed here," he said. He added that the church also was praying for the family of the attacker.
"We long to know the reasons for such outbursts of fury, which occur at many types of places - schools, shopping malls, offices and churches," May said in his statement. "We long for healing of those whose rage or confusion or hatred leads them to such wanton violence.
"We also long for effective legislation and law enforcement to control or ban the weapons used in these kinds of attacks. Yet another wave of shootings, including those in Colorado, sends a signal that guns have very little or any place in a society that claims to be civil and compassionate."
Five people died in two separate incidents Dec. 9, including a gunman, and five others were wounded.
Bishop Felton E. May, interim chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, issued a Dec. 10 statement lamenting the loss of life from the two incidents, which may be related. "May God heal the bodies of survivors and the grief of those who mourn the dead," he said.
Early on Dec. 9, a gunman killed Tiffany Johnson, 26, and Philip Crouse, 24, after being refused lodging at Youth With a Mission, a live-in Christian missionary center in Arvada, Colo. Two other staff members were wounded, one critically.
Later that day, at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, two teenage sisters, Rachael Works, 16, and Stephanie Works, 18, were shot and killed in the parking lot and their father, David Works, 51, was wounded. A female security guard shot and killed the gunman as he entered the church. The gunman's identity has not been released.
During a Dec. 10 press conference, the Rev. Brady Boyd, New Life senior pastor, said the church's biggest concern was for the Works family. "One of the young girls just returned from an overseas mission trip - they are very committed here," he said. He added that the church also was praying for the family of the attacker.
"We long to know the reasons for such outbursts of fury, which occur at many types of places - schools, shopping malls, offices and churches," May said in his statement. "We long for healing of those whose rage or confusion or hatred leads them to such wanton violence.
"We also long for effective legislation and law enforcement to control or ban the weapons used in these kinds of attacks. Yet another wave of shootings, including those in Colorado, sends a signal that guns have very little or any place in a society that claims to be civil and compassionate."
1 comment:
We know now the same gunman comitted the murders at both the mission camp and the New Life Church.
The bishop's full statement is carried on the GBGM site.
In it, the bishop said, "We long to know the reasons for such outbursts of fury ... ."
Well, it seems that in this case, the murderer, Matthew J. Murray, hated Christians, according to police. Click here.
I suppose now we should all be asking, "Why did he hate us?" Inevitably, we will find a way to blame ourselves.
As for me, I am thankful that the church-member guard's aim was true. Murray is reported to have had 1,000 rounds of ammunition. The church's pastor, Brady Boyd, said that the guard saved probably 100 lives.
However, in proposing that guns be banned, the bishop has proposed exactly nothing at all. There is not the slightest chance that it will happen. Remember Aesop's lesson that "it is easy to propose impossible solutions to difficult problems."
Furthermore, we need ask just why does Bishop May think that banning weapons will prevent gun violence. Years ago, England did just that - much easier there, having no bothersome Constitution to worry about and the people being subjects rather than citizens. It has for many years been illegal there to own any kind of rifle or pistol, and the ownership of shotguns is very tightly regulated.
The result? Gun crime in England has skyrocketed. Last February, the UK's Telegraph newspaper reported,
**We have, post-Dunblane, what are said to be the toughest gun control laws in the world. They have actually proved strikingly ineffectual.
**Gun crime has doubled since they were introduced. Young hoodlums are able to acquire handguns - either replica weapons that have been converted, or imports from eastern Europe - with ease. With no dedicated frontier police, our borders remain hopelessly porous. The only people currently incommoded by the firearms laws are legitimate holders of shotgun licences, who are subjected to the most onerous police checks. [end quote]
(The "post-Dunblane" reference is to a multiple murder-suicide which occurred at the primary school in the Scottish town of Dunblane in 1996. Sixteen children and one adult were killed, in addition to the attacker.)
As long ago as 2003, even the leftwing BBC reported that Britain needs more guns.
**“You are now six times more likely to be mugged in London than New York. Why? Because as common law appreciated, not only does an armed individual have the ability to protect himself or herself but criminals are less likely to attack them. They help keep the peace. [end quote]
More than half of all home burglaries in England take place when the residents are at home, compared to only 13 percent in the US.
So let us consider peaceful Switzerland, where gun crime is very rare. Almost every home there not only has firearms, they are military-issued firearms, high powered automatic combat rifles. How can that be?
We all long for the day when "the lion shall lie down with the lamb," and when "all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid."
But that day is still a long time off. Until then, we'd best understand that "When a strong man [or woman] armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace."
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