Shawn Fredericks
Gun violence is a recurring tragedy — a tragedy that is continually caused by America’s personal attachment to the idea of possessing a gun. This fascination with gun ownership has placed this nation in a more dreadful position in the area of gun violence than other nations. Vox has reported that America has way more gun deaths than other developed nations, and has far higher levels of gun ownership than any other country in the world.
The solution to gun violence is still being argued; however, when social issues of this significance are being discussed, faith is not a part of the discourse, even though it is integral to many individuals’ worldviews.
America is, purely demographically speaking, a majority Christian nation, with the religious landscape survey by the Pew Research Center reporting that 70.6 percent of Americans identify as Christians. According to Pack Poll, 52 percent of NC State students identify as Christians — lower than the national average but still the majority religion on campus.
Christianity is the religion I believe in, and, as a Christian, when looking at the devotion to guns Americans have, I cannot help but think of the second commandment which reads, “You shall not make for yourself an idol.”
Gun ownership has become so vital for some people that owning a piece of metal is tied to the idea of having true freedom. Pew Research Center has found that for most gun owners, owning a firearm is tied to their sense of personal freedom. As a Christian, freedom for me does not come from a piece of metal but from my belief in Jesus Christ as my savior, which should also be true for those who are pro-gun advocates and identify as Christian.
Guns have been idolized to such a degree that some Christians, judging by the numbers, do not see how their idolization and attachment to guns has made them blind to the real human suffering surrounding gun violence, something Jesus Christ would not tolerate.
Jennifer Copeland, executive director of the North Carolina Council of Churches, articulated how people of faith need to make sure material things do not come before their faith, according to a News and Observer article titled “The 2nd Commandment outweighs the 2nd Amendment, thousands of NC churches say.”
“As people of faith, we should always guard against those things that become more important to us than the God who calls us to abundant life. How much more so, should we call out the idols that hold out false promises,” Copeland said.
Any Christian must understand that material possessions are temporary; materialism can only satisfy the soul marginally. The soul, however, is eternal. When attachment to provisional possessions — whether they be guns or money — override the responsibility toward our faith, then the soul has fallen into a darkness that is overbearingly difficult to overcome.
To be clear, gun control is not just a Christian issue and there is a need for faith leaders from all spiritual walks to be heard on the issue of gun violence. Spirituality can be divisive but that is not the goal of spirituality. Real spirituality is about bringing people together through a common cause and realizing that we all, no matter our place in the world, have a common destiny.
I am not alone in this view. Richard Parker is the author of “Lone Star Nation: How Texas Will Transform America.” In his op-ed, “Why Christians Must Support Gun Control,” he reminds people of faith of our shared duty to humanity.
“All the people of the Abrahamic faiths share the same duty — to protect the innocent,” said Parker. “The Jewish bystander is to rescue a person in peril. Islam requires the protection of all innocent lives. I fear that if we fail in this, bulldoze our churches and let the machines of war and profit win over faith, then God will never forgive us. For that would be the worst sin of all.”
We as people on this earth, but especially as people of faith, have a responsibility to one another. Without this vital realization, I fear society will continue to be cursed with tragedies such as gun violence. These wicked problems affect the spirit of the people and it is through spiritual consideration that these problems can be solved.