Healing the Soul of America from Gun Violence: Clergy Statement

Healing the Soul of America from Gun Violence

Lifeline to Healing Clergy Statement

We share in the outrage growing from every corner of our nation that we have abandoned our young people to the clutches of violence fueled by greed, fear and our despair.  We bear witness to the deep pain of our nation’s people, whose loved ones are dying needlessly in our communities across the land, that our God commands we speak out about the sanctity of all life and affirm that all have the right to live in peace and safety.   We further assert that people of faith everywhere are commanded by our God to work tirelessly and in coalition with one another across racial lines, class and place line, age and gender lines to vigorously confront the proliferation and increasing lethality of guns in our neighborhoods and cities, towns and streets, malls and schools.

We affirm that every life is precious in the eyes of our creator and our God has no pleasure in the death of anyone.  We are committed to uniting around the common pain and loss of who have suffered in Newtown and New Orleans, Chicago and Columbine and Oak Creek and Oakland.  We are committed through our work to heal the soul of a nation.  We will be vigilant partners in the struggle to transform our communities from the valley of the shadow of death to the land of the living.

To this end, we seek:

1.      Universal Background Checks for all gun sales

2.      Ban on Assault Weapons and High Capacity Magazines

3.      Investments in Mental Health and Public Health Support

4.      Targeted investments and Approaches from Federal Government in Urban Cities most impacted by gun violence.

In Solidarity,

Clergy of the Lifelines to Healing Campaign