http://www.dispatch.com/news/newsfea00/may00/272491.html
Methodists seek government ban on owning guns
Wednesday, May 10, 2000
Dennis M. Mahoney
Dispatch Religion Reporter
CLEVELAND -- The United
Methodists didn't mince words when talking about guns.
Ban them, they said.
The denomination, holding its national conference at the Cleveland Convention Center, handily passed a resolution yesterday that urges a government ban on the ownership of guns in the United States and in countries where the church has a presence.
The resolution, which passed 724- 205, is the first substantive statement on gun violence by the 9.6 million- member denomination. The ban addresses handguns, assault weapons and automatic weapons.
It was passed after delegates rejected an amendment to delete handguns from the resolution, a compromise sought by some who argued that Americans have a right to own guns to protect themselves.
"If someone breaks into my home in the middle of the night to do bodily harm to myself or my wife, I can't pull out the Book of Resolutions and say, 'Wait a minute, I'm a United Methodist. I've got a position on this,' '' said the Rev. Scott Kelso, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Pickerington.
But Jeremiah Thompson, a delegate from Kankakee, Ill., argued that "Guns are destroying our society. . . . We need to take a stand.''
The resolution says the church must work to reduce gun violence, including taking steps such as educating United Methodists about preventing violence and ensuring gun safety.
It also supports legislation to regulate the manufacture, sale and ownership of guns, including registration and licensing for gun owners and background checks and waiting periods for gun purchases.
The church's General Conference meets every four years to consider proposed changes in the denomination's policies.
The issue of the role of gays continues to swirl.
A protest is planned this morning by Soulforce, a coalition in support of gay rights that has been demonstrating outside the convention center each day since the conference opened May 2.
Soulforce members asked to be present in the convention hall this morning during a worship service in which the Rev. George Carey, the archbishop of Canterbury, will speak.
The request was denied. Members said they will conduct a "walk of justice'' during which they will try to enter the hall and possibly be arrested.
Some from the group have said that 500 people could participate in the demonstration.
The Rev. Jim Lawson, a retired United Methodist minister from Los Angeles and a leader of Soulforce, said the group will be "dramatizing the issue'' of violence against gays that it says is fostered by church teachings that condemn homosexuality as sinful.
"It must end, because it's the language of death,'' Lawson said. "It's killing people.''
The Faith and Order Committee yesterday ended its work on a number of proposals to change church policies on issues such as the ordination of gays and its ban on ministers performing same-sex unions.
In nearly all cases, the committee voted to retain language on gays currently contained in the Book of Discipline, which governs the church. It did agree to recommend adding language that reads, "We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn their lesbian and gay members and friends.''
Before taking up about 40 proposals dealing with abortion yesterday, the committee also voted against endorsing three proposals to change language on divorce.
One would have prohibited a divorced person from remarrying while his or her ex-spouse is alive.
All committee recommendations will be sent to the floor for final action by delegates before the conference closes Friday.
Another resolution that delegates approved by a wide margin denounces the use of "offensive racist logos.''
The resolution, which passed 610- 293, was aimed in particular at the use of the Chief Wahoo mascot by the Cleveland Indians.
The baseball team said the church's opposition will not alter the use of the big-toothed Indian logo. Chief Wahoo was designed in the mid-1940s.
The church's resolution said the mascot demeans American Indians by reducing them to a caricature.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
Methodists seek government ban on owning guns
Wednesday, May 10, 2000
Dennis M. Mahoney
Dispatch Religion Reporter
CLEVELAND -- The United
Methodists didn't mince words when talking about guns.
Ban them, they said.
The denomination, holding its national conference at the Cleveland Convention Center, handily passed a resolution yesterday that urges a government ban on the ownership of guns in the United States and in countries where the church has a presence.
The resolution, which passed 724- 205, is the first substantive statement on gun violence by the 9.6 million- member denomination. The ban addresses handguns, assault weapons and automatic weapons.
It was passed after delegates rejected an amendment to delete handguns from the resolution, a compromise sought by some who argued that Americans have a right to own guns to protect themselves.
"If someone breaks into my home in the middle of the night to do bodily harm to myself or my wife, I can't pull out the Book of Resolutions and say, 'Wait a minute, I'm a United Methodist. I've got a position on this,' '' said the Rev. Scott Kelso, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Pickerington.
But Jeremiah Thompson, a delegate from Kankakee, Ill., argued that "Guns are destroying our society. . . . We need to take a stand.''
The resolution says the church must work to reduce gun violence, including taking steps such as educating United Methodists about preventing violence and ensuring gun safety.
It also supports legislation to regulate the manufacture, sale and ownership of guns, including registration and licensing for gun owners and background checks and waiting periods for gun purchases.
The church's General Conference meets every four years to consider proposed changes in the denomination's policies.
The issue of the role of gays continues to swirl.
A protest is planned this morning by Soulforce, a coalition in support of gay rights that has been demonstrating outside the convention center each day since the conference opened May 2.
Soulforce members asked to be present in the convention hall this morning during a worship service in which the Rev. George Carey, the archbishop of Canterbury, will speak.
The request was denied. Members said they will conduct a "walk of justice'' during which they will try to enter the hall and possibly be arrested.
Some from the group have said that 500 people could participate in the demonstration.
The Rev. Jim Lawson, a retired United Methodist minister from Los Angeles and a leader of Soulforce, said the group will be "dramatizing the issue'' of violence against gays that it says is fostered by church teachings that condemn homosexuality as sinful.
"It must end, because it's the language of death,'' Lawson said. "It's killing people.''
The Faith and Order Committee yesterday ended its work on a number of proposals to change church policies on issues such as the ordination of gays and its ban on ministers performing same-sex unions.
In nearly all cases, the committee voted to retain language on gays currently contained in the Book of Discipline, which governs the church. It did agree to recommend adding language that reads, "We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn their lesbian and gay members and friends.''
Before taking up about 40 proposals dealing with abortion yesterday, the committee also voted against endorsing three proposals to change language on divorce.
One would have prohibited a divorced person from remarrying while his or her ex-spouse is alive.
All committee recommendations will be sent to the floor for final action by delegates before the conference closes Friday.
Another resolution that delegates approved by a wide margin denounces the use of "offensive racist logos.''
The resolution, which passed 610- 293, was aimed in particular at the use of the Chief Wahoo mascot by the Cleveland Indians.
The baseball team said the church's opposition will not alter the use of the big-toothed Indian logo. Chief Wahoo was designed in the mid-1940s.
The church's resolution said the mascot demeans American Indians by reducing them to a caricature.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.
