Here's What 5 Christian Leaders Had to Say about Gun Control

Veronica Neffinger | iBelieve Contributor | Updated: Apr 13, 2022

Gun control has become a central national issue in recent times, especially after the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. People who are pro-gun and pro-Second Amendment have been clashing with those who want stringent gun control laws. Where do Christians fall in this debate? As you may expect, even within the Christian community, there is not perfect agreement. Some Christian leaders have spoken out against stricter gun control legislation, but others have argued that something must be done. Still, others have tried to draw the focus back to the issue of flawed human nature and how we need to do better regarding reaching the mentally unstable. Below are the thoughts, ideas, and arguments of five Christian leaders following the rise in gun violence. While there are no easy answers, perhaps reading these differing views will give us a broader picture.

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1. "I think to do nothing is to devalue human life."

“More and more voices calling for restrictions on gun access are being heard. We are trying to curate those voices and give them a united platform to speak from.

We’ve been actively reaching out to evangelical leaders, mostly behind the scenes, and are finding many that are distressed by our seemingly unrestrained enthusiasm for easy gun access — and the perception that all evangelicals have a kind of bloodlust for firearms. That’s not true, particularly when it comes to under-40 evangelicals and their pastors.

I am concerned about gun violence in this country, because I think to do nothing is to devalue human life, to treat that which God deems of ultimate value as of no value at all,” the Baptist leader told HuffPost. “Reducing gun violence is part of what it means to love God’s people and want them to flourish.” -- Rev. Rob Schenck

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2. "Laws on the books don’t keep the criminals from getting and using guns."

"The thing about gun control laws is that they can work to disarm the law-abiding. Strict gun control laws, like those in Chicago, only insure that the only people with guns are the bad guys. Laws on the books don’t keep the criminals from getting and using guns. They only stop the law-abiding citizens from access to guns.

Which city is safer? Geneva, Switzerland, where virtually every household has a gun that they received in doing military service for their country in their youth, or Chicago, where the good guys can’t legally own a gun?

The Bible teaches that we are not to murder. It also teaches that there’s a time and a place for everything under the sun. Sometimes, that includes having to defend oneself." -- Dr. Jerry Newcombe

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3. "I hold to conservative views on the Second Amendment."

"I don’t think that any gun control measure that I’ve seen would be effective in addressing these issues.

I hold to conservative views on the Second Amendment, but I don’t hold to my views here in the way that I would something clearly revealed in Scriptures. I certainly don’t hold to those things the way that I would the fundamentals of Christian doctrine and ethics, which is why I have very close co-laborers in Christ who are proponents of gun control. They haven’t persuaded me of that, but I don’t see them as being on another 'side.' We both are looking toward the same goal. -- Russell Moore, former president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

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4. "There will be three armed [licensed] persons at all times at every service."

"There will be three armed [licensed] persons at all times at every service. Nobody needs to know who they are, but our church will be protected." -- Pastor Jaime Chapa of El Faro Bible Church in Sullivan City, Texas

ABC News reports that Chapa made the decision after the shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. "What happened in Sutherland will not ever happen in our church," Chapa said. "This was not supposed to happen."

5. "No mere human act can cure what is a clearly a spiritual issue."

"Most of our students have responded to the shooting with a desire to do something. It has been cool to see them exemplify 1 Corinthians 12:26: 'When one member suffers, all members suffer with it.'

"Preach the Word of God. I believe that no legislation, no movement, no mere human act can cure what is clearly a spiritual issue. It is clear in Scripture that when God is present and His Word is taken seriously, the people flourish. But when man is elevated and sin is celebrated, the people perish.

Jesus at the center – of our country, of our schools, and of our lives. That always has been and always will be the solution." -- Calvary Chapel Youth Pastor Javan Shashaty

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Publication date: March 2, 2018