Registration is now open for our 2019 Legislative Seminar
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statements
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative
      • The Opioid Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Christian Unity
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Farmworkers
    • Interfaith Collaboration
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • NC No Torture
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Peace
    • Public Education
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Donate
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Subscribe to Updates from the NC Council of Churches








Weekly E-news:
Raleigh Report:
Faith and Immigration Newsletter:
Health and Faith Perspective:
NC Interfaith Power & Light:

Hide Search

Violence and Guns

Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director · May 23, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Remarks delivered at the Community Conversation on Gun Violence on May 15, 2018 at Wake Forest Presbyterian Church.

God knows that we are a violent people. It’s been this way since Cain killed Abel because Cain was jealous and afraid. Jealousy and fear drive most of our violence. That’s why you hear so many people talking about guns as a way to stay safe—they’re afraid. So, they keep a gun—an idol of safety that will not actually keep them safe—guns in the home are 4 times more likely to be used against someone in the home than to protect those in the home.

God knows that we are a violent people, even though God has given us the means to have life and have it abundantly. Because we don’t know how to share and we think someone will take something that belongs to us, we keep a gun to protect what is ours—a false idol that more often ends up robbing us, or someone we love, of the gift of life.

Since we are violent toward others and ourselves—two-thirds of the gun deaths in this country are suicides—we should be careful with our weapons, especially weapons that nearly always allow no second chances.

  • If I punch someone in the face in a fit of anger, that person will have a black eye and I will have a sore hand; but if I take out a gun and shoot there is no chance to make up.
  • If I have a bad day at the office or the bank or in court and decide to end it all with a bottle of pills, I might change my mind and call 9-1-1; but if I take out a gun and shoot there is no chance for a better tomorrow.

More guns in our communities, mean more gun deaths. It’s a fact—look it up. Guns are a public health issue because we are violent people. To be otherwise we must practice non-violence and be trained in self-restraint. In the meantime, while we are still practicing not to be afraid and learning to get over our jealousies, we need a way to remain safe from ourselves and sometimes even from our own best intentions.

If it’s true that guns don’t kill people, people do, then we should take extra care with the people who can have guns. We ask people to pass a test before we allow them to drive; we have standards for the car seat a baby must have; and we don’t allow people to jump in the deep end of the pool until they show us they can swim across it.

Why wouldn’t we want tests and standards, even laws, that regulate gun safety?

God knows we are violent people. God expects us to take some responsibility for that. That’s why I’m here. Thank you.

Filed Under: Blog, Homepage Featured Tagged With: Gun Violence

Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

About Jennifer Copeland, Executive Director

Jennifer is a native of South Carolina and an ordained minister in The United Methodist Church. She loves South Carolina, but has managed to spend all but ten years of her adult life in North Carolina. Those ten years were spent pastoring United Methodist churches across the Upstate. She attended Duke University several times and in the process earned a BA, double majoring in English and Religion, a Master of Divinity, a PhD in religion, and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies. Prior to coming to the Council, she spent 16 years as the United Methodist Chaplain at Duke University, where she also taught undergraduate and divinity school classes, served on committees and task forces, and attended lots of basketball games. Jennifer has two children, Nathan, a software developer who lives in Durham, and Hannah, a student at the University of Tampa.

Reader Interactions

More Like This

Vetting the Vote: Gun Sanity
The Border as War
Raleigh Report — May 30, 2018

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Featured Resource

From the Lectionary
Celebrating Abrahamic Faiths
March 10, 2019 · 2 Corinthiaans 5:16-21

Latest Tweets

Rob Schofield of @NCPolicyWatch will be leading a workshop at our entitled Power Struggles, the Sequel. He'll review legislative efforts to curb the governor’s powers. Are those efforts continuing, and what do they involve? More info: ncchurches.org/2019s… #ncpol @ncjustice pic.twitter.com/HvNg…

About 2 days ago

Excited to have The Rev. Ron Stief, executive director of @NRCATtweets join us on March 9 to discuss strategies for ending CIA torture. Lunch and childcare are free if you register by March 6. More info: ncchurches.org/event… #ncpol pic.twitter.com/8JYm…

About 2 days ago

There is still time to join us in Charlotte on March 12 and 13 for the Come to the Table Conference. The deadline to register has been extended to February 25. Many of our Council staff will be presenting workshops so we hope to see you there! rafiusa.org/cttt/201… pic.twitter.com/kDzF…

About 5 days ago

RT @healthandfaith Join us NEXT TUESDAY, February 27, for Medicaid Expansion Advocacy Day. We'll join together with fellow North Carolinians to tell our lawmakers it's time to #CloseTheGapNC Register today: docs.google.com/form… @nchealthaccess pic.twitter.com/7D5D…

About 5 days ago

Excited to have The Rev. Ron Steif, executive director of @NRCATtweets join us in just a couple of weeks (March 9). He'll share with us ways the faith community can help bring an end to CIA torture. Space is limited so register today! ncchurches.org/event… pic.twitter.com/uapr…

About 5 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

What an awesome program! Thanks @CISChatham for teaching our youth how to eat healthy on a budget. #health #nc twitter.com/CISChath…

About 2 days ago

Our PHW Collaborative Application is now live! Read more at the link about how your faith community can partner with us to promote health & wholeness in NC. #health #faith #NC ncchurches.org/progr… pic.twitter.com/Fr83…

About 3 days ago

Now more than ever we must show our support for Medicaid expansion. Check out our Advocacy Toolkit on writing an op-ed to your local paper to make your voice heard! #CloseTheGapNC #ncga #ncpol #health #faith ncchurches.org/take-…

About 4 days ago

Our apologies: *Wednesday* Feb. 27! twitter.com/healthan…

About 4 days ago

Join us NEXT TUESDAY, February 27, for Medicaid Expansion Advocacy Day. We'll join together with fellow North Carolinians to tell our lawmakers it's time to #CloseTheGapNC Register today: docs.google.com/form… @nchealthaccess pic.twitter.com/7D5D…

About 5 days ago

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @CareBoutClimate About to start the Building Grassroots Power meeting for @uscan! #buildinggrassrootspower @AnthropoceneAL @SustainingWay @NCIPL @peoplesjusticec @GeorgiaWAND pic.twitter.com/QgEl…

About 10 hours ago

RT @UNCCE3 CE3 Director Jonas Monast is speaking in Fort Worth, Texas, at @TAMULawSchool's Energy Law Symposium on tomorrow's panel, "Between Markets and Regulation –Electricity Governance in Transition." law.tamu.edu/faculty… pic.twitter.com/RkcJ…

About 2 days ago

RT @NCCoastalFed Three #OBX local govt officials to ⁦@SenThomTillis - protect our coast and our economy & oppose #offshore #oil drilling in #NC #ncpol #ncga ⁦@ThomTillis⁩ newsobserver.com/opi…

About 2 days ago

RT @Michael_S_Regan “People affected by GenX & PFAS pollution in the Cape Fear River deserve real relief, and this order provides that relief ... We listened to the comments from the community, leaders, public utilities & established a strong path forward to protect #waterquality & public health.” twitter.com/wectnews…

About 2 days ago

RT @ncchurches There is still time to join us in Charlotte on March 12 and 13 for the Come to the Table Conference. The deadline to register has been extended to February 25. Many of our Council staff will be presenting workshops so we hope to see you there! rafiusa.org/cttt/201… pic.twitter.com/kDzF…

About 3 days ago

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

No matter what type of barrier, border communities are opposed! We need to #RevitalizeNotMilitarize our border region. Congress—do not give Trump any more money for ICE, CBP, or a border wall! CALL to #DefundHate: (202) 224-3121 pic.twitter.com/xBVM…

About 2 months ago

Let's @SupportFLOC in the upcoming #BoycottVUSE against Reynolds American Inc. and defend our tobacco farmworkers so that they may have a voice to negotiate better working conditions without fear of retaliation! floc.com/wordpress/b…

Last year

.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump Keep America welcoming. Refugee resettlement is a proud American legacy with bipartisan support #RefugeesWelcome

About 2 years ago

.@realDonaldTrump & @POTUS Christians oppose policies that would deny Muslims refuge and preference Christians: bit.ly/FaithLeaders4…

About 2 years ago

.@realDonaldTrump & @POTUS People of faith OPPOSE a religious litmus test for refugees bit.ly/FaithLeaders4… #RefugeesWelcome

About 2 years ago

Follow @NCRCJI

Copyright © 2019 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine