wfn.org | Rally for Stronger Gun Control

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Email: news@ncccusa.org  Web: www.ncccusa.org

Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227

99NCC9/10/99  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CLERGY JOIN MAYORS, POLICE CHIEFS TO ASK STRONGER GUN CONTROL

 September 9, 1999, WASHINGTON, D.C. - Christian. Muslim and 
Jewish religious leaders joined mayors, police chiefs and Republican 
and Democratic members of the House and Senate on the U.S. Capitol 
steps today (Sept. 9) to call on Congress to close loopholes in 
current gun laws by supporting "responsible and effective gun 
control legislation."

 "People of faith all across this land are grateful to all 
public officials willing to take a stand against violence and 
against weapons that turn anger and despair into violence and 
murder," said the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, General Secretary of 
the National Council of Churches, at the 12:30 p.m. rally, called by 
the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

 Surrounded by the public officials, Dr. Campbell and three 
other prominent religious leaders each offered prayers of hope, 
remembering victims and their families, and prophetic prayers, 
invoking the scriptural lessons of love, peace, dignity and respect.

"Each of the Abrahamic faith traditions understands violence 
to be a failure of the human spirit, a denial of the ethic of love 
and life to which we are called," Dr. Campbell said.  "Banning guns 
will not end all violence, but it will go a long way toward keeping 
our children safe.

 "Today we pray for our schools, for the children, the 
teachers, the parents.  Today we applaud public officials willing to 
take a stand against weapons of destruction.  Today we as people of 
faith promise to redouble our efforts to teach love and to live in 
our communities as activists for safety.  Scripture teaches us that 
the life of a child is precious and that anyone who harms a child or 
who stands in the way of a child's development is sinful in God's 
eyes.  We are to make the world safe for all children."

 Representing the NCC along with Dr. Campbell was the Rev. Dr. 
Staccato Powell, New York, NCC Deputy General Secretary for National 
Ministries.  The other religious leaders speaking were the Rev. Dr. 
C. Welton Gaddy, Executive Director of The Interfaith Alliance; 
Washington, D.C.; Rabbi David Saperstein, Executive Director of the 
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and Imam Gaith Kashif 
(Washington, D.C.), Imam of Masjid As-Shura.  

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