Home > Work > Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence
1 " Idols are things we put our trust in. They are not God, but we treat then like they are. They take on a transcendent, magical character. We hold them with a sacred reverence that should only be given to God. We are willing to die for them and kill for them and sacrifice our children for them. "
― Shane Claiborne , Beating Guns: Hope for People Who Are Weary of Violence
2 " Not many people get argued into thinking differently, but experiences and stories move us, especially when we have the humility to listen and view the world from a different lens, from someone else's eyes. "
3 " Our fundamental starting point, with guns and everything else, is this: What policies help us live well together? What's best for the most? What's good for the common good? What policies are vital for humans to thrive? We are not just thinking individualistically but as "polis," as a people -- less about "I" and "me" and more about "we" and "us." There is something that unit us that is deeper and more profound than all the stuff that divides us. Something unites us across party lines and blows all the labels and categories out of the water: our shared humanity. "
4 " We need a new approach to reducing gun violence. Rather than demonizing gun owners, perhaps we should focus on cutting funds from the gun profiteers. Instead of concentrating on the issue of rights, maybe we should approach it as an issue of conscience. "
5 " Violence is often the instrument of those who are impatient, those who lack imagination, those who cannot wait on justice or freedom or redemption. "
6 " For some folks, the second ammendment is as holy as the great commandment, so it warrants a closer look. But it is important to note from the outset that, for those of us who consider ourselves Christians, the final authority for life is not the Constitution. It's the Bible. It's Jesus. "
