In Response to Oregon Shootings, Rev. Rob Schenck, President of The National Clergy Council and Capitol Hill Influencer, Disagrees with and Responds to Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey's Call to 'Fellow Christians' to Consider Arming Themselves
Available for Interviews: Rev. Schenck, subject of a new documentary The Armor of Light and chairman of the Evangelical Church Alliance, calls on pastors to counsel prayer, not violence, appealing to faith leaders to speak out and help those searching for answers, "find a better way"
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2015 /
Christian Newswire/ -- In a Facebook post last Friday, Tenn. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey responded to the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon by saying that "fellow Christians" should consider getting a handgun carry permit to protect themselves. Ramsey provided a link on how to obtain a handgun permit at the end of his posting. Rev. Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council and chairman of the Evangelical Church Alliance, is a minister to top government officials in Washington, D.C. and is the subject of a new documentary addressing gun violence,
The Armor of Light, directed by Abigail E. Disney, opening in theaters nationwide on Oct. 30. Schenck says more guns is not the answer.
Rev. Schenck, who will be profiled in the Oct. 12 issue of TIME magazine, is asking faith leaders to look to spiritual not secular or political sources for their moral decisions in these trying times. Recently named a senior fellow of the Oxford Centre for the Study of Law and Public Policy at Harris Manchester College of the University of Oxford, Rev. Schenck also holds degrees in religion and Christian ministry.
Since the premiere of The Armor of Light at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, Schenck has been preaching at churches across the country about gun violence. Most recently, Schenck, Director Abigail E. Disney, and victim of gun violence and documentary subject Lucy McBath, completed the week-long, multi-city "Faith Over Fear" tour, meeting with pastors, students and parishioners across the country to discuss these issues.
Rev. Schenck's complete statement: "While the Lt. Governor of Tennessee may be well intentioned in his suggestion that fellow Christians arm themselves in response to the recent horrific school shooting in Oregon, but it's not good advice. Anyone with good firearms training knows that when you strap on a gun, you are psychologically ready to kill another human being. That's a paramount moral decision. Guns are lethal weapons that put lives at risk, including the gun owner's own life and the lives of loved ones, neighbors and friends. Politicians are not a source for good moral guidance because their motives are often clouded by their electoral ambitions. The best people to give moral advice on guns or any other issue are church leaders, and they've been conspicuously silent on the question of Christians arming up in fear. I appeal to pastors and other church leaders to speak out clearly, prayerfully, and biblically on the Christ-like approach to guns, fear, and even love of enemy. I appeal to Christians not to look to secular sources for their most important moral decisions. We must turn to God in prayer, search the Scriptures for wisdom, and look to Christ as our only model for dealing with evil. Pastors can help us find a better way in these trying times; it's time for them to do so."
Rev. Schenck is currently available for interviews.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Diane Shader-Smith
Rogers & Cowan
Office: 310-386-6803
