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Faith

‘Religiously-Repugnant’: Progressive Preacher Jim Wallis Blasts the NRA for Its ‘Dangerous Theology’

Jan. 18, 2013 8:23am Billy Hallowell

Jim Wallis Lambastes the NRAs Dangerous Theology & Calls for More Gun Control

Jim Wallis, president and CEO of Sojourners, speaks during a press conference at the United Methodist Building January 15, 2013 in Washington, DC. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Jim Wallis, a well-known, progressive faith leader, is no fan of the National Rifle Association (NRA). In fact, he’s an outspoken advocate for more gun control and, on Wednesday, he publicly joined other left-of-center faith leaders to push fervently for government intervention in cracking down on firearms. In an article published yesterday on his web site, Sojourners, Wallis continued to air his views about the nation’s most prominent gun-rights group, taking specific issue with the NRA’s so-called “dangerous theology.”

“As an evangelical Christian, I’m going to make this theological,” wrote the Christian leader, going on to call a recent statement from Wayne LaPierre, executive vice-president of the NRA, “morally mistaken, theologically dangerous, and religiously-repugnant.”

The comment at the center of Wallis’ contempt? LaPierre‘s statement in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that, “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” The faith leader proceeded to delve into the apparent moral and theological issues inherent in the NRA staffer’s views on the matter.

“The world is not full of good and bad people; that is not what our scriptures teach us. We are, as human beings, both good and bad,” Wallis wrote. “This is not only true of humanity as a whole, but we as individuals have both good and bad in us.”

It is with this bad that the progressive faith leader contends negativity can arise — particularly when it pertains to firearms and the availability of certain guns.

“When we are bad or isolated or angry or furious or vengeful or politically agitated or confused or lost or deranged or unhinged — and we have the ability to get and use weapons only designed to kill large numbers of people — our society is in great danger,” he continued.

Jim Wallis, president and CEO of Sojourners, and Sayyid Syeed(R) of the Islamic Society of North America, smile at each other after speaking during a press conference at the United Methodist Building January 15, 2013 in Washington, DC. The group of religious leader organized by Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence held the news conference to speak out against gun violence and call for gun law reform including a ban on assault style weapons and universal background checks. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Wallis decried the notion that ensuring that there are more guns than bad people is a good idea and he advocated for advancing policies that will protect America’s children. In order to keep kids safe, the faith leader argued that firearms must be contained and curtailed. Then, his’ op-ed quickly turned from the NRA to race and the impact of gun violence on blacks and Hispanics:

Let me be personal and theological again, this time with Rev. Phil Jackson, a young pastor from Chicago who I talked with earlier this week. A young, dynamic street pastor, he told me that Chicago had 2,400 shootings in 2012 — 505 of them resulting in death. More than 100 of them were children from elementary to high school. Almost all of the murdered ones were people and children of color — African-American and Latino. That’s more gun deaths in Chicago than American troop deaths in Afghanistan last year. One city.

Rev. Jackson thinks that God cares as much about murdered children of color in Chicago as God cares about murdered white children in Connecticut. But it seems that mostly the white children get our attention and break our hearts. He thinks those murdered black and brown kids also get God’s attention as much as murdered white kids. But he wonders why they don’t get ours. It’s morally mistaken and also religiously repugnant.

Wallis concluded the piece by calling upon religious people to act based upon their faith and not their politics or personal views on gun advocacy. He also implored parents to call for “a national conversation on guns.” Then, he invoked his 9-year-old son, Jack, and the young boy’s views on gun control — sentiments Wallis said that he agrees with.

“I think that they ought to let people who, like licensed hunters, have guns if they use them to hunt. And people who need guns — who need guns for their job like policemen and army,” Jack recently told his father. “But I don’t think that we should just let anybody have any kind of gun and any kind of bullets that they want. That’s pretty crazy.”

Read Wallis’ entire story here.

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Related:

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (190)

battles
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 10:03am
“The world is not full of good and bad people; that is not what our scriptures teach us.”

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
Proverbs 2:12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, …
Proverbs 2:14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
Proverbs 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Proverbs 6:24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
Proverbs 11:19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
Proverbs 12:12 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
Proverbs 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.
Proverbs 14:19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
Proverbs 14:22 Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
Proverbs 17:11 An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Just to mention a very few scriptures refuting this fraud.

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ChrisDiamond
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:59am
So Jim Wallis, the socialist, redistributionist, and liar calls a political stance on the natural right to defend yourself a ‘theology’? I would agree with the use of the term ideology, or even ethos, regarding the NRA (which sucks in comparison to Gun Owners of America, by the way), but theology? Tsk, tsk, tsk…

Mr. Wallis’ erroneous take on the Christian theology is as dangerous, or more dangerous than the warvangelical’s take on it. If Jesus was about peace, then why should Christians on the right support our national war efforts abroad against people who have not and cannot attack us? If Jesus couldn’t force people to make choices about how they live their lives (follow him or not), then why does the Christian right want to legislate it’s version of morality into law? If Jesus didn’t demand that the government loot the rich to provide for the poor, then why do the Christians on the left so ardently support continued government theft? Why are Christians on the left supportive of war under a democrat president?

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Blitz
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:53am
About all the Chicago deaths, they are not covered other than a brief mention Monday morning because most OFFENDERS as well as vicitms are black. You have to jump all over the white people who murder to keep him the boggy man. Remember it’s the white mans fault, Divide and conquer .

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Southerner01
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:50am
Oddly, every one of the US troops that didn’t die in Afghanistan was carrying at least one gun. Almost none of the Chicago victims had guns. How odd is that.

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TheFederalist
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:46am
Jim Wallis says;
“When we are bad or isolated or angry or furious or vengeful or politically agitated or confused or lost or deranged or unhinged —

He just described himself. He does`nt know the word of God. Satan speaks through him. Satan is using him as a tool for his plan.

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- DesertRose1960
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 11:34am
  Wallis’ point is that people are neither purely good or purely evil; as human beings, we are sinful by nature. Sin in Hebrew thought isn’t a condemnation, it is a falling short of the mark, not measuring up. All people sin, at some time or another, and people are capable of doing good even if most of their actions in life are bad.
  
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satotbs
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:45am
Listening to or reading the comments of fools and liars is a waste of time and costs you IQ points. If a liar shouts his message and nobody hears him does he make any noise? The pied piper wants you too; he will be paid by the quantity of lemmings he marches to their doom.

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Uechi
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:44am
The man is a total 100% lying fraud. The only dogma that he adheres to is that of Karl Marx. He is no more a Christian minister then Al Sharpton. Wallis is an evil, despicable human being that will get what he has earned, if not in this life the next.

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barber2
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:43am
Of course Wallis needed to make these NRA comments. After all Jesus , his mentor , was so actively involved in Roman politics…..

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Jezreel
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:36am
He is one of these hirelings that get paid off by the government to go along with telling the congregations to “obey the government” and go to the fema camps. There is a special place in hell with the fallen angels that apostates like this man will be keeping company with, that is, if he continues to not repent but when you are that old and you are really stubborn and set in your own ways and sins, especially false religion, it usually means that there is no hope for you. Christ is their only hope if they so choose.

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NotSoCommonSense
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:34am
2 points:

1.) Hey Jimmy – what say you about Luke 11:21
“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.”

-> Some are going to argue that “they didn’t have guns back then”…to which I would question how “fully armed” are you if you don’t have one today…and someone enters your home with one.

2.) Why must we always make laws designed for the lowest common denominator and then apply them to everyone. We must take away your rights because someone else might possibly do something evil.

Who is with me on this? Can we start a movement that dictates to our leaders that we’re tired of their one size fits all approach to legislation? Hey Glenn – can you help us out?

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barber2
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:32am
Race..race..race…Do souls have color ? Does God distinguish ?

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woodyee
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:31am
This guy is the Jim Jones of this decade.

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pagraywolf
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:30am
Apples and oranges. The NRA isn’t making a religious argument re. gun control, so why answer with one? This is a method for this vile man to have people who don’t listen to him hear his cr*p. Disgusting…

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jungle J
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:28am
This guy is the epitome of the religious mentally ill leader…

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iamsaved
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:26am
The Bible warns of false teachers and from my reading of scripture, Mr. Wallis fits the definition perfectly. Also, he seems to equate the NRA as a spiritual entity based on some of his comments. He might want to reflect on the verses that says there are none that are good.

Romans 3:9-18:
9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

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gbfreak
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:23am
Hot air…not relevant….just like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharp-tounge.

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TexasSenior
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:23am
“Progressive pastor” = communist anti-American wolf in sheep’s clothing.

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beefrank
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:23am
Preacher Wallis is like many modern Christians who blind themselves to the existence of Satan and evil. If humans are inherently goo, then why do they need a Savior? Evil exists in the world because Satan is the god of this world. You can read the Bible for further clarification. However, as Jesus Christ mentioned in the gospels. there are situations and times when armed resistance is necessary in appearance and action.

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Juniemoon
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:23am
I bet he thinks Hitler, Stalin and Mao were good, Reagan was evil. This communist ain’t no Evangelical Christian, he’s a wolf.

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- kickagrandma
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:35am
  @JUNIE~~~ You nailed it!
  
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joeslick
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:20am
He said that the world is not full of good and bad people and that we are both good and bad…maybe Lapierre should have said “The only thing that stops a person with evil in their heart is a person with good in their heart AND A GUN in their hands.” Maybe that would have made him happier.

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mrunner
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:16am
Mealy mouthed liberal puke. Yes there is some bad in the best of us and some good in the worst of us- but when the bad comes out in the form of threatening or killing of the good, it is time to neutralize (kill- or incapacitate) the bad.

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Metallicat
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:14am
I bet Jesus would chase this man out of His Fathers House with an AR.

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lynnissmart
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:13am
If someone had a father (?), he’d look and sound like Jimmycommie!

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PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:13am
Communist ravings of Reverand Cow Dung of Iniquity! Prediction….There will be more preachers and priests and rabbis burning in hell fires than you can imagine because they have lead so many astray. His argument is so wrong.
Why do good people want guns?
The good people want to protect themselves from the bad people and a bad tyrannical government that wants to enslave them. The elite live in fear because of their evil deeds, the elite live in doubt that their evil deeds will remain in the dark. The elite do not believe in YHVH or Y’shua. The elite’s god is Satan. Satan keeps them in fear, doubt and unbelief and under his control.

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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:13am
“Progressive Preacher.” Isn’t that an oxymoron?

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