Armed in America: Faith & Guns

Troy Newman and Shane Claiborne describe the worlds they live in and how they view gun violence. Newman believes the white, middle class uses guns for protection, whereas Shane believes that some of the most dangerous mass shooters are white men.

Examine the nation’s rising gun violence with Independent Lens and PBS. Watch new documentary film The Armor of Light — followed by a town hall discussion hosted by NPR’s Michel Martin.

The rate of gun-related deaths to Black Americans is two times higher than White Americans. A poll was taken and showed that 63% of White Christians think guns protect people while 28% of Black Christians think that guns protect people. By comparison, 61% of Black Christians and 70% of Hispanic Christians say that guns tend to harm people.

Lucy McBath’s son, Jordan Davis, was killed in Jacksonville, Florida. Lucy believes that America has lost its way as a Christian nation when people resort to violence as a way to act out their fears. She uses her platform to fight for a change in gun laws.

Shane Claiborne does not think that people of faith are owning the problem of guns in America. He describes multiple stories of death from guns, and he thinks that gun violence has become a public health crisis.

During the filming of PBS’ Armed In America: Faith & Guns, audience members and panelists came together for a town hall in Orlando to start a broader conversation about gun violence and the moral obligation to prevent it. Join the discussion on social media using #ArmorOfLightPBS

People of all religions come together to mourn for those who lose their lives in gun violence. What divides people is the way to stop the violence. The documentary, “The Armor of Light,” encourages people of Evangelical faith to think more deeply about what it means to be pro-life and pro-gun. Faith leaders from around the country discussed their stance on guns at the Northland Church in Orlando.

In 2015, Dylann Roof killed nine people during a prayer service at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. One of those victims was Reverend Thompson’s wife. Her death has caused Rev. Thompson to become an advocate for gun laws.

Shane believes that America needs to have more common sense laws when it comes to gun control. He knows that current changes have been passed over because they are viewed as gun regulation, but he thinks the country can do better when it comes to gun laws.

During a New Year’s Eve sermon at Heal the Land Outreach Ministry in Fayetteville, North Carolina a gunman entered the church. Reverend Wright asked the gunman what was wrong, and he responded by asking the reverend to pray for him. Reverend Wright managed to disarm the gunman who was later taken away in handcuffs.

Join PBS for a special two night event examining the nation’s rising gun violence. Watch new documentary films from INDEPENDENT LENS – “Peace Officer” and “The Armor of Light” – followed by special town hall discussions hosted by NPR’s Michel Martin. The event begins Monday, May 9th at 9/8c.