Christianity, the Gun Lobby, and Peacemakers

Below is my column in this week's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.

We’ve all had around a week to process it, but I know many of you are still reeling from the horror of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Two dead teachers. Nineteen dead elementary school children. As I read of how the gunman locked himself in a classroom with those kids and that this was how they all died, I felt my spirit tear inside of me. I could not wait to get home and hug my own child a little more closely. 

I’ve been trying to think about what to say, what to write, about this tragedy and how we, as a society, should respond to it. I’ve written and spoken so many times about gun control by now, that it feels hollow to pull all that out yet again. But I’ll try. I’ll try because I want to say something about the systemic sin inherent in Christianity and its relationship to the gun lobby in our nation.

I mean, we know. We know that 92% of Americans favor mandatory background checks for all gun sales. We know that 75% of Americans support a 30-day waiting period for all gun sales and 70% of Americans support mandatory registration of all privately-owned guns with the police. We know that 77% of Americans support laws that would allow a family member to seek a court order to temporarily take away guns if they feel a gun owner might harm themselves or others. We know that 70% of Americans support police filing that same order. We know that 68% of Americans support raising the legal age at which a person can purchase certain firearms from 18 to 21. We know that 56%, still well over half of Americans, support banning the sale of semi-automatic weapons such as the AR-15 which have no purpose other than being a weapon of war and death.

And we know that the majority of Republicans support almost all of these measures.

We know all of these things… and yet we do nothing. We do nothing because our legislative system is broken, particularly when it comes to gun reform. And we know that a good deal of that legislative system is owned by the National Rifle Association, meaning almost no Republicans would vote for the very sensible and bipartisan measures we know people support, measures that would absolutely save lives. 

And the fact that pastors and faith leaders don’t call out this broken system, the fact that churches don’t take to the street to protest the failure of legislators to make our country safer for her residents… to make schools safer for our kids… it boggles the mind. It breaks my heart. And it makes me very angry.

On Thursday, June 9, my parish, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, will be holding a Requiem Vigil and Mass of Advocacy for Victims of Gun Violence. The service will be at 6pm and anyone who is interested is welcome to attend. 

We chose that date because it is the feast day of the great St. Columba. Columba was a monk in the sixth century who was active in both Ireland and Scotland. He had a strong personality and preached forcefully in ways that often stirred up opposition. He wound up exiled to Scotland, but remained active in Irish politics and Scottish politics, always working for peace in his land. In fact, his name is derived from the Latin word for dove, as we worked for a peace that was just and holy, a peace that was inherently political.

Jesus told us in Matthew, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” And it is time. It is long past time for all Christians, no matter your political persuasion, to stand up and work to bring peace because our country is being torn apart by gun violence. Children, minorities, and all sorts of people are victims every day. 

We don’t even hear reports on all school shootings because they happen too often. There have been seventy-seven school shootings on campuses just this year. In addition to Uvalde, there have been two others where more than four people were shot. And I bet most of us couldn’t even name those schools. 

We must make peace. Each and every one of us. The church must stop being known as one of the biggest supporters of gun rights in our country, bought, sold, and paid for. Instead, the body of Christ needs to get to work making peace. 

Because the cost of this fantasy of an unrestricted right for every person to own firearms, no matter their lethal capacity… this fantasy must be challenged. It must end. And it won’t, until the church stands up and says, enough.

The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, Tribune community columnist, serves as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven. Information about his parish can be found at www.sjegh.com.  The views expressed in this column are those of Father Cramer as a private citizen and do not reflect the views of his congregation or church. 

Listening to the Unchurched & Dechurched

One of the central aspects of our congregation's Mission, Vision, and Plan for the Future is to try and be more intentional (and curious!) about questions related to evangelism, welcome, and incorporation. 

In April we undertook a survey of our members, divided into groups by how long they'd been a part of our parish life. We learned a lot of interesting points about who our church is, what parts of our shared life people most value, how people felt welcomed and how we could welcome better. We also learned how the answers to those questions shifted somewhat, depending on how long someone has been in our congregation. My own analysis of that data, along with the raw data itself, is online here.

As the Vestry discussed the data from that survey, we kept coming back to one reality: the importance of being attentive to the sample reality. The survey was a sample of those who not only visited SJE, but who chose to come back and be committed. We started wondering about those people who live in our area but are not currently connected to a faith community. What would be important to them? What are they hungering for (if anything!) in their own spiritual life.

With these questions in mind, the Vestry asked me to design a new survey that would be targeted out on social media to the unchurched in our geographic area. I used the trend-lines and ideas from a survey the Pew Research Center did in 2018 (see the CNN article online here) as my own baseline, but then edited it to get as well at some of the questions our Vestry had. 

After designing the survey using Google Forms, I boosted it on Facebook among people who are not currently connected to a faith community and who live within 20 or so miles of our parish. As the first line in the boosted ad, I also wrote, "Do you not have a faith community? If you'll fill out this short survey, you'll be entered in a drawing to receive $50 in Dune Dollars!" (Dune Dollars is our local gift certificate system supported by the Chamber of Commerce.

The ad ran for about two weeks. It reached over 7,000 people. Of those, over 200 clicked the link to find out more. And of those 200, 64 individuals took the time to fill out the survey.

That may not seem like a lot, given the reach (unless you understand the difference between ad reach and action with Facebook advertising), but what I want to emphasize is that we had over sixty people who do not go to church and live in our area respond and tell us what would be important in a faith community, from the perspective of someone not currently involved in one. 

The demographic breakdown of the ad from an age perspective was also particularly interesting, with 92% of respondents being under the age of 50 and 70% being under the age of 40. 

We offered a total of fourteen possible items that could be important to someone when choosing a faith community. Of those fourteen, the following were the top five:

1. Authentic Community (78%)
2. Progressive Advocacy (66%)
3. A chance to make a difference in the world (54%)
4. Preaching that connects with my life (53%)
5. To become a better person (53%)

The three lowest items that people found important were Contemporary Worship (24%), Conservative Advocacy (12%), and Traditional Worship (5%). 

What this says to me is largely what I've read in other studies on these questions over the years. For people outside the church, the worship wars are largely over. The style of worship will not, for most unchurched people, be what draws them to your congregation. However you worship, whether traditional or contemporary, low or high, do it well with integrity for your tradition and authenticity for your best gifting. Worship style isn't going to move the needle. What people want is a sense of authenticity, advocacy and action when it comes to issues progressives care about, and a message that will connect with their own life and help them to be who God is calling them to be.

This is good news to me, as an Episcopalian and as the priest at St. John's Episcopal Church here in Grand Haven. Because these are things we can do. We can be authentic advocates for change who connect people with a spiritual life that grounds them and empowers them to grow into all the fullness God has for them. 

We also asked those who responded what keeps them away from church. Once more, almost no one spoke about the style of worship. Instead, many of the respondents talked about the hate they hear in supposedly Christian voices, particularly to LGBTQ, BIPOC, and other marginalized individuals. Several also spoke to an experience of a toxic religious environment or traumatic religious upbringing, people who had been deeply wounded by churches and who had trouble believing they could ever find anything healthy and life-giving. 

This underscores the essentiality in being a full-throated advocate for issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. No matter how articulate you are in the pulpit, or in your church newsletter, people who are outside of the church aren't hearing those messages. So it is incumbent upon Episcopal Churches to be explicit about the ways we celebrate all the ways LGBTQIA+ people contribute to our common life and to be very intentional about the work of dismantling racism and engaging in works of reconciliation. 

It also speaks to the essentiality of a spirit and tone of gentleness when you engage someone who is not in a faith community. The odds of them having had a traumatic or abusive religious experience in their past is pretty high—and it skyrockets if they are a woman, a person of color, or from the LGBTQIA+ community. Gentle and authentic affection, a willingness to walk alongside of them—not to try to convince them just to join your church—these are so very important if we are going to bring any healing to those who have had spiritual wounds inflicted upon them. 

Many people also said they find themselves too busy. They would be open to being a part of a church, but carving out that time is difficult—particularly when they fear they will be pressured to get more involved, to volunteer in several activities, to let the church sort of suck them up. This underscores the importance for me in having a church that is invitational in posture and attitude. That is, people are invited to get as involved as they feel called... but they are also told clearly that we are here to be a faith community for them no matter what. If that means they just show up to feed the hungry once every few months, or just come on Christmas and Easter, or if they kind of pop in and out from time to time, our job is to be a welcoming place where people feel invited—not compelled—to explore the rich life of faith in community.

We also asked people what they would say to a church that wanted to be a more meaningful place for people like them to attend. Over and over again, we saw two key points. First, be open to those who doubt and are unsure of their faith or belief in God. Let people know they will not be judged for their struggles. Give them room to explore and question. Second, be a community that truly accepts all people, where people from marginalized groups are not just tolerated but are celebrated. 

We also heard the essentiality of concrete action. Words mean little when they do not have positive action behind them. So, if you care about racial reconciliation, demonstrate that by the actions you take, your hiring decisions, the programs you offer. 

And don't be afraid to say, "We're not that." That is, clearly and boldly separate yourself from the nationalistic, homophobic, heterosexist, ethnocentric, and capitalistic forms of Christianity that have come to dominate the national perception. Be clear that that is not the God you believe in and that you believe following Jesus means not only rejecting that false version of Christianity but being an advocate for those who have been damaged by it. 

Most people who filled out the survey, 55%, said they didn't want to be contacted after filling out their responses. It is important to honor that, and so that is what we did. However, for the other 41% who said they would be open (and the 4% who said please do contact me), I took about two days to read through every individual response. I then wrote an email to each individual, expressing gratitude for them sharing their perspective and engaging with what they specifically wrote. I also offered to get together so I could learn more of their story, as well as answer any questions they might have about the Episcopal Church.

I don't know how many people will respond to that invitation. I'm having coffee on Wednesday with one person who responded, though. She even came to church this past Sunday to check us out. But even if very few people respond, I hope we've been able to plant some seeds, to model an approach to Christianity that is more about listening with curiosity and affection and less about telling people how wrong they are. 

And I'm grateful. I'm grateful for the way all of this information will help our Vestry engage carefully and strategically with efforts of evangelism and welcome. Because what's clear to me is that many of the people who responded would love to hear some good news, and that's really what evangelism is. It's sharing the good news with people. It's our job now to go out and tell them that there is a place like us, a place where they would be welcome, honored, invited to go deeper spiritually and engage in bold advocacy and action. That sounds like good news to me—and I hope it will to them as well.

To see the full report on the data gleaned in the survey, you can click here. 

Freedom misunderstood: The perils in our county elections

Below is my column in today's issue of the Grand Haven Tribune. 

One of the wise points in our local election system here in Grand Haven is that the elections to City Council and for mayor are nonpartisan elections. That is, candidates campaign on the substance of their ideas for our local community instead of upon the platform of a national political party. This makes sense because the larger points of national party platforms don’t always transfer as easily to the issues facing a small city government like ours.

Unfortunately, that changes at the county level in Ottawa County. Those elections are partisan, which means that each party can run a candidate for office. In the 2020 election, nine of the 11 commissioner nominees ran unopposed as candidates from the Republican Party. In District 3 (city of Holland wards 1, 2, 3 and 6, Ward 4 Precinct 3), the Democratic candidate, Doug Zylstra won by a margin of 10.8 percent, or 1,171 votes. In the only other contested district, District 6 (about half of Georgetown Township), the Republican candidate won by a 3-1 margin.

I raise this reality because local politics are shifting in ways that will not only affect the Republican Party in Ottawa County, but will have an impact upon the entire county because those candidates who win the primary race on Aug. 2 will almost certainly win in the general election on Nov. 8.

A local political action committee called Ottawa Impact is running their own candidates in eight of the 11 districts of our county. They are putting money and energy behind candidates who support their ideals.

It’s probably no surprise to most of you that I’m a definite left-leaning progressive when it comes to my own political views. However, I’m deeply concerned about the goals of Ottawa Impact – and I imagine many Republicans would be concerned about their goals as well. On their website, they state that, “The mission of Ottawa Impact is to preserve and protect the individual rights of the people in Ottawa County.”

They enumerate their understanding of the threats to these rights as follows: “We are committed to defending the constitutionally protected rights of parents to make health and education decisions for their own children. We recognize our nation’s Judeo-Christian heritage and celebrate America as an exceptional nation blessed by God. We oppose indoctrination of our county’s youth and the politicization of public schools. We believe civic engagement, ground up, is critical to preserve a healthy, moral society. We seek to educate, encourage, and support local leaders who fight to preserve Ottawa’s values and work to eliminate policies which oppose them.”

They then close by insisting their passion is “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness!” However, I believe the goals of Ottawa Impact are fundamentally opposed to the ideals of freedom in our country and also to the values of the people of Ottawa County. Let me explain.

There has been a consistent misunderstanding of the nature of freedom on the far right of our country for the past several years. People want freedom to do what they want, without restriction – but also freedom to insist other people follow their own far-right values.

One of the reasons these candidates are running is Ottawa Impact’s opposition to the fact that the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners did not fire the leadership of the Ottawa County Department of Public Health or change the health department’s guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it would have been illegal for the Board of Commissioners to interfere with the health department.

Furthermore, under the “freedom” this group believes in, people should be allowed to drive drunk, ignore seatbelt laws, and the health department should not require cooks in kitchens do things like wash their hands after touching raw chicken. The reason people do not have freedom to do those things is because that sort of an exercise of freedom would put the safety of others at risk.

You absolutely have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – until your exercise of that right takes it from someone else. So, you do not have the right to drive drunk or ignore seatbelt laws. You do not have the right to say you will simply follow dietary guidelines in the Bible and ignore health department rules. The reason you do not have those rights is because following them would pose a threat of harm to others.

Furthermore, for more than two years, people associated with Ottawa Impact have been harassing our school board, demanding the banning of books they deem inappropriate, or at least the restriction of those books and insisting they require parental consent. Once more, this is not about the freedom to make education decisions for your children, because they can already do that. Parents already have the ability to see what their kids check out. No, these parents want their values to control what all kids have access to. That’s not freedom – that’s religious activism seeking to control the parental rights of all families, no matter whether or not you agree with them.

They say that they recognize the Judeo-Christian heritage of our nation, mistaking the reality that the majority of our Founding Fathers were actually religious rationalists, deists, or unitarians – none of which would be recognized as Christians by modern evangelicals. They say they opposed “indoctrination,” but if you read the flier from the candidate they are running here in the district of which Grand Haven is a part, that means they are opposed to: “Marxist teachings of CRT/DEI.” I’m guessing that means she wants the writings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. removed from our schools.

And the idea that believing in “diversity, equity and inclusion” makes you a Marxist is flabbergasting. I always thought believing in diversity, equity and inclusion just made you a good human being.

Ottawa County is one of the best counties in the entire state of Michigan. If you look at our statistics, we are going by a healthy clip, our county departments function well, and most other county boards of commissioners consistently hold up our county as one of the best-run. As much as I might disagree with many of the Republican commissioners on national partisan questions, there is no denying the excellent job they do for our county.

Every citizen of Ottawa County, no matter your party affiliation, should look very carefully at the candidates who are seeking to control the place we live. Our county motto is “Where you belong,” and I hope our county can continue to be a place where everyone can thrive, where we try to cast down barriers to equity and inclusion to have a truly diverse community, where we support public servants who work to serve the common good – not just the views of a fringe minority.

Pay attention in these next few months and get involved. The future of our county is at stake. And make no mistake: Their next target will be the school board, too.

About the writer: The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, Tribune community columnist, serves as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven. Information about his parish can be found at www.sjegh.com. The views expressed in this column are those of Father Cramer as a private citizen and do not reflect the views of his congregation or church.