Congressman Says Churches Must Set the Tone In Wake Of Shootings

By Steve Strunsky
Religion News Service

PATERSON, N.J. -- In the wake of Saturday's (Jan. 8) shooting that left six people dead and an Arizona congresswoman critically injured, a New Jersey congressman is calling upon clergy to help people put aside their ideological differences during a "week of solidarity."

"I'm looking for some of the churches and the synagogues and the mosques, the places of worship, where they can come together and talk about what solidarity means at this moment for the nation," said Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat.

Pascrell said he wants to tone down the heated political rhetoric he believes may have contributed to the shooting in Tucson, which left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, in critical condition.

The shooting has sparked an intense debate over whether incendiary political talk across the country -- punctuated with references to guns and the blood of slain politicians -- is a real danger, or merely vivid political rhetoric.

The Rev. Leona R. James of the Thankful Baptist Church in Paterson agreed that clergy have a role to play, including preaching the golden rule to people who would hate others of differing political beliefs.

"They need somebody to guide them," James said. "Somebody has not been teaching them the right way, and the right way is, you treat people the way you would like to be treated."

Pascrell blamed the angry, unchecked rhetoric of some on-air personalities, including Fox News commentator Glenn Beck, for fanning partisan flames, and contributing to the kind of hostile environment out of which the shooting may have grown.

"They are entitled to their opinions, but they have consequences," Pascrell said. A spokesman for Beck did not immediately respond to Pascrell's comments.

Pascrell said it was not only elected officials who need to come together, which is why he is calling on clergy to help still the waters.

"I don't think the two parties can resolve this," he said. "We've got to have leadership in the Congress, but the Congress also needs to hear leadership in our nation."

At a ceremony Monday (Jan. 10) unveiling the initiative, Rabbi Craig Miller of Passaic urged people to use kind words and to "guard your tongue" against speaking with hatred.

"Let's speak words that build, not destroy," he said, according to The Record newspaper. "Words that will unite, not divide."

Comments

[Defender of Truth]

03:38 PM on 01/16/2011

No, the churches can help in this but it is the congress and the political parties that must set the tone. In my 80 years I have not see the Congress acting so vile.

[Fattonecat]

02:24 PM on 01/15/2011

The churches have already set the tone, and it's not good.

[Defender of Truth]

03:37 PM on 01/16/2011

Would you mind to flesh out your comment rather than making a disingenuous statement of non-fact?

[practical 1]

01:25 PM on 01/14/2011

Christians need to start acting more Christ like. Stop talking and start doing. Love and compassion is what Christ represented. Not hate and ignorance.

[Elder Joe Nation]

04:48 PM on 01/13/2011

A call to toning down the rhetoric in every institution is in order and I applaud this initiative as a step forward with these important, influential institutions. Like it or not, religious institutions have a great influence on people and the different interpretations both among and within institutions claiming responsibility for where humanity should put its faith is a primary fuel for conflict.

To avoid the possible consequences of the "speech code" fears, perhaps a change in the rhetoric even in blogs like the Huffington Post (certainly FOX News) and others need to be toned down as well. Alternatively, these media outlets will need to examine their social responsibility for conveying misinformation and potentially incendiary messages and impose such a speech code in the overall public interest.

After the last election, it is clear that things were fully out of control and that the fringe was being used as entertaining the mainstream and unfortunately many may have slipped through.

Tone it down does not mean the end of freedom of expression, it suggests we need to be much more thoughtful of what we want and what might be the consequences of our actions or words.

[Lou77777]

01:48 PM on 01/13/2011

Oh Really the rhetoric causes this. Get a grip. What next? Speech codes?

[springsm]

12:12 AM on 01/13/2011

Unfortunately Sir, churches have set the tone too much already.  You can not expect and should not want some of these fundamental conservative churches to lead us to anything.  They are culpable in the hostile tone of the country.  If you advocate this, do not pick idealogy that is viewed literally. 

[scottyknows]

09:04 PM on 01/12/2011

Now dems want to control freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

No surprise. And no.

[springsm]

12:14 AM on 01/13/2011

It is most interesting how "the eye of the beholder" differs with what is going on and what is meant, isn't it.  The C Street fundies are very active in the governments of the world and they influence many of our senators/reps in this country and it is not a pretty picture.  They seem to be mostly GOPrs.

[bryanzth]

04:40 PM on 01/12/2011

Well, perhaps some churches have a flexibility that can set a new tone, but there are some I think that have organized themselves so tightly that no change of tone is possible, and any pronouncement might be cynical at best. My cultural center is the Catholic Church, but while I avidly read Vatican II inspired works, I have pretty well cut myself off from the church hierarchy (except for certain proven individuals).

I KNOW that certain people are going to bring up Rev. Wright. You know? I want to remind you all about the problem of being the victims of bullies, and reverends are not exempt from reacting against the violence of bullies. When that violence comes in the form of so-called Christians, it can get you pretty mad. Maybe Rev. Wright should have sought a counselor before reacting. Maybe he couldn't. Or maybe he needed to front the frustration of many of his flock. The change in tone should come first, not from Rev. Wright, who will change his tone once this happens, but from the many people who over the years tried to impose white supremacist control in the churches (of all places!).

This year, I fully intend to visit Trinity United Church of Christ. I want to talk with people there. I want to listen of course, I would then find the places that have caused the atmosphere where a Christian is led to sin (both Wright and the people who made it necessary for him to feel he had to fight back).  I want to see where that tone can be re-set.

This whole racist, bigoted, conspiratorial, control-minded atmophere needs to be stopped.

BZ.

[wsuvtx]

04:16 PM on 01/12/2011

Churches should all be closed down in the wake of the shooting. As farmilyman said below they are more divisive than anyone. And no not just the churches like Westboro Baptist. All churches.

[Weirdwriter]

07:42 PM on 01/12/2011

Uh, yeah, because if we got rid of "churches," there would be nothing else to cause divisions on even whatever level you're blaming them for -- no nationalism, cultural chauvinism, economic disparities, gender/sexual orientation/age/race/religion biases, competition for resources, rivalries for any reason or cause, whatsoever, no politics, nuthin'.

So let's do it!!!

[Indigo1941]

04:06 PM on 01/12/2011

Chuches? Pat Robertson type churches? I don't think so.

[farmilyman]

03:42 PM on 01/12/2011

Churches are very divisive anymore. I wouldn't look to them for solving any social problem.

[powercosmic]

03:01 PM on 01/12/2011

WTF?

Chu.rches and dogma are a part of the division, ever since we introduced Wedge Issues like A.bor.tion into our political campaigns the polarization has reach violence levels.

No, lets keep religion and churches out of out political discourse and off the town square.

[Weirdwriter]

07:46 PM on 01/12/2011

OK, and while we're at it, let's keep out of the public square nationalism, cultural/gender/age/race/ chauvinism, competition for resources, rival economic theories, political ambition, etc. etc.

All those things are bad because they divide people to the point of violence, too.

[Lou77777]

01:50 PM on 01/13/2011

So says the Mason.

[GoodMorning98]

02:37 PM on 01/12/2011

I also believe that people need to be aware of their words...some people may find that having empathy for others maybe almost impossible! I found this article on Narcissistic personality that remind me of some famous people recently in the news!

A person who suffers from NPD - a narcissist - suffers from extreme self-centeredness.
3
The narcissist lacks empathy for others. Given his self-regard, he is unable to recognize that any action he takes could be unacceptable in society. Shame is not a feeling he ever experiences.

The narcissist has a complete inability to acknowledge that he is imperfect; even in situations where he is forced to admit mistakes, he will nonetheless construct elaborate justifications, often internally, which explain the problems he caused as being the fault of others.
4
The narcissist lacks empathy for others. Given his self-regard, he is unable to recognize that any action he takes could be unacceptable in society. Shame is not a feeling he ever experiences.

Read more: How to Recognize and Understand Narcissistic Personality Disorder | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5733733_recognize-understand-narcissistic-personality-disorder.html#ixzz1Aqr1agLM

[deltalady]

01:57 PM on 01/12/2011

I have an even better idea...let's take political discussions out of church services altogether, shall we? That's why I don't go to church anymore. I have faith. But I don't believe in religion. I know I'm ancient...in my 50's...but even in arch conservative MS we never were told who to vote for during church services. There was NO discussion of political issues at all other than to love one another. Mainstream churches now are nothing more than political action committees with tax breaks.

[de-meme-ing]

04:03 PM on 01/12/2011

"Mainstream churches now are nothing more than political action committees with tax breaks. "

True.

[Weirdwriter]

07:51 PM on 01/12/2011

I'm around your age and I simply picked a church that didn't make politics an issue, at all. People are urged to speak, vote and otherwise act on their consciences, according to the overriding command to "Love God, and your neighbor as yourself." That's it.

And, yes, it's a mainstream church. They are made of ordinary people, no better than anyone else. "Religion" is a broad term for a wide spectrum of beliefs, and it is the responsibility of the adherents how they act on their tenets.

Politics, however, is what motivates people who see "religion" as a tool to manipulate others.

[lvogt]

01:54 PM on 01/12/2011

It has been the Christian right that has been the problem. They have taken to extreme rhetoric demonizing anyone with contrary views. Once cast as a demon one must be cast out. People will do things if they believe it to be God's will they would never do otherwise. The corporate elites use this to manipulate people in order to gain power for themselves. Vote for someone based on abortion and you can be sure they will vote for tax cuts for the very rich. It's a con job.