                                                November 25, 1996
The Stated Clerk PC(USA) and;    
Rev. Curtis A. Kearns, Jr.    
Director, National Ministries    
Presbyterian Church (USA)    
100 Witherspoon Street    
Louisville KY 40202-1396    
    
Dear Mr. Kearns:    
    
Thank you for your letter of October 15, 1996 in which you offer 
to explain the rationale PC(USA) leadership used with regard to  
it's position on Guns and Violence. Please do not mistake our    
opposition to your efforts as a misunderstanding of rationale.   

Presbyterians for Gun Ownership has compiled sufficient evidence 
concerning the actions of the General Assembly, specifically the 
Criminal Justice Program material and the promotion of the   
underlying General Assembly Overture #96-19, to support a   
revealing presentation to the whole of PC(USA). We have examined 
the PC(USA) interpretations of Scripture, and carefully compared 
the PC(USA) literature provided by others to the F.B.I. Unified  
Crime Reports, and other government and private studies used to  
form the basis for our petition.    
    
We find the PC(USA) General Assembly, National Ministries, and  
its Criminal Justice Program materials and activities to be  
contrary to the PC(USA) Book of Confession and the Westminster  
Confession, which clearly and unequivocally prohibit the    
Church from meddling in civil and legislative affairs of State.  

It is a shameful act to have used monies from church giving for  
such efforts contrary to the Teachings of Christ, the Westminster
Confessions, and Constitution of the United States of America.  
 
The materials published and used by PC(USA) for its Gun Control  
propaganda are old data, fraudulently comprised in their original
form, thoroughly exposed as untruthful and shoddy social-science,
and Scripturally bankrupt. It is a phony effort to reduce crime  
by abridging the God given rights, listed and unlisted, as  
guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution and majority of State laws.  
  
In seeking support of Scripture toward this end, you have  
brazenly attempted to re-write the message of Christ in his  
Sermon on the Mount, and in the instructions to His Disciples on 
the occasion of His departure from them. This is tantamount to  
discarding them entirely, and cannot be tolerated.  
   
Accordingly, we Presbyterians call on the PC(USA) leadership to  
cease any and all lobbying efforts for Gun Control; Cease any and
all traveling road-shows by Rev. Kathy Lancaster and company for 
the purpose of teaching this unholy scripture nationwide, and;   
To return any and all funds expended in these efforts to the   
Presbyteries and Congregations from which they originated.  
 
PGO letter to Stated Clerk PC(USA), cont.  
  
  
Additionally, we request copies of all 1996-correspondence from  
the PC(USA) or its Agents acting on its official behalf, to the  
United States Congress, United States Department of Justice,   
The President of the United States, State Governors, State  
Attorney Generals, and the Offices of State Legislators to whom  
PC(USA) or its agents have communicated with regarding the  
PC(USA) position for Banning Handguns and/or added Gun Controls. 

Because PC(USA) printed material and lectures calling for Gun  
Control have been associated with biased and untruthful messages,
the church body deserves to know the detail of comments the  
church leadership has made to government officials on our so-  
called behalf or the behalf of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  
   
We believe the PC(USA) leadership staff has made grave errors in 
judgement and in actions. The complete withdrawal from all   
activities related to "Gun Control" is the only acceptable   
response from the Church, without compromise.  If individual   
Sessions or individual Presbyteries wish to follow the untruthful
information which you have provided them, then they should be   
given proper instruction to refrain from using the PC(USA) title 
in their individual correspondences to state or federal offices. 
 
If you have any questions regarding the assertions and petition  
contained on this letter, please do not hesitate to call me at   
my home, on any evening of the week, at 757-464-1007. It is our  
sincere hope that guided by God's peaceful and loving hand, we   
may resolve this issue in a manner consistent with the best  
interests of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  
  
Sincerely,   
   
  
  
PRESBYTERIANS FOR GUN OWNERSHIP  
John F. Painter, Sec'y.  
2212 Indian Hill Road  
Virginia Beach VA 23455-2130  
   
   
  
   
   
enc: Presbyterians for Gun Ownership statement.  
via: The Session, Bayside Presbyterian Church, PC(USA).  
cc:  Curtis A. Kearns, Jr.