This week, many religious groups praised President Obama’s newly announced measures to try to reduce gun violence, particularly his call for mandatory background checks and a ban on assault weapons. Vice President Biden said the nation has a “moral obligation” to prevent future tragedies like the school shooting in Connecticut. At a press conference in Washington, members of an interfaith coalition reiterated support for stronger gun control, saying they agree that it is a “moral imperative.”

REV. DR. J HERBERT NELSON (Director, Presbyterian Church USA Office of Public Witness, Washington, DC): “We stand together because we know beyond all else that God is love. Let us love one another, bind ourselves together and challenge the onslaught of violence in our nation.”