Pastor Rick Warren: Son Committed Suicide With 'Unregistered Gun'

[Recursion]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/04/11/176974961/pastor-rick-warren-son-committed-suicide-with-unregistered-gun

Rick Warren, one of the country's most influential pastors, made a stunning revelation on Twitter today:

Rick Warren @RickWarren

Someone on the internet sold Matthew an unregistered gun.I pray he seeks God's forgiveness. I forgive him. #MATTHEW 6:15

The revelation, of course, comes as the country has a heated debate on gun regulations. As Mark reported, the first gun control legislation since the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Conn., cleared an initial hurdle in the Senate on Thursday.

One of the more controversial parts of that legislation is that it expands background checks to gun shows and Internet gun purchases.

Many of you know our party's gun policy isn't really my "thing", but from a political standpoint I think we would be remiss to overlook this issue as an "in" with many exurban evangelicals, particularly women.

And, that crass partisanship aside, my condolences to Rev. Warren.

[LuvNewcastle]

1. Something bugs me about this.

There's always a story behind a suicide, even when the person was mentally ill. Rick Warren is concerned about where the gun came from and, by forgiving the supplier, makes the story about himself and his capacity for Christian forgiveness. The story shouldn't be about Rick Warren, but he's made it so. I'm sure that the people in Warren's life are amazed, too, by how everything seems to be about Rick Warren. I think it's rather interesting.

[Eleanors38]

4. What should the "story," if any, be about?

[LuvNewcastle]

6. It would be about the person who died.

Has anybody said a word about what his life was like, what obstacles he wasn't able to overcome? Some of that stuff might be a little embarrassing for the family to see talked about, but if you're going to discuss someone's death, I think you owe it to the deceased to talk at least a little bit about their struggle.

If you're going to make a spectacle of a young man's tragic death, you should at least say a little bit about his story, something about him and not just where he happened upon one of this country's ubiquitous guns.

[Eleanors38]

8. I see your point. Warren is a celebrity, and I guess he has to...

He has to deal with this tragedy while on stage.

If this happened in my family, I wouldn't want a story made about it. Just remaining private nowadays is a struggle.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. If the family doesn't want the issue discussed, they shouldn't

talk or tweet about it. It becomes fair game for examination and discussion when the family releases little tidbits about the circumstances. I have a feeling that Rick Warren wants to talk about it but he wants to keep it on his terms. It doesn't work that way. I can already see a book and t.v. appearances in the works from Pastor Warren. That's why I say it's all about him. Can you imagine having someone like that for a father? I think there's a story there, and it might not be a story that the good reverend would like to be told.

[Johonny]

5. The dude's got bills to pay

It's a hard life selling nothing to people for a profit so cut him some slack. If he said what he really feels people would see him as merely human rather than the saintly patron of for-profit worship.

[LuvNewcastle]

7. True.

But remember, he chose that life. His son didn't.

[Eleanors38]

2. Even with Cali's strict gun-control laws, thus got through?

Does current law require shipment of guns from an FFL to an FFL, even when ordered on the internet, and even for intra-state sales? Would the removal of serial #s make this an illegal sale?

This is vey sad. It reminds me of Hemingway's suicide when family & friends knew it was going to happen, and no matter how closely he was watched the suicide could not be practically prevented.

[Recursion]

3. That would be illegal in California

So either it didn't happen in California, or the guy sold it illegally.