Kaitlyn Finchler
Contributing Writer
Approximately 1 million people are shot every eight years in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What would that number look like if people were taught nonviolent mindsets rather than jumping to viol-
ent means?
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Sutton, senior pastor at Chautauqua Institution and assistant bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, will explore this topic in his lecture “The Spirituality of Nonviolence” at 2 p.m. today in the Hall of Philosophy for the Week Three Interfaith Lecture Series theme, “Contemplation: Meditation, Prayer and Silence.” Sutton will be speaking in place of Kim Haines-Eitzen, who was originally scheduled to speak today.
“I’m going to be looking at the roots of violence internally in people’s lives and give a defense for nonviolence as a remedy for problems and in the face of injustice and evil, rather than resorting to violence,” Sutton said.
Planning a three-part approach to his lecture, Sutton said he will give a rundown on levels of violence in the United States — although not in a legal, political or historical way. Instead, he will focus on “How did we get here?” and why the United States has “such a love affair with violent means,
especially firearms.”
The other segments to his lecture will include stories about people who have reacted in “dangerous or potentially dangerous” situations with nonviolent means, he said. Then, he will talk about nations as a whole in regard to vio-
lent mindsets.
“You will be hard-pressed to find religious leaders who actually promote violence,” Sutton said.
Due to the week’s Interfaith Lecture Series theme, Sutton — contributor to The Diversity of Centering Prayer and Reclaiming the Gospel of Peace: Challenging the Epidemic of Gun Violence — said he will speak on how meditative practices “actually diffuse feelings of violence” in people’s lives.
“If every American would spend even five minutes (or) 10 minutes a day in some contemplative practice, I think incidences of violence of every sort would go way down,” he said.
Using creation stories in the Bible, Sutton said according to the Abrahamic faiths — Christianity, Judaism and Islam — God created the world “and it was good,” and then, God created human beings, “and it was very good.”
“We were created for goodness, not for evil and destruction,” Sutton said.
Sutton said he wants to point out when he refers to gun violence he is not speaking against soldiers or police officers, but civilians and nations who engage in violent mindsets.
“I’m going to make a case that our American culture is more wired for violence than other cultures,” he said. “We glorify it. We celebrate it. … We have worshiped far too long at the altar of the gun.”
There are about 200 proven methods of nonviolent resistance to evil, Sutton said, but he wonders how many Americans can name even one. He is not only calling for practicing nonviolence, but teaching it as well and celebrating nonviolent heroes.
“(Nonviolent action is) everything from boycotts, stay at home, picketing, mock elections, prayer, worship, paint, signs, die writing and earth writing, vigils, marches, religious processions, motorcades, mock funerals, teaching (and) protest meetings,” Sutton said.
Quoting Mother Theresa, Sutton said, “Silence itself can lead to peace.” Interfaith relationships can support nonviolent mindsets, Sutton said, which means “you’re not demonizing others who disagree with you.”
“While (those of different faiths) do not see things the same way theologically, we want to promote common humanity,” Sutton said. “… If your religion draws you away from others and thinks that you’ve got to either kill them or try to save them, then that’s bad religion.”
Hoping Chautauquans will make a “firm commitment” to nonviolence in their lives, Sutton said he also hopes this is coupled with actually learning about the power of nonviolence and reading about nonviolent movements.
“I would like for them to commit themselves to try out some kind of spiritual practice that draws them closer to God and to everyone else,” Sutton said. “And by that, I mean a contemplative practice and that means just spending some minutes in silence. … When we enter into the silence, we are going to that deep well that will bring us closer to that ultimate being, and then we begin to see more and more how everything is connected.
