Gun Politics and Religion Converge in Film “The Armor of Light”

Gun Politics and Religion Converge in Film “The Armor of Light”

FREMONT CA – The film “The Armor of Light” asks the question, “Can you be pro-life and pro-gun?” It will be shown June 10 at 1:30 p.m. as part of the free Second Saturday Documentary Series at Niles Discovery Church, 36600 Niles Blvd., at the corner of Nursery Ave.

Director Abigail E. Disney follows the Rev. Rob Schenk, an Evangelical minister and anti-abortion political activist, as he struggles with his conscience and his conservative beliefs in the wake of fatal shootings in his own Washington, D.C., neighborhood.

Politics and religion converge when Rev. Schenck meets Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, an unarmed teenager who was murdered in Florida. Also an Evangelical Christian, McBath’s personal testimony compels Rev. Schenck to reach out to pastors around the country to discuss the moral and ethical response to gun violence with explosive results.

Toni Shellen, coordinator of the Tri-City Chapter of the Brady Campaign, will moderate discussion following the film.

“This film is a departure from our typical offerings,” explained the Rev. Jeffrey Spencer, Senior Pastor at Niles Discovery Church. “We tend to show films that address a social issue and discuss it. This time, we’re looking at a spiritual question as it relates to a social issue.”

“Niles Discovery Church identifies as a ‘Progressive Christian’ congregation, rather than ‘Evangelical,’” Spencer said. “Nonetheless, I think we can learn from the struggles two particular Evangelicals have had to live an integrated faith. After all, don’t we all want to live a life of authenticity, regardless of our religious traditions?”

The Second Saturday Documentary Series is co-sponsored by Niles Discovery Church and the San Jose Peace & Justice Center.