Is it possible to be pro-gun and pro-life? Is it possible for liberals and conservatives to discuss issues that divide America in a perfectly civil manner?

The organizer of a special program to take place this weekend at Newtown Congregational Church hopes so.

The public is invited to a screening of The Armor of Light, a documentary that follows the life of an evangelical Reverend and a mother of a teenage shooting victim. The film, directed by Abigail E. Disney, will be shown Sunday, January 10, at 1 pm, at the church.

Director Abigail Disney, grand-niece of Walt Disney, and the Reverend Rob Schenck, founder of Washington, D.C.-based Faith and Action, are planning to attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A over tea and coffee.

The Reverend Matthew Crebbin, senior pastor of Newtown Congregational Church, and Rabbi Shaul Praver, Judaic Scholar in Residence and event organizer, will moderate the discussion.

“At the end of the day, we all want our children to arrive home safely,” said Pastor Crebbin. “We have seen tragedy in our communities and want that to end. Let’s start with this as a given so that our community discussion will be productive.”

In Abigail Disney’s directorial debut, The Armor of Light follows the journey of Evangelical Reverend Schenck, A pro-life activist and fixture on the political far right, as he breaks with orthodoxy by questioning whether being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life. Rev Schenck preaches about the growing toll of gun violence in America, and processes his shock at the reactions of longtime friends and colleagues who warn him away from this complex, politically explosive issue.

Along the way, Rev Schenck meets Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, an unarmed teenager who was murdered in Florida and whose story has cast a spotlight on “Stand Your Ground” laws. Ms McBath, also a Christian, decides to work with Rev Schenck even though she is pro-choice.

Ms McBath is on a difficult journey of her own, trying to make sense of her devastating loss while using her grief to effect some kind of viable and effective political action — where so many before her have failed.

Following the screening of Ms Disney’s documentary, Rev Schenck and Rabbi Praver will co-host a Living Room Conversation about Guns and Responsibility. The goal of Living Room Conversations is to enable people with differing views to engage in a friendly structured conversation designed to facilitate a greater appreciation of each other’s humanity.

In this safe atmosphere, Living Room Conversations have proven to help parties discover common ground and forge new friendships. Each co-host invites two additional friends to join the conversation.

Wendy Wright, past president of Concerned Women of America and a strong gun rights advocate, will be one of Rev Schenck’s guests. Ms Wright was listed as one of “The 100 Most Powerful Women of Washington” in 2006 by Washington magazine. Pastor Crebbin, leader of Newtown Clergy Association and a strong gun regulation advocate who frequently speaks out in most major news networks, will be one of Rabbi Praver’s guests.

 Rabbi Praver, former rabbi of Newtown’s only synagogue and founder of Global Coalition for Peace and Civility (GCPC), was one of the first clergy leaders to arrive at Sandy Hook firehouse on 12/14. He is releasing his book, Sacred Testimony, in the spring.

Rev Schenck, founder of Faith in Action, a pro-life advocacy group, is also pastor to the United States Congress.

The Living Room Conversation will ultimately be shared on television and online.

“Reverend Schenck and I differ on some issues but at the same time we really like and respect each other,” said Rabbi Praver. “Our goal is to show that civil discourse is possible and advantageous. We hope our conversation will spark off many such Living Room Conversations throughout the country.”

Reverend Schenck said: “Rabbi Praver came to visit me in Washington and I realized very quickly that on the question of gun violence, morality, and the sacredness of life, we speak the same language.

“We may have other, significant differences, but on the paramount issue of preserving and protecting human life, I am in complete agreement with him and so many others like him,” he added.

Newtown Congregational Church, at 14 West Street, can be reached at 203-426-9024 for additional information.