Pistol Packin' Pastor, Ken Pagano, of the New Bethel Church in Louisville, KY, has invited his flock to bring their guns to church on June 27 to celebrate July 4...and the Second Amendment. According to the Rev. Pagano (If I should be so bold as to address him in that way.), "...there was a strong belief in God and firearms..." among the founding fathers. An ad for the event says "there will be a handgun raffle, patriotic music and information on gun safety." They are going to give away a handgun at church. Do you hear me? They are going to give away a handgun at church! Oh, yes and "area gun store/firing range owners will be invited to attend and tell about their services." What kind of services do they hold, do you suppose? People, they are going to sell guns at church!
New Bethel is an Assemblies of God affiliated church. Its website states that the church's vision is "To build a fully functioning Christian community. That is Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-certified, and culturally aware." I suppose they should add "and pistol toting." When they make the change, they might work on complete sentences as well.
This has to be one of the most ludicrous, openly political church services that I have encountered. A celebration of the the Second Amendment? Exactly what does Christianity have to do with carrying guns? Yes, the good pastor has equated guns and God, and as we all know, according to fundamentalist Christians, all the founding fathers were devout Christians, who wrote the Constitution solely with God in mind. Therefore, God must love guns too. I'm also sure that the Bible refers to guns and their value to Christianity because Lagano says he may refer to some Bible passages.
In light of the recent church shootings I would think that most congregations would want to keep guns as far away from their churches as possible. I can't help but remember my childhood, when my mother and grandmother were scandalized because they heard a gunshot on Sunday. Guns were not supposed to be fired on Sunday. It was a day of worship, when one should be quiet and reflective. My, how times have changed. To paraphrase an old Johnny Cash song, "lets take our guns to church, son, let's take our guns to church."
...visitor, that pew has been in my family for 100 years, and you ain't gonna take it away! You hear me, you lily livered coward? I'm a givin' you five seconds to get off that bench or I'm a gonna pull leather!
...whaddya mean you don't think that much money ought to be spent on a new organ? We've needed a new one for years. Oh yeah? Well my Glock does my talkin' for me! You'd better change yore tune or there'll be a new treasurer in this church in the morning. Say your prayers, brother!
4 comments:
Guns have no place in a church. I would substitute love and compassion in their place. However, I do support the second amendment although I am not a gun owner.
Just so hard to believe this mentality of gun love continues to grow in the USA in 2009. Will we ever be unafraid? Will we ever be brave enough not to need a gun? Courageous enough to substitute love of mankind and animals? Church and guns, I guess the fit together nowadays like bullets and innocent people. Bang bang. You're dead.Amen.
Exactly! I have no problem with anyone owning a gun. But in church? You've GOT to be kidding me? In the sngle most emotionally charged place on the planet, guns are INVITED & openly encouraged? Nuts. Absolutely nuts.
I also agree that this is equating God with politics, a dangerous proposition whenever it has happened in the past since someone always (every, single time!) ends up getting persecuted --- or worse.
Somehow, I don't think Jesus would be advocating carrying guns to church, especially in light of him telling Peter to put the sword away when the Romans came to arrest Jesus.
Sad. Very, very sad.
Maybe they want to play cops and robbers on that day of church, but seriously:TheoPoetic Musings: The Church Of Guns.
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