Thursday, June 4, 2009
Crazy Crap / Hargrove Louisville Church Pastor: Come to worship strapped!
Posted by Brantley Hargrove on Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM
As Townes van Zandt might say,"...for all the honest world to feel."
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Pastor Ken Pagano of New Bethel Church said the first-time event is "basically trying to think a little outside the box" to promote "responsible gun ownership and 2nd Amendment rights."
Promoting responsible gun ownership. 2nd Amendment rights. We've entered another dimension. One in which professed Men of God want God-fearing folk to carry pistols. It's always been my experience that handguns are good for only two practical purposes. Shooting rattlesnakes and people.
Pagano must have taken this to heart, because reportedly the poster advertising the "Open Carry Church Service" is lettered in a Christian-ly blood-spatter font. So, a reasonable person might ask: WTF does carrying guns have to do with Jesus?! Seriously.
One local pastor is wondering the same thing himself: Tying in the event "with one who explicitly called us to put down the sword and pick up the cross and love our enemies and turn the other cheek, it just makes no sense."
Amen. The toddlers in Pastor Pagano's Sunday school, I posit, have a better understanding of the nature of Jesus than their cordite-addled "shepherd."
Comments (9)
Showing 1-9 of 9
Hargrove, think outside the box and synergize. Maybe there's a Pentecostal church next door that's got rattlesnakes out the wazoo. You are just not pushing the envelope when it comes to this dialogue. Don't make me assign action items to you.
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Absolutely. If there's some sort of Pentecostal rattlesnake infestation at the church, then, by all means, go to church strapped. I would! And so would Jesus.
Asshats? And you expect people to take you seriously? I've seen better editorials reading Youtube comments...even when they are wrong at least they are funny.
Do you have anything of significance to say about this issue or are you just scared of guns? Hoplophobia is contagious...
how very much interesting that "Pagano" is spanish for "Pagan" meaning: heathen and infidel.
But given these wacky times, recently the New York magazine featured an article on Atheists uniting and forming their own churches. Who would an atheist worship at church? Now picture their spiritual leader being named Jesus Christ and proclaiming himiself a god.
That would be the equivalent of having a religious leader named Pagano.
I'm sure it wont be long-it if hasn't already happened- where the NRA might suggest to elementary school kids to have a "bring your gun to school" day.
Rod Zeugir in Houston
Interestingly, Jesus was not opposed to self defense.
Luke 22:36 - Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
I've heard someone say that "I give you a new commandment to love one another"... not eye for an eye, but turn the other cheek....but maybe humility is is not in your bible. Or maybe you believe that there is victory by the sword? Sounds like the Koran to me than the Holy Scripture. THE DEVIL SURE HAS A HOLD ON YOUR SOUL. He's doing great. Lord have mercy on you!
Apparently A.B. is unfamiliar with Chapter 22 of the Gospel according to Luke, and is further incapable of following hyperlinks.
Oh well.
Hi all,
First of all, let me just say that I think this pastor is a little out to lunch on the issue. But as for the argument that Jesus was not opposed to violent self defense, it seems that the main verse in the NT used to `prove` this is his telling the disciples to go get a sword (Luke 22). Note that the verses following have them replying that they have 2 swords, and Jesus says that`s enough...now I don`t know about you but I get the feeling Jesus says `that`s enough` because the disciples are just not getting it, AGAIN. 2 swords to defend the whole group is ridiculous, and Jesus specifically condemns Peter`s use of the sword later on in the night. So using that verse to justify self-defense seems a bit shaky to me. Also, Christian non-resistance is NOT pacifism, instead it is not using violence to resist evil, which is a very important distinction. As for the other two arguments mentioned in the previous link, I addressed both in an article I wrote on whether or not Christians should go to war, linked here:
http://www.sightmagazine.com.au/stories/Questions/war26.1.09.php
Believe me, if my conscience would allow it I`d be carrying some heat myself at times, so I`ve really tried to study this issue. I look forward to any other thoughts on it, becuase other than the `get a sword` verse I find nothing in the NT that would allow for violent self-protection (and please don`t say that just carrying a gun isn`t violent - guns are made for shooting and if you`re carrying it you have to be willing to use it, or someone else will use it on you!). Exactly why I think this whole idea of gun-carrying to church is ridiculous!!!
