Opinion: Gunfight at the OK Sunday school class?

Associated Baptist Press ^ | 3 March, 2011 | Bill Leonard

[marktwain]

The headline shows the bias in the source media. The writer tries to give some time to both sides, but it is clear from his basic assumptions that wants law abiding people to be disarmed.

[Lysandru]

I can only imagine the cow people would have if they found out that I brought a concealed weapon into my suburban D.C. church.

No, I have not done that. But I have this old, almost Catholic desire to lay down my arms when going into a church.

When I ushered Protestant Chapel at West Point, those of us with ceremonial swords would lay them at the altar before distributing the elements for Communion.

[circlecity]

"the fact remains that the United States is a firearm-oriented culture where, according to the Center for Disease Control, some 30,000 persons die annually as a direct result of firearm-related incidents"

About 40,000 die in thier bathtubs every year. Should we get rid of those too? Does that make us a "bathtub" culture?

[SECURE AMERICA]

the possibility of concealed weapons in church is a sharp reminder that many religious communities still have not confronted the pastoral, theological and spiritual realities of life in a country with the world’s highest concentration of personal firearms

The reality is that if you can defend yourself and others you can survive. If you depend on someone else to defend you then you are likely dead.
Many Churches understand this and many are filled with Veterans that understand our Nation is at war and under attack on many fronts and there is NEVER a good time to not be prepared.

[Lion Den Dan]

At least one of Christ's Deciples was armed at the Last Supper. At least, we mas so presume since the Bible does not mention St. Peter going anyshere to get his sword prior to using it in the garden just after supper.

As Christ admonished buying a sword for defense, even at the expense of your cloak, he never said anything about not taking it to worship. I act accordingly.

[MrB]

For every person killed, two are wounded.

---

“There’s always more injured than killed in any GOOD accident” - George Carlin

[backwoods-engineer]

This guy is just repeating the Brady propaganda. He sure sounds like a hoplophobe to me.

By the way, there are several at my church of 450 people who carry. I carry every Sunday. No way is some evildoer going to kill innocent worshipers on my watch.

[TXnMA]

[Utah Binger]

[Little Ray]

IIRC, of those 30,000, the majority are suicides, and a substantial part of the rest are scum killing scum with no net loss to society.
The actual number of innocent folks murdered are far, far less than many other causes, cars, bathtubs, etc.
When the numbers are actually analyzed, it becomes pretty obvious that “gun control” is about control, not about crime prevention.

[Little Ray]

The bad guy is already going to have a gun; its not like he cares about the law.
Wouldn’t be nice if one of the good guys had one, too?

[Red Badger]

LUKE 22

35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’[b]; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

[facedown]

Guns in church are certainly nothing new. Ross Phares’ 1971 text, Bible in Pocket, Gun in Hand, detailed life on the American frontier where “rowdies” would get “likkered up” and harass camp meeting preachers mercilessly, sometimes in life-threatening ways.

Yeah, now there's a perfect analogy.

[ctdonath2]

Most people focus on arms possession at location X. They ignore the trip there, back, and locations Y and Z along the way.

I’ve been in churches which have been shot at. You might be safe inside, but being armed going to/from your car was a good idea.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

At that time, it was a requirement by law, that all men had to take their firearms to church. Afterward they did Militia drills.

When did men cow down?

[Elsie]

As long as we are building our castles in the sky.........

Most importantly, what specific spiritual resources should communities of faith muster for life in a country with the world’s largest firearm concentration ___________? In such an environment is it time for “a theology of firearms___________”?

[Elsie]

... it is clear from his basic assumptions that wants law abiding people to be disarmed.

Not really; he wants EVERYONE to be disarmed.

How he is going to keep the NON-lawabiding disarmed is NEVER addressed.

[Elsie]

When I ushered Protestant Chapel at West Point, those of us with ceremonial swords would lay them at the altar before distributing the elements for Communion.

Matthew 10:34
"I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword"

[Elsie]

When I ushered Protestant Chapel at West Point, those of us with ceremonial swords would lay them at the altar before distributing the elements for Communion.

Luke 22:38
The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords."
"That is enough," he replied.

[Elsie]

AMEN!