For tomorrow's service at his church in Kentucky, a pastor has invited his congregation to bring along their Bibles, a tin of canned food, a friend - and their guns.
Ken Pagano, who packs a pistol of his own, wants his parishioners to openly wear their firearms at the New Bethel Church in Louisville to mark the 4 July Independence anniversary and celebrate the part guns played in the making of the nation.
I think it is becoming more and more obvious every year that the "Christianity" practiced by most churches has little or nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I have read through the New Testament more than a few times and I cannot imagine the man depicted on those pages being able to step inside one of these buildings supposedly erected in his name.
Now they seem like places to fleece the flock, speak out against homosexuals, and promote the preachers own brand of politics. The Jesus Christ I read about would have had none of it.
And it is this kind of damaged hateful thinking that allows things like this to happen in the name of Jesus as well:
I believe it is time for the REAL believers in the words of Jesus Christ to stand up and take their religion back.
These days you need a gun in church to protect you from the misguided religious culture warriors and fanatics. Just ask Dr. Tiller.
ReplyDeleteI think Shannyn is calling these people Xtians!
ReplyDeleteMore and more churches are falling under Domonist control...to check about your local church:
http://dark-christian.clanxanadu.org/Organizations/Denominations
And this site Talk2action even has its own sarah palin page! And a wealth of info on these XTIANs or Dark Christians.
http://www.talk2action.org/special/religious_right_orgs
Until GINO started campaigning (the first time) I had no idea these people existed and being a person that try's to respect all religions it was quite a shock the Dark Christians.
Great post, Gryphen. As a progressive Christian and loyal reader, I applaud you and totally agree.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with you. I did not grow up Christian but I have studied Jesus and his teachings. These people are not living as Christ did at all nor do they even seem to be trying. They are fringe nuts and they are generally not very bright people either.
ReplyDeleteSince the Presidential Campaign I just about get the hives every time I pass a church. I just keep thinking what lurks in the hearts of the people in that church?
ReplyDeleteThey can't take their religion back, it's been through too many incarnations and too much of what was once true, has been destoyed and replaced with different words and teachings. Be it through translations, rewrites, or plain dishonest cover-up.
ReplyDeleteThe religion just needs to implode and everything the church has been hiding for years needs to be exposed.
Just an opinion.
The real christians? Why attack these christians? They are just as real and legitimate as any other christians. Why not attack the catholics for allowing their priests to do little boys without consequences? These people are good christians who believe in exorcizing demons out of people. Is that any worse than the mainstream t.v. evangelist faith healers who command the demons to come ouuutttt of their sucker victims in exchange for cash?
ReplyDeleteAnd pray tell Gryphen, what's wrong with taking your guns to church? It's better than taking your guns to school or to town or carrying them around in your car. Isn't a church the perfect place for a gunfight?
Sarah Q, I didn't know it was either/or regarding guns. Good Christians are not hateful and vindictive. Go to the C4P site and tell me that Jesus would be proud of how those people are behaving. Not much love, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, or kindness there. They are pseudo-Christians.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you?
And BTW, nobody condones the molesting of children by anyone. To infer that all or even most priests are pedophiles is disingenuous.
Well if you ask me it is the Bible which needs to be exorcised of its demonic content, so that the good in it can shine through unimpeded.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 2:44,
ReplyDeleteJesus is long dead, if he ever even lived, and he's not going to be proud of anyone. Certainly not the phoneys at C4P and not any christian I know of because not a one of them are examples to live up to.
I am not a christian because I outgrew the superstitions long ago, as every adult should. I'm an atheist and I don't believe in Peter Pan, the easter bunny, God, Santa, or any of the others. They're all makebelieve sky fairies.
And anon, if you're a christian then what are you doing on this site bashing on Palin? That's not allowed for christians but it's o.k. for atheists. Are you a poser?
Oh, and anon, the catholic church has been caught in the act of hiding their pedophiles and protecting them. Even when they know that those pedophiles are actively continuing to molest little boys. You can't stick up for evil even when it's hiding behind the skirts of the pope.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Sarah Q., I don't believe you have heard me bashing Sarah Palin. Furthermore, never said I was perfect. I have weaknesses like everyone else. You're right that Jesus isn't going to be proud of too many people. I have known true Christians. I would certainly put Mother Theresa in that catagory and Gandhi. Yes, I know Gandhi wasn't exactly a Christian, but he admired Christ and followed the principles of Christ in his daily living.
ReplyDeleteNo, Gandhi wasn't a christian and so wasn't held back by christian dogma. Mother Teresa on the other hand was a catholic and if you want to have a close look at her record you will find it just as blemished as the pedophile defenders. You shouldn't believe everything that you hear about people like Ma Teresa, a lot of it is bullshit. Sorry to pop your balloon on that one.
ReplyDeleteTEAM CANADA!
ReplyDeleteI understand that this church is an Assembly of God church. The same denomination that Sarah used to belong too, before she started going to the Bible church denomination. I'm well aware of the AG churches. Grew up with family members in the church or pastors of it. Jimmy Swaggart was AG before he got kicked out. Elvis Presley even grew up AG. If you look at this denomination now, they are really crazy. Many of them think Obama is the antichrist spoken of in the book of Revelation, and that there is maybe seven years of his rule, and then Jesus returns to rule for a thousand years. Much of what Sarah Palin says about Government bailouts, and control are dog whistles for those of us who've been around these people and churches....It's like she speaks a code that the left behind series people can understand.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I think I have to admit that I don't consider myself a "christian" anymore. I've considered myself agnostic for many years because I had a problem with the way "organized" religions behaved (i.e., I'm right you're wrong). Clearly, as time has progressed it seems my flight was more prophetic than even I would have imagined. Now I'll admit I feel what I'm seeing is the increase of the reach and the effect of the religious right, and they all seem to be haters. You name it, they hate it. And if it's not something they hate but rather something they "covet" then they're willing to kill you for it. WTF??
ReplyDeleteIs there a bright side to this? lol seriously...now that this group is so emboldened as they are, much to our chagrin, it just makes their transgressions and their hypocrisy so much more obvious. I take comfort in this. The more they speak out (Rush, Hannity, Palin, Coulter, the G.od's O.wn P.arty et.al.) the more the'll be seen for what they really are. And the more they'll be rejected.
I'm jus' sayin....
Susan in MD
Oh no! For me what is important is to do right, Any religious affiliation is something not so important to me. I do believe that everything will happen in a right when we do it right at first. I think the best suit for Jesus is a kind of 4th of july mens suits because the independence is near, he should be go down the cross.
ReplyDeletehi, honestly speaking, I am not that familiar on what are you arguing. Based on what I've read in this site, it is about religion and beliefs. Well, we are all free to do what we want.. It is up to us whether we do good or bad. either we do righteous things or wicked things. We are all SINNERS!! Who then can claim that they are not sinners. I think in this case we should not generalize things. I mean, I think we should not blame the entire religion just because of that misdoings of others. and Neither no one really has the right to tolerate this wrong doings. It is really unpleasant to hear that you are claiming that you are a christian yet you are tolerating evil doings. (=
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Jesus is right handed and left eye dominant.
ReplyDelete