Kentucky church holds "Bring a gun to church" night

Unfortunately you are living in a dream world. At our Synagogue we have a list of members to choose from who are trained in defensive weapons. During the High Holy Days especially, we are locked and loaded -- concealed of course. In this world where we are leaning towards not respecting others religion and right to worship who else is going to protect us? Yes, we have a policeman in the parking lot, and a member at the door as a greeter so we can screen who enters, even our mayor told everyone in the city to get themselves a gun and quit yapping about the crime rate. We cannot let threats of violence keep us from worshiping. Sad state of affairs isn't it?

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"The New York Times quotes Pagano as saying "God and guns were part of the foundation of this country." So were slavery and smallpox, by the way."

Though cute, that comment is practically non-sequiter. Since "slavery and smallpox" were "part" of our foundation, then do we reject everything else from that period of time (using your logic), like representative government and freedom of speech? The statement is a cheap slam, couched in humor, void of relevancy.

But then, I may have erroneously attributed a level of seriousness to the text than was originally meant. If so, my bad.

"For those who have witnessed gun violence in church...the notion of using the church to celebrate firearms is offensive."

Actually, the overwhelming amount of church-gun violence is disturbed people in the community or people who hate Christians going in and shooting up the place. The shooters rampage is usually ended by someone with a gun, whether that is a police officer 5 minutes after the shooting starts, or somebody in the congregation ending it immediately. I believe it is an unfair comparison to equate a law abiding citizen carrying a weapon with a murderous thug bent on killing innocent church goers. To be offended at a law abiding person carrying a weapon would require a presupposition that they could not control themselves not to do evil with that weapon. Or maybe you can expand on your statement and explain what your presuppositions are.

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Pastor Pagano invited his conregation and others to bring their guns to church to " celebrate their right to bear arms" which is a hot button political issue. Does't that make this a separation of church and state violation?

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Jesus never told Christians that they didn't have the right to defend themselves. At the same time, Jesus would never condone a Christian committing an act of murder.

We will make a lot better impression on the world when we study the life and teachings of Jesus to see what He is really about and how we can become more like Him. Getting To Know Jesus is a Bible study series of every event in the life and teachings of Christ. Go to www.gettingtoknowjesus.org and join the Getting To Know Jesus community. It will give you great wisdom and direction on how to live a better life.

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An armed society is a polite society!

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A few thoughts...

1) Cowards who shoot up churches do so, i believe, in part because they don't think anyone there can defend themselves.

2) Many concealed weapons permits do not allow carry in a place of worship, resulting in easy targets.

3) Why should my rights to keep and bear arms be violated when I go to church?

4) In Luke 22:35-38 Jesus told His desciples that the time had now come for them to purchase swords, and since He didin't let them use them to defend Him, they obviously were for their own self-defense and protection.

5) Why does it always have to be about gays? Are you any more dead if I kill you because I hate homosexuals, than you are if I kill you because you broke in front of me in the grocery store check-out line, or simply because I forgot to take my medicine?

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