An associate pastor at the southern Illinois church where Pastor Fred Winters was shot to death while giving a sermon on March 8, 2009 says the congregation is praying for the alleged gunman Terry Sedlacek and his family. A statement from Winters' widow was read who said her husband "died doing what he loved, communicating the hope found in Jesus Christ."Tim Schmidt, Owner/Founder of the United States Concealed Carry Association mercifully waited 48 hours before wondering out loud via email if the pastor would still be alive if a member of his congregation had been carrying a concealed weapon or if the pastor himself had been carrying a gun.
Five different times the apostle Paul received 39 lashes. Three times he was beaten with rods. Once he was stoned. If Paul was packing a gun, do you think he would have been boasting in 2 Corinthians 11:23-25 about the things that show others how weak he was? Should I carry a concealed gun into the pulpit? Should we arm undercover members of our congregation with guns? I'm curious. What do YOU think pastors and churches should do? Comment below or answer the anonymous poll near the top right of the screen.
7 comments:
Concealed weapon at Toledo First? Hummmm. Simply carrying a gun doesn't protect you, nor does it make you the type of person who would/could use it. However... there is something to be said for protection. I have often thought about the kids in schools... when a crazy person comes in. One level headed armed person could save lives.
One thing I hope I never see in my church... guns and metal detectors!
Twice in my life I have been really scared... I always said if someone tried to take my car or my purse I'd let them have it. That is what I "said" but it didn't happen like that. Something snapped in me when someone tried and I didn't flee. I fought. AFTER it was over I realized that was a really stupid thing to do! Luckily no one was hurt. I think in that case if I had a gun, I'd have used it first and thought about it later. That is why I don't carry one! Thankfully I've found out I have a hair trigger before I have an actual trigger!
Kimberlei
IF I my church decided it was necessary to have people carry concealed weapons to church; I would not want to go anymore.
America was founded in freedom. Right now, there are groups inside and outside of the government trying to remove the right to keep and bear arms. But that right is guarunteed in the second amendment.
Simply having and gun can stop shootings. Many times guns are not even fired when they are used to stop crime. And there are times when the guns are fired, either in self-defense, or as a deterrant.
Paul was whipped many times BY THE AUTHORITIES at that time, not by criminals. His whipping was an attempt to stop him from preaching, not to kill him.
Actually, when you were stoned in the Bible, they really wanted you to die. Not just to stop preaching.
To accomplish this, they usually threw you off a cliff first to break your back so you couldn’t move. Which made it a lot easier to roll big boulders on top of your head until you were dead.
But because Hebrew law didn’t allow that to happen within the civilized confines of the camp or the walls of the city [Leviticus 24:14], they usually took the person outside [which is the same reason Jesus was crucified at Golgotha outside the walls of Jerusalem].
In Acts 14 there’s a story Paul is referring to in 2 Corinthians 11:23-25 and near the end of his life he still remembers because he tells Timothy the same story in 2 Timothy 3:11-12 all about how a “murderous mob” of people who had traveled more than 100 miles came to kill him.
Acts 14:19 [NLT] says they “Turned the CROWDS into a murderous mob” and stoned Paul and THEN dragged him out of the city. But instead of dying, the Bible says Paul got up and went back into the same city known as Lystra!!! Amazing.
Carrying a gun has a huge responsibility . I don't have an answer. And no one is going to take our guns away.
No guns, just bullet proof sweater vests that allow for enough room to see your tie. =)
Nathan! ha ha ha...
Kimberlei
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