‘Would Jesus Wear a Sidearm?’

[SecularMotion]

Like most other conservative evangelical ministers, the Rev. Rob Schenck objects to same-sex marriage. He is also vehemently against abortion rights. But as this Op-Doc video shows, he is remarkable in that he takes his pro-life stance so far that he contests death by gun. The way he sees it, the gun violence plaguing our nation is akin to “adult abortion.”

Reducing gun violence is important to us, too. Horrified by the murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School nearly three years ago, we were equally stunned by how quickly the national conversation turned away from concern about the lives lost and devolved back to a familiar, futile shouting match over guns.

We decided to make a feature film that pursued a new way to talk about this issue. We were struck that many people of deep Christian faith, especially white evangelicals, are as militant about protecting gun rights as they are about protecting the right to life. We sought to explore what, rhetorically at least, seemed to be logical and theological contradictions in this position. Politics aside, how can a Christian be both pro-life and pro-gun?

Given the ferocity of the politics, it was challenging to find a minister who was comfortable speaking his conscience. But Mr. Schenck, who runs a ministry in Washington, D.C., called Faith and Action, explained his worry that silence from him and other Christian leaders on the topic was creating a “spiritual vacuum.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/30/opinion/would-jesus-wear-a-sidearm.html

[DetlefK]

1. Interestingly, the Bible forbids murder but not abortion.

IIRC murder=bad.

And abortion was pretty normal and a necessity of life back then. Condoms were hideously primitive and basically non-existent. Medical contraception was also practically non-existent. (There was a flower that could be made into a powerful medication to prevent pregnancy. The Romans harvested it to extinction...)

Every single time you had sex, there was a risk, the woman would become pregnant. People fuck, the woman gets pregnant, and 9 months later the community has a person to feed it just cannot afford to feed.

Prostitutes were pregnant all the time and regularly had abortions. Archeologists found an ancient brothel with a baby-cemetery nearby. (This was the extreme version of "late-term abortion": The skeletons were males babies only. The female babies were left alive.)



http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/says_about/abortion.html

So, it's an interesting choice of words for a pastor to talk about "adult abortion".

[gejohnston]

10. murder is a legal concept

meaning, murder is whatever the law says it is. Infanticide up to a couple months wasn't murder either. However, in Ancient Greece, killing a dolphin was murder.

[ileus]

2. I don't know about Jesus, but I sure do.

He has an advantage I don't have. So I'll keep my ability to protect myself and my family...It's my moral obligation.

[jmg257]

3. Jesus was cool - and he could rise from the dead in 3 days...

most of us aren't so lucky!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. Luke 22:35-38, NKJV

"And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"

So they said, "Nothing."

Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end."

So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."

And He said to them, "It is enough."

Jesus was speaking metaphorically but when they approached him with literal swords he did not tell them to disarm but that the 2 swords among their numbers was enough.

I think it means there is spiritual work to be done but their are real world concerns to attend to.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

8. There will always be work to be done of all types

It takes 2 to make a fight but by himself 1 man is separated from murder by 2 steps, choosing a weapon and choosing a victim.

A tyrant becomes a tyrant by oppressing the people.
A tyrant becomes known as a tyrant when the people revolt and live to tell about it.

It's interesting that only Luke records this. Luke was a physician.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

9. "It's interesting that only Luke records this. Luke was a physician."

A man given to practical considerations.

[sarisataka]

5. Interesting who extremist gun control

proponents will line up with...

-An anti-gay, anti-choice conservative evangelical minister
-the billionaire who invented stop-and-frisk and likes to get Dems voted out of office
-Monsanto's GMO spokesperson
-various celebs known for having armed bodyguards
-Kim Kardashian

apparently promoting Democratic policies or at least practicing what you preach is optional

[virginia mountainman]

7. Don't forget his recent post quoting an article in "world net daily".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1172178816

And his recent post pointing out that Trump is favorable to gun rights..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1172179218

Makes you really wonder about him..

[gejohnston]

11. not to mention other less than liberal

issues with said billionaire.
https://www.rt.com/usa/230707-guns-minority-bloomberg-newyork/
http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/02/racist-former-nyc-mayor-bloomberg-says-black-people-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-own-guns/#
http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2013/08/is_bloomberg_racist_sexist_or_clueless.html

It seems that he has something with another obnoxious NYC billionaire that seems to be in the news a lot.
http://gawker.com/5979679/id-do-her-a-brief-history-of-michael-bloombergs-public-sexism

[DonP]

6. Yes, a 1911 since John Moses Browning was one of the apostles

His Gospels were accidentally left out of the Bible during the reformation.

[beevul]

12. What difference does it make?

Surely you can tie guns into another more important topic?

Folks on both sides of the spectrum seem to think fantasy football is important, for example.