Guns For Jesus?

I'd hope that phrase would strike us as a little bit strange. Apparently, it didn't for a church here in Louisville. On Saturday, New Bethel Church - an Assemblies of God congregation - held an "Open Carry Celebration," inviting people to come to the church packing their (unloaded) pistols to celebrate their second amendment rights.

Now, I'm all about the second amendment. I don't own a gun, but if you do, it's your constitutional right, and more power to you. However, this event strikes me badly in a couple ways. One, I don't believe that the church should be a place for politics. I may agree with gun ownership rights, but what about someone who is a gun control advocate? You may think their politics are wrong and stupid, but are they not in need of the gospel just like you are? This church has just crushed any chance that they'll ever darken their doors. By making a stand on an issue that is not Biblical but political, they've unwittingly put a political credo over their God-given mandate to preach the gospel. They've alienated many people from the gospel by their actions. Whether or not you believe in gun ownership, the gospel isn't just for the Red State crowd. That's not the message this event broadcasted. This story was picked up by national and international news outlets. Instead of boasting in Christ, they're reporting on Christians boasting in their guns.

Secondly, what does this event say about Jesus? After I just preached a sermon Sunday night from 1 Samuel 26 highlighting David's great mercy in sparing Saul's life, even when Saul deserved death for attempting to murder David several times, I can't imagine that God is pleased with this image of his gun-totin' church. While they're celebrating their right to self-defense, Romans 12:19-21 is telling us never to avenge ourselves. Hebrews 10:34 talks of joyfully accepting the plundering of your property because of your hope in a better reward, not putting a 9mm shell in someone who's looking to rob you. Jesus talks of turning the other cheek to the one who would strike you. Our culture isn't going to be convinced of the glory of God when they see us willing to take up arms to protect ourselves. They're going to be convinced when they see us enduring suffering with patience and grace, even unto death.

Do you own a gun? If so, it's certainly your right. Scripture doesn't speak with clarity on the issue, so my conviction is to keep my mouth shut about it. But I would ask you to carefully consider what your gun says about your savior. Everything we do as Christians makes a statement about Christ. What does your gun ownership say? Only you can wrestle with that question. I would ask, though, that when we gather for worship this week - please leave the gun at home.

You're Already Crying, So You Might as Well Laugh

Douglas Wilson's top 10 reasons we should be glad that President Obaba pronounced June to be Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Pride Month...

But here are ten reasons to be grateful for the small mercies at any rate. We should be grateful . . .

10. That, despite the glowing rhetoric, nobody appears to have noticed that equal rights for bisexuals means that such marriages (when we get there) would have to have a minium of three copulating units. So the good news is that President Obama is still guilty of hate-criming the bisexuals. And imagine my astonishment that he is doing this legally. And nobody pushing this seems to be aware of how filled with hate they all still are.

9. That this happened at a time when we have an example to follow as we craft our responses. All we have to say is that we think a wise heterosexual, having lived that life, should be able to make better judgments than someone who hasn't had the richness of that experience. That's all.

8. That Walker Percy and Flannery O'Connor have gone to be with the Lord. If they were still here writing their fiction, the head-bending that would have to go into them now would be beyond my capacity to bear.

7. That the longer this kind of thing prevails, the more it should become apparent that in Washington we now have the governmental equivalent of professional wrestling; more specifically, we have the governmental equivalent of VEGAS Xtreme SMACKdown.

6. That they are unwittingly paving the way for the legalization of polygamy, which will prove to be the basis for the rebuilding of the Republican Party. Then watch out.

5. That the president issued this proclamation while at the same time holding to the same position on gay marriage as recently articulated by the winsome Miss California, thus showing in yet another way that he is filled to the brim with thought crimes and all manner of evil.

4. That this came about when the Democrat in charge of shuffling the sexual deck was named Obama and not Clinton. Since National Do-Whatever-You-Feel-Like-This-Minute Week is now an inevitability, just imagine the repercussions had it happened with the Lecher-in-Chief in the White House -- the central problem being that the Europeans would finally think we had arrived.

3. That they had the foresight to press these issues in the midst of an economic downturn. Sexual energies are powerful when harnessed, and suppose, say, the nation's shoe manufacturers are languishing. All you have to do is proclaim National Footwear Fetish Week, and bam! there you are, back in the game.

2. That the president is clearly hearing Dick Cheney's footsteps everywhere. On foreign policy certainly, but now that the former VP has declared himself a tolerance-monger on gay marriage, Obama is getting chased down the road by him on this issue as well. You can cluck at both of them with moral disapproval all you want, but the entertainment value is still high.

1. That they are working us into this slowly. September as it turns out is Screw the Pooch Month, but the American people won't be ready for that for, oh, weeks yet.

HT: Darius T.

Year of the Bible?

A Georiga congressman has asked President Obama to declare 2010 "The Year of the Bible."



Leaving aside the question of what good this would even accomplish if it passed (as the video points out, Reagan did this in 1983, and I'm not aware of any mass revival it spawned), I have to say, I find this congressman's reasoning deeply troubling. He basically presents the Bible as a treatise on political freedom and a tool for "making our nation great again." While freedom is most certainly a primary theme of Scripture, it sure isn't the red-white-and-blue variety. Rather than being respected, Scripture is acually degraded, as its message of freedom from personal sin through the death and resurrection of Christ is dumbed down to a message on fiscal conservatism. I'm very uncomfotable with the idea of promoting Scripture as a handbook to political health. With all due respect to Congressman Broun, who may well be well-intentioned, let's let the government worry about how it spends our money and we'll leave the teaching of Scripture to the church.

But I Thought Presidential Politics Was Irrelevant to the Abortion Issue?

Only for two and a half days, apparently...

"President Barack Obama plans to sign an executive order ending the ban on federal funds for international groups that promote or perform abortions, officials told The Associated Press on Friday." - from USA Today

Just remember: President Obama wants to reduce abortions - by offering people overseas your money to go get one.

HT: Vitamin Z

John Newton Is Rolling Over In His Grave

Oprah Winfrey, on her feelings upon arriving at the Obama inauguration...

"It's beyond the dream. We're just here feelin' it with the throngs of people. It's amazing grace personified."

Do people even know what that song is about anymore?

Being Pro-Life Christians Under A Pro-Choice President

John Piper has re-posted an excerpt from a sermon he preached in 1993 as President Clinton took office. I think it is relevant and helpful to those who still believe in the right to life of the unborn. As our nation celebrates the inauguration of a new President today, may we seek to humbly live out our convictions, no matter the political climate.

HT: Denny Burk

Easy as 1-2-3

Let the ads end. Let the pundits cease. Let the water cooler debates quiet. The election is over.

So now what? What should you do if you, like me, cast your vote for the McCain-Palin ticket? What do you do if your excitement that our nation has elected a black man as President (unthinkable when my father was born) is severly tempered by the fact that Barack Obama's policies show total disregard for the unborn? I've got three suggestions.

1. Calm down. The kingdom of Christ is not of this world. The gospel flourished under Nero - an insane, murderous tyrant. I think we'll be fine under Barack Obama.

2. Pray for President Elect Obama. Thank God for men like Obama who dedicate their lives to public service. The next four or eight years will be incredibly difficult on this man and his family. Look at pictures of George W. Bush in 2000 and again in 2008 if you'd like a visual representation of the stress that Obama has just taken on. If it weren't for presidents and senators and judges, you wouldn't enjoy the life of peace and security you do. Our brothers and sisters in Christ in places like Sudan and Afghanistan would be quite grateful to live under the government of Barack Obama, I think, imperfect as he may be. If you still don't feel like praying or thanking God for Obama, then read 1 Timothy 2:1-7 and get over your sinful hatred. That sounds harsh, I know. But if you look at your political enemy and fail to see a human being created in the image of God, then harsh words are in order.

3. Read Eric Redmond's "Living Soli Deo Gloria Under Obama." It's the best post-election piece I've read, easy.

One Out of Two Don't Cut It

Did you vote today? Good for you, citizen. Have you prayed for the future of our country today? If not, then remember this...

For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. - Psalm 22:28

Not sure how to pray? Mark Altrogge has some good advice.

Front-Door, Not Single-Issue

"I have used the term "front door issue voter." That is, there are issues that will keep me from voting for any candidate. However, just because a candidate gets through my front door does not necessarily mean I will vote for that person. You're in my house? Ok, we can talk." - Ryan Phelps

What is the Freedom of Choice Act?

As I said the other day, the only reason I really care about the upcoming election at this point is the issue of abortion. More than just the judicial future of Roe v. Wade is at stake. Obama has pledged that “the first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.” What is the Freedom of Choice Act? Justin Taylor has a great analysis.

And BTW - if you find me silly for really only caring about one issue, I don't even care anymore. Other issues matter, but they all pale in comparison to the legally sanctioned killing of innocent human life. Randy Alcorn summed it up well in a great recent blog...

"Please don't tell me abortion isn't the only issue. Of course it isn't. Treatment of the Jews wasn’t the only issue in 1940 Germany. Buying, selling and owning black people wasn’t the only issue in the United States of 1850. Nonetheless, both were the dominant moral issues of their day."

Obama on Abortion - The Definitive Look

I know what you're thinking - "D.J., if you hate politics so much, then why are you still talking about it?" Point taken. However, with the election coming up soon, I think this needs to be shared. I've talked with a lot of people over the past few months who are Obama supporters and pro-life. I find this extremely odd. If you're an Obama supporter and pro-life, I implore you to take 20 minutes and carefully read this article. Dr. Robert P. George has written a level-headed, well-reasoned, fact-based look into Sen. Obama's record on abortion. This respected scholar of both law and theology comes to the conclusion that Obama is "the most pro-abortion legislator ever to serve in either house of the United States Congress." Yes, he chooses the term "pro-abortion" purposefully and no, the article isn't filled with Fox-news style sensationalism. This article is the definitive summation of why my conscience will simply not allow me to pull the lever for Obama come November 4th. In our country, millions of human beings are killed each year with the full approval of our government. Not only does Obama see no problem with this, but - and this is a matter of his voting record - he thinks we need to go further.

HT: Between Two Worlds

John McCain Gets Barackrolled

Oh Yeah, That's Why I Hate Politics

Once upon a time, it was summer in America. The primaries were over, and our eyes looked toward the upcoming election, with two candidates who promised to stay away from politics as usual. Remember when quotes like this filled the airwaves?

"I've pledged to conduct a respectful campaign and I urge, time after time, various entities within the Republican party to also do that." - John McCain

"We don't need John McCain and I to be demonizing each other. You won't get that from my campaign." - Barack Obama

What a respectful, non-demonizing few months its been. Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it? Candidates can shout all they want about mavericks and change, but as long as politicians are people then politics will be business as usual. After paying more attention to politics this year than I have have for a while, today I'm reminded why I'm so fed up with the whole mess. It's days like this that make me so grateful for truth like this...

"God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" - Numbers 23:19

Politicians + Biblical Illiteracy = Crap Like This

"Barack Obama was a community organizer like Jesus. Pontius Pilate was a governor." - Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen

Um...wow.

Abortion: Eliminate or Reduce?

Tony Jones, a leader in the emergent movement, posted on his blog about a confrence call with staffers from the Obama campaign that steered into a discussion of abortion. The actual post is pretty pedestrian, but I want to direct you toward the comments section - especailly to a discussion between Zach Nielsen (he of Vitamin Z fame) and Carla Jo about whether to combat abortion by making it illegal or attacking underlying social causes. Their discussion was civil and explored a lot of tough questions, making it great reading for anyone on either side who wants to take this paramount issue seriously. It's a lengthy one, but take time and follow the discussion through to the end. I'll tip my hand (hey, it's my blog after all) and say that I think Z gets it dead-on right. I don't argue for a second with the proposition that we should attack social ills that lead to abortion, but I think that using that argument in place of legal protection for the unborn is a colossal mistake - as well as intellectualy nonsensical.

A Classy Move

Check out this ad that aired last night on TV after Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, demonstrating John McCain to be a very classy individual.

Abortion and Intellectual Cowardice

I'm not a fan of Barack Obama's views on abortion, but I haven't really posted on the topic here - mainly because other bloggers have already flooded the blogosphere with information. However, after watching Obama at the Saddleback Forum, I have to post his cowardly dodge of Warren's tough question about human rights. I have little respect for one who will support the killing of the unborn yet intellectually runs from any tough questions about the issue. Over at Between Two Worlds, guest poster James Grant passes along this ironic collection of quotes from First Things...

"Dr. Hymie Gordon (Mayo Clinic): “By all criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception.”

Dr. Micheline Matthews-Roth (Harvard University Medical School): “It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception.”

Dr. Alfred Bongioanni (University of Pennsylvania): “I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the time of conception.”

Dr. Jerome LeJeune, “the Father of Modern Genetics” (University of Descartes, Paris): “To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion . . . it is plain experimental evidence.”

Rick Warren: At what point does a baby get human rights in your view?
Sen. Barack Obama: Well, I think that whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade. "

Why People Think Christians are Jerks

I'm pro-life, not in favor of gay marriage, and will not be voting for Barack Obama this November. However, I also think there's no place for smug, pretentious Phariseeism - joking or not - in the Kingdom of Christ, which is why I'm growing very weary of Focus on the Family. Take a look at this video, then pray that the church in America will spend more time spreading the gospel of Christ and less time reveling at the thought of humiliating political enemies.

Barack Obama Dance Party

HT: Vitamin Z

Great Picture

...from Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty.