Ken Silva This Video Is For You!

After critiquing my friend and fellow Campbell University classmate Tripp Fuller as well as my friend John Harrison---I thought I'd send you this video, Ken:



Perhaps it may serve you well!

The Church Of Guns

scott... diagonally parked in a parallel universe

Church Welcomes Guns at July 4 Bash
By DYLAN T. LOVAN, AP
posted: 1 HOUR 50 MINUTES AGOcomments: 329filed under: National NewsPrintShareText SizeAAA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 5) - A Kentucky pastor is inviting his flock to bring guns to church to celebrate the Fourth of July and the Second Amendment.
New Bethel Church is welcoming "responsible handgun owners" to wear their firearms inside the church June 27, a Saturday. An ad says there will be a handgun raffle, patriotic music and information on gun safety.
"We're just going to celebrate the upcoming theme of the birth of our nation," said pastor Ken Pagano. "And we're not ashamed to say that there was a strong belief in God and firearms — without that this country wouldn't be here."
The guns must be unloaded and private security will check visitors at the door, Pagano said.
He said recent church shootings, including the killing Sunday of a late-term abortion provider in Kansas, which he condemned, highlight the need to promote safe gun ownership. The New Bethel Church event was planned months before Dr. George Tiller was shot to death in a Wichita church.
Kentucky allows residents to openly carry guns in public with some restrictions. Gun owners carrying concealed weapons must have state-issued permits and can't take them to schools, jails or bars, among other exceptions.
Pagano's Protestant church, which attracts up to 150 people to Sunday services, is a member of the Assemblies of God. The former Marine and handgun instructor said he expected some backlash, but has heard only a "little bit" of criticism of the gun event.
John Phillips, an Arkansas pastor who was shot twice while leading a service at his former church in 1986, said a house of worship is no place for firearms.
"A church is designated as a safe haven, it's a place of worship," said Phillips, who was shot by a church member's relative for an unknown reason and still has a bullet lodged in his spine. "It is unconscionable to me to think that a church would be a place that you would even want to bring a weapon."
Phillips spoke out against a bill before the Arkansas General Assembly that would have permitted the carrying of guns in that state's churches. The bill failed in February.
Pagano, 50, said some members of his church were concerned that President Obama's administration could restrict gun ownership, and they supported the plan for the event when Pagano asked their opinion.
Marian McClure Taylor, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches, an umbrella organization for 11 Christian denominations in Kentucky, said Christian churches are promoters of peace, but "most allow for arms to be taken up under certain conditions."
Taylor said Pagano assured her the event would focus on promoting responsible gun ownership and any proceeds would go to charity.
"Those two commitments are consistent with the high value the Assemblies of God churches place on human life," she said in an e-mail message.
Pagano is encouraging church members to bring a canned good and a friend to the event. He said guns must be unloaded for insurance purposes and safety reasons.
He said the point was not to mix worship with guns, though he may reference some passages from the Bible.
"Firearms can be evil and they can be useful," he said. "We're just trying to promote responsible gun ownership and gun safety."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-06-04 21:53:44

Yeah, yeah, I know I already covered this story on a recent post but I thought I'd offer my own response. What's next bring your grenades or rocket launchers to church day or how about land your F-14 on the roof of the church day? However that said---I'm all for gun ownership and I agree with Pagano in this: "Firearms can be evil and they can be useful." I believe Dr. Prescott said it best though---Mainstream Baptist: On God and Guns at Church:

I've never carried my gun to church. Not even when I was a police officer and required to keep my gun with me at all times. I left it in my car when I went to church when I was a police officer.

In my mind, if there is one place to take the command to put up your sword (John 18:11) and turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-39) literally it is at church.

The Bible issues no command to promote gun ownership and gun safety. It has a lot to say about giving a faithful witness.

See also: Who Would Jesus Shoot? UPDATED after Virginia Tech Shooting, A Stupid Move by a Church and Bring Your Guns To Church, Boys.

Shocker: for once I actually agree with Al Mohler...at least,

In this instance:

When the Christian worldview is abandoned, there is no adequate replacement -- nothing that can ground human dignity in anything other than philosophical quicksand. When plants are said to have rights, human rights are automatically undermined. A biocentric worldview is a recipe for disaster, but it is a logical alternative once the Christian worldview is rejected.---Al Mohler on the Plants Rights Movement.

Read the full context: Here. For those of you who wish to know what Dr. Mohler is referring to---here are the articles that he was commenting on: The dignity of living beings with regard: Moral consideration of plants for their own sake and Switzerland's Green Power Revolution: Ethicists Ponder Plants' Rights.

Another good section of Dr. Mohler's Post is:

In the most important part of the report, the committee identified four alternative worldviews that would lead to very different conclusions. These are:

Theocentrism -- "The basis for this position is the idea of a God who is creator, and therefore the creative ground of all living organisms. What counts for its own sake is God. All organisms count because of their relationship to God."

Ratiocentrism -- "In this position the issue of whether beings count for their own sake depends on their (potential) capacity for reason and their capacity for abstract speech."

Pathocentrism -- This position is based in the sentience of living organisms. They count morally for their own sake if they are sentient and are therefore able to experience something, in some way, as good or bad."

Biocentrism -- "Living organisms should be considered morally for their own sake because they are alive."

I must say---first of all, I have seen similar articles before and the only good thing to arise out of these ideas is that it gives PETA wackjobs a taste of their own medicine such as: Plant Liberation, Plant Rights Movement En Route to America and The Silent Scream of the Asparagus: Get ready for 'plant rights.' for example. Secondly, plants do feel pain as this is scientifically proven: Scientists Prove Plants Feel Pain, Vegans Face Starvation, How can a plant feel pain without a nervous system? and Plants make their own painkillers for example. I'm all for "good stewardship," but there is such a thing as going/taking this idea too far.

Thirdly, watch this video for a humorous take on the subject:
---Arrogant Worms - Carrot Juice is Murder.

Lastly, it is refreshing to see Al Mohler speak in such strong Christocentric language rather than the normal bibliolatrous language of Fungelicals such as: biblical integrity, biblical worldview, biblical authority, Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Think Biblically, etc. (For my satire on this idolatrous language see: TheoPoetic Musings: HOW TO POOP IN A BIBLICALLY CORRECT WAY). The biblical worldview died shortly before the canonization of the scriptures and we are living in a Post-Biblical world, however, Christians live in a Christocentric world as Christ truly is the center and head of all things for Christians. Also, Matthew 28:18 clearly states that Jesus has "all authority in heaven and on earth"---notice that this verse doesn't say that the bible or anything else has any authority or is our "Final Authority" but that "all authority" belongs to Jesus. However, I believe that the bible is authoritative only in the sense of the Holy Spirit's (who comes from both Christ and the Father) usage of it and the authority that the Holy Spirit imbues to the scriptures---for the text of the scriptures have no power or authority in and of themselves but only through the Holy Spirit do they gain these attributes.
(See also this video: Mark Driscol/Larry Norman).

Todd Friel's Absurd Comments About Brian MacLaren

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My Commentary:

At 0:54 Brian says that he is a plethora of denominations as truly Jesus is not limited to our denominational identity---I don't see why Todd thinks that's so wacky.

At 1:45 Brian explains that Jesus and truth aren't limited to Christianity as Jesus is truly Lord of all regardless of their beliefs. (See John 4:1-15 and TheoPoetic Musings: Intensive Gospel Study: John 4)--also, see this video:

---apparently Todd doesn't agree that Jesus is Lord of all. Also in 2:19 Brian believes in the orthodox view of holistic truth---apparently Todd heretical-ly rejects holistic truth.

At 2:46 Todd once again fixated on judging others' beliefs brings up hell---though I can agree with Todd that hell is a real theological concept---we still mustn't judge others beliefs just as Jesus didn't tell the Samaritan woman that she was going to hell for not believing as the Judean Jews did.

At 3:33 once again Todd speaks nonsense---dominioninism and Kingdom theology are not one in the same. Kingdom theology is putting the Lord's Prayer in action. Todd and his cohorts at Way Of The Master are dominionists trying to coerce people into buying into their conservative political views such as their anti-evolution/anti-abortion in all cases ideologies by setting guilt traps---see http://www.wayofthemasterradio.com/podcast/2008/10/14/october-14-2008-hour-2/ for example. Brian is not a dominionist and he is correct Jesus spoke more about life here on earth rather than an afterlife.

Todd at 3:36-4:10 misconstrues the Gospel as being about 3 propositions only, which he says scripture states---but he is wrong of course---scripture states that Jesus alone is the Gospel. Preaching, repentance and faith are means to viewing the Gospel (Jesus) but not the only means---Todd left out love, service, prayer, etc. Also---Luke 4.18-19, quoting from Isaiah 61 states:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

Brian in 4:12-5:56 raises the issue of redemptive violence in the act of crucifixion which is a valid assessment---even if I don't entirely agree with his conclusions as Jesus willing sacrificed Himself in the face of evil and the world's violence. Todd however arrogantly chastises Brian by saying atonement by blood is the only way which eventhough I believe in blood atonement---I believe people are free to question the necessity of such a violent act of forgiveness. However, Todd's beef is not that but Brian's support of the Christus Victor view of the atonement (which is what the Early Church believed and is supported by scripture ie. I Corinthians 15: 53-58) rather than the Penal Substitutionary view of atonement, which Todd idolizes, because John Calvin first formulated the theory in it's present day form (by reading in legal terms into the bible---because Calvin was trained first as a lawyer before becoming a Magisterial Reformer).

In 6:46-7:31, Todd as usual appealing to Charles Spurgeon (who believed in the Calvinist heresy of individual predestination) to try to somehow prove that Brian is a heretic. It's interesting considering Todd's heretical fungelical teachings such as: that all sins are sins of the flesh fighting against the spirit/the flesh is evil, which is nothing short of Neo-Manichaeism and semi-Docetism.
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What are your thoughts?