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09 December 2007

Is This Thing On?

Haven't been here in a while. It appears that I may be over the blogging thing. Time will tell, I suppose. I haven't missed it at all actually, for whatever it's worth.

At any rate, there were a couple of shootings in Colorado today, one at a Youth With a Mission center, the second at New Life Church, which is Ted Haggard's former church:

A gunman in a black trench coat and a high-powered rifle entered the church's main foyer about 1 p.m. and began shooting, according to the source at the church, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the police department had asked that it release all information.

The church's 11 a.m. service had recently ended, and hundreds of people were milling about when the gunman opened fire. Nearby were parents picking up their children from the nursery.

The gunman was killed by a member of the church's armed security staff, the source said. Four people were shot, and the source did not know whether the shooter was one of the four. A SWAT team was searching the building for an explosive device, but the source could not confirm any details.
This sucks for everyone involved. But I'm more than alarmed that New Life Church has gunmen under its employ. What the fuck is wrong with the American Christian church, that it has armed security guards? I don't know who these people think they're following, but it isn't Jesus.

Comments on "Is This Thing On?"

 

Blogger jasdye said ... (12/09/2007 08:21:00 PM) : 

jerky,

hey, my little reader's been missing you for a long minute now. glad to have you back.

yeah, i was a bit disturbed (well, obviously, the whole thing is sad and disturbing) by how quickly this gunman must have been shot down. and this clarifies things, or rather, doesn't.

and i do severely disagree with having, well, 1) security guards on a church campus and 2) armed security guards on a church campus and 3) security guards armed with live flippin' bullets and guns on a church campus.

i don't think it's Jesus-like at all. and if that's what mega-churches (certainly those with a lot of recent controversy) have to do in order to keep order, than maybe it's time to down-size. do we really need churches that large and scary?

however, i have to disagree with your final statement. we cannot judge a person's following of Jesus based on whether or not they are pacifists. that's limiting God and Jesus (who did say, after all, that he came bearing swords and not peace. not that i agree with violence, but just that i don't fully understand such pronouncements and that they make him out to be a bigger and more complex God than those of us with agendas want him to be. and i include myself in that.)

much love. really miss you, wheaton.

 

Blogger Jim Jannotti said ... (12/10/2007 06:52:00 PM) : 

While I'm completely aghast that they thought they needed armed security guards, apparently they were right.

Now there are reports that the two shootings were related, and that New Life was on alert because of the first one. This brings up an additional set of questions to be flummoxed about.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12/11/2007 01:30:00 AM) : 

Yeah Wasp, you're right, she should have listened to the “Anti-Gun” crowd, and our “Peace Only” brothers and sisters in Christ; she should have simply opened a line of dialogue with the shooter and coerced him into laying down his arms by explaining to him the error of his ways.
That way he could have murdered a few more dozen girls, children, women, and other innocents.
Oh and then in addition to that, he would still be alive and we could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars paying for his incaceration, trial, and mental health evaluations.

I suppose you can guess what I prefer…
Shoot ‘em dead and save us all the trouble! I wish I could shake her hand and send her a Christmas Card!!!!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (12/11/2007 05:31:00 PM) : 

I just love how you 'lambaste' this church and it's members by saying, "What the f*#$ is wrong with the American Christian church, that it has armed security guards? I don't know who these people think they're following, but it isn't Jesus."
So....they're not true Christians because they protect themselves, but somehow you are because you cuss like a sailor.

What Jesus are you serving?? The one true Moth** Fu&*#r??

Your 'logic' here is so skewed, it's laughable. Oh yeah, Christ commands us to allow others to rape us, abuse us, and shoot us down in cold blood.
I remember now, John Chapter 39, verses 20-24: And if your brother should offend you and comes at you with an Assault Rifle, Thou shalt lay prostrate on the ground and offer up no resistance. Say to thine attacker, "Shoot me, but shoot my family first before ending my own life."

 

Blogger timmer k. said ... (12/12/2007 12:24:00 PM) : 

Great to see you back.

Wow...some strong feelings on this issue. I tend toward the same kind of shock you felt that the church has armed security guards.

It's not that I'm all bent out of shape that this woman took out the shooter...I'm confident she saved lives by doing so. But, I just (with you) wonder how in the world we got to this point.

The questions you have to ask are:

1. At what point did the church feel it was necessary to have armed guards on its campus?

2. What was the impetus for the decision?

3. Was this impetus directly related to proclamation and furthering of Jesus' message or not?

We can add others to the list, I'm sure.

Gah...the whole thing is so deeply disturbing.

 

Blogger timmer k. said ... (12/12/2007 02:16:00 PM) : 

I teased out my thought a bit better on this issue in my blog today. I'd be interested to see your feedback if you've got time...

Thanks!

 

Blogger Ninjanun said ... (12/20/2007 12:02:00 AM) : 

Glad to see your back to blogging, if you if you *haven't* missed it.

No thoughts to contribute yet on the issue you raised. I don't, after all, want to be accused of giving the same kind of knee-jerk response that is the hallmark of so many of my Xian contemporaries (especially the ones who feel free to comment at length on others' blogs without bothering to get one of their own).

 

Blogger Ninjanun said ... (12/20/2007 12:04:00 AM) : 

Oops. The end of that first line should have read: "even if you *haven't* missed it.

 

Blogger jasdye said ... (12/27/2007 10:17:00 PM) : 

completely unrelated, but i know you're totally feeling up to this, now:

blog-a-thon. are you in? looking for posts on rocking album(s) by Christians.

hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas.

 

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