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Author Topic: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches  (Read 1865 times)

Offline depserv

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antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« on: February 22, 2015, 01:39:25 PM »
I got a pamphlet at church telling us about an anti-gun event coming in March, where what appears to be a hard core anti-gun bigot will be preaching a message that guns are bad and gun control is good.  At least that's my take on it.  The Bible I read makes it clear that God is ok with His people having the means to defend themselves, and Christians are usually among the strongest supporters of freedom in general, including the freedoms codified in the 2nd Amendment, so my opinion is this is a corruption of God's Word, as well as being un-American.   

According to the pamphlet, the week of March 15 - 22 has been designated "the week of Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath."  The pamphlet doesn't say who made that designation.   

The featured speaker is Reverend James Atwood, who is said to be a hunter and NRA member, who wrote a book titled America and its Guns: A Theological Expose'.  A quick internet search I did shows Atwood to be an anti-gun wacko, who wants churches to get involved with gun control.  Any time someone talks about gun violence instead of just violence he's talking about civilian disarmament but wants to be dishonest about it.

The events are sponsored by "the Mercy and Justice Team of the Great Plains United Methodist Conference," "Nebraskans for Peace," and a couple of Kansas groups.

Atwood will be at a few United Methodist churches (UMC) in Nebraska in March; following is the Nebraska schedule:

Monday the 16th: Lincoln, South Gate UMC, 3500 Pioneers Blvd., 7:00 PM

Tues the 17th: Omaha, Clair Memorial UMC 5544 Ames Ave., at 11:30 AM, and First UMC at 7020 Cass St. at 7:00 PM

Wed. the 18th: Grand Island, Trinity UMC 511 N, Elm St. at 7:00 PM

Obviously no one should go to any of these and be in any way discourteous, disrespectful, or disruptive.  But anyone belonging to any of these churches might let the church leadership know that they don't like the church being used for the dissemination of lies intended for a political purpose.  And some might want to go hear what he has to say, since studying the propaganda of the other side can be useful.  There might be a chance to speak with a few of those who hear what he has to say and explain the untruth in it, since so many people don't really know much about this issue and can easily be lied to.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2015, 07:56:42 AM by depserv »
The liberal cult seeks destruction of the American Republic like water seeks low ground.

Offline newfalguy101

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2015, 01:50:44 PM »
Might also want to mention that affiliation with person/group pushing ANY Political agenda can put their tax exempt status at risk, and based solely on the info you posted, it would appear this guy/groups most decidedly have an agenda

Offline bkoenig

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2015, 02:47:17 PM »
Might also want to mention that affiliation with person/group pushing ANY Political agenda can put their tax exempt status at risk, and based solely on the info you posted, it would appear this guy/groups most decidedly have an agenda



Offline greg58

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2015, 04:00:15 PM »
Gee, I'm suprised no Presbyterian churches are involved.
(Sarcastically stated by an ex-presbyterian)

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Offline OnTheFly

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2015, 05:02:32 PM »
I am not a religious man, but it amazes me how many groups who should embrace the right to defend one's self, fail to recognize that fundamental, indisputable truth.  African American's being at the top of the list.  They look at what violence was perpetrated against them, and more recently, the violence that infects their people in the inner city, and they believe that gun control is the solution.

Hard to understand why people come to the conclusions they do.  Another one that baffles me is the women who get recruited by Islamic extremists.  WHY in the WORLD would women go fight for an organization that considers them to be at best, two legged cattle, and at worst, the equivalent of a dog?

Fly
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Offline ILoveCats

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2015, 08:20:23 PM »
Apparently this is the opinion of the United Methodist Church when it comes to "gun violence".   This is one denomination that will never get any of my tithes.

www.umc.org/what-we-believe/gun-violence

"...
develop advocacy groups within local congregations to advocate for the eventual reduction of the availability of guns in society with a particular emphasis upon handguns, handgun ammunition, assault weapons, automatic weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits, and guns that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal detection devices. These groups can be linked to community-based, state, and national organizations working on gun and violence issues;

support federal legislation in the US Congress to regulate the importation, manufacturing, sale, and possession of guns and ammunition by the general public. Such legislation should include provisions for the registration and licensing of gun purchasers and owners, appropriate background investigation and waiting periods prior to gun purchase, and regulation of subsequent sale;

call upon all governments of the world in which there is a United Methodist presence to establish national bans on ownership by the general public of handguns, assault weapons, automatic weapon conversion kits, and weapons that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal-detection devices;

call upon the print, broadcasting, and electronic media, as well as the entertainment industry, to refrain from promoting gun usage to children
..."
"Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder." ~ FCK

Offline ILoveCats

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2015, 08:29:54 PM »
Wow, I'm glad my family switched from Methodism to a non-denominational evangelical church when I was a kid.  I remember the Methodist church we went to never actually seemed to getting around to preaching the fundamentals of salvation through Christ, but apparently they have time to draft web pages full of leftist social stances. No wonder our society is heading in the direction it is.
"Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder." ~ FCK

Offline NE Bull

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2015, 06:12:48 AM »
And folks wonder why I don't attend, trust, worship with most 'Organized Religions ' .  I am perfectly capable of reading the Good Book all by myself.

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“It is not an issue of being afraid, It's an issue of not being afraid to protect myself.”
 Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert
 "A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that."  Shane

Offline NENick

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2015, 06:44:10 AM »
I haven't heard anything about this in the local Catholic church thus far. I'll keep an ear out.

Offline grumpy old man

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2015, 08:06:22 AM »
I love God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  Churches (which is made up of people) should go to the leadership and tell them this shouldnt happen at your church.  IMO I would not attend or give tithes and offerings to any church preaching this sort of thing. 

Quote them this verse in Luke 22:36 " He (Jesus) said to them, but now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. and let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one."

I would also ask why Jesus allowed his disciples to carry a sword, but its not ok for his disciples today to do the same?  When they came to arrest Jesus Peter pulled his sword and cut off a guards ear.  Its safe to say Jesus knew this and allowed it!
"One man with courage is a majority." Thomas Jefferson

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Offline NE Bull

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“It is not an issue of being afraid, It's an issue of not being afraid to protect myself.”
 Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert
 "A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that."  Shane

Offline GreyGeek

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Re: antigun events coming to Nebraska and Kansas churches
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2015, 04:12:09 PM »
Wow, I'm glad my family switched from Methodism to a non-denominational evangelical church when I was a kid.  I remember the Methodist church we went to never actually seemed to getting around to preaching the fundamentals of salvation through Christ, but apparently they have time to draft web pages full of leftist social stances. No wonder our society is heading in the direction it is.

In the 1970s and 1980s a lot of local Methodists, Presbyterian and other old line churches noticed that their national leadership was taking a decided Socialist stance on a lot of political issues and, at the same time, denigrating the accounts in the Bible of miracles and of the resurrection of Jesus.  The out shoot of this is the "Historical Jesus" movement which, while giving lip service to "Faith", re-interprets scripture to emphasize socials themes and presents "evidence" from like-minded educators to suggest that Jesus is at best a myth and at worst a lie. 

The local leaders and membership rebelled.  Many groups lost possession of the church building they had used for decades but a large percentage broke their ties to the national leadership,  kept their building and changed the name on its marque to "Community ...something...".    The members of these community churches are usually the targets of the Left, calling them "religious nuts",  etc...   Obama carried their water bucket when referring to working-class voters in old industrial towns decimated by job losses, he said: "They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."   The Left's echo chamber took up this mime and repeats it endlessly.

In many cases the UMC, United Church of CHrist, for example, were left with people who are most Socialist and less Christian,  having the form of Christianity but denying its power, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They became so bold that in 1993 many old line denominations sent  representatives to a World Conference of Churches  "Re-imagination" conference in Minneapolis.  Examples of its high point included chanting to "Sophia", misapplying scripture to justify singing chants in praise to their version of "Sophia", a Goddess of Wisdom.   The Nov. 3, 1993, Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that  "throughout the conference worship experiences will celebrate Sophia,   the biblical goddess of creation." Sue Seid-Martin of the University of St. Thomas School of Divinity in St. Paul, Minn., claimed that this Sophia is "the suppressed part of the biblical tradition, and clearly the female face of the human psyche."   Seid-Martin believes Sophia is found in Proverbs 1-9, Matt. 11; Lk. 3:35; 11:49; and 1 Cor. 1-2, and she identifies Jesus Christ with this Sophia. A painting displayed at the Re-imagining conference supposedly depicted this Sophia. The painting contained the picture of a bald, frowning woman with large naked breasts. The middle of her forehead is adorned with a mark that appears to be a Hindu "tika" or tilaka, the same mark women in Nepal and India receive from their priests when they do "puja" (worship) at pagan shrines. On Sunday morning the conferees joined together in repeating a prayer to Sophia, including these words:

"Our maker Sophia, we are women in your image. ... Sophia, creator God ... shower us with your love. ... we invite a lover, we birth a child; with our warm body fluids we remind the world of its pleasures and sensations. ... Our guide, Sophia, we are women in your image. ... With the honey of wisdom in our mouths, we prophesy a full humanity to all the peoples."

It must be a special translation by the World Council of Churches.  I don't read about her version of Sophia in the KJV or the NIV.
BTW, photos of the 19 posters, including the one of a naked "Sophia" are missing from accounts of the 1993 conference and from the web.  A YouTube video of Nancy Chinn replays still photos taken from a distance but the Sophia painting is not shown.

The World Council of Churches website lists the appx 340 religious groups affiliated with them.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2015, 05:41:09 PM by GreyGeek »