[cruiserman]

I knew there was a reason I left the Methodist church.

[Question_Assumptions]

Thanks for reminding me why I'm not a Methodist anymore.

[Servant of the Nine]

1996 ?

Why are you posting this?

So9

[dirtboy]

As Christians who are deeply concerned about human life, we must do something about the unregulated and unnecessary access to guns.

As a gun owner, I must in turn tell you twits to kiss my pasty rump. Gun violence is a symptom of other problems, and is not the disease itself.

[BenLurkin]

Carrying a gun is not necessarily a bad idea if someone wants to avoid an experience like this: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/836425/posts

[Blood of Tyrants]

The leftist looneys in the Methodist church have taken over. It doesn't surprise me at the number of people leaving it and seeking more conservative churches.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Click to download poster in PDF format

[Redbob]

" Because the handgun is concealable, it is the weapon of crime..."

And because the keyboard is available, any idiot can write silliness like this.

Allow me to refer them to the Gospel according to Luke (Ch.22): "...And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one."

Only because Samuel Colt hadn't yet come along!

[Djarum]

The religious community must also take seriously the risk of idolatry that could result from an unwarranted fascination with guns and that overlooks or ignores the social consequences of their misuse.

You are the ones who have made the gun into an idol of social maladies in an effort to ignore the causes of their misuse.

[oyez]

The Methodist church should be conserned about it mission of teaching the gospel of Christ rather than political matters. I bet its never a looked at its declining membership and wondered why?

[wearredcaps]

Would all Methodists please post a sign in your yard stating, "I AM A METHODIST, I don't have any guns!!"

[Luna]

We ought to ask ourselves, What Would Jesus Use for Self Defense? A whole campaign can be organized. We can consult with the What Would Jesus Drive crowd for ideas. /sarcasm/

Don't these "Christians" understand that self defense and the right to own firearms are God-given rights? And didn't Jesus say that He and God are one in all things? Ergo, owning and using a firearm lawfully is not against Christian principles.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

To United Methodist Church February 5, 2003
TO Pastor Associate Pastor

Subject: General Board of Global Ministries of United Methodist Church “Gun Violence Policy of 1996

The United States has approximately 17,000,000 women firearm owners out of 90,000,000 firearm owners in the United States with 250,000,000 firearms both handgun and long barrels. The attached Gun Policy of United Methodist is of great concern.

Most all firearm owners deplore gun violence, taking of a life is the last resort action taken in self-defense. Those of you who have gone through self-defense firearms training know the chilling facts; you only fire to stop a violent threat against your self or your family. John Lott of More Guns, less crime, clearly shows that firearms stop a violent crime 2,500,000 times annually in the United States. The firearm is not fired 1999 out of every 2000 times it is used to stop a threat. As the glass breaks in the back door, you can have two choices, a cell phone, or a self-defense tool. Dial 911 pray and wait 4-15 minutes, or unlock your safe. It is your choice. How will your protect your husband, wife, son, or daughter. How about millions of other citizens?

Why do I write this letter? My personal life experiences (article published) tell me that today’s media spin, by all groups, liberal press, anti gunners, churches, politicians do not match historical results of the last 100 years. The statements in the Global Ministries Gun Policy do not match with today’s violent crime statistics of Great Britain, Australia noted gun free countries. This policy does not match actual history of the world where 175 million men women and children have been executed by dictators in the last 100 years. Visit “www.keepandbeararms.com” for significant facts regarding England. Want more facts, study Guy Smiths Gun facts 3.2, outlining FBI, DOJ, CDC, and ATF statistics located at the same site.

Over the last twenty years, have watched the graying of the congregation at Grace United Methodist Church. I have listened to the Grace United Methodist Church closet gun owners, former members of the military, talking in the shadows of dinner meals, about purchasing self-defense firearms for home protection. These self-defense tools will be keep in their homes with their bibles. To disarm your congregation is to start down the path of mass suicide as experienced by 175 million over the last 100 years. Bad people do exist in our neighborhoods around the world, and police have no duty to protect us.

One final though about National Security

The Chinese have said we can not defeat those cowboys with guns, the Russians stating during the cold war, “We can defeat the American military, but we can’t defeat the American citizen because there is a rifle behind every blade of grass. With today’s terrorism energy being driven by religion zealots, terrorism will be imported to our backyards. Don’t disarm our citizens with convoluted logic. If you study history most all wars in the past 2000 years have been driven on one side or both by religion values and beliefs, or dictator values. What are the human beings to do when these organizations turn bad?

I would be happy to discuss this further. You have significant membership who carry gun owner right views and are closet church members. I would suggest stripping of their god given rights to defense oneself and ones own family by this convoluted logic would hurt membership. Bad guys exist in this world, this country, this state, this city and on your street. Poor people are particularly venerable to crime because they live in high crime areas and police response times are long.

Logical members of your church will eventually come to the conclusion that the United Methodist Church is stripping their rights to self-defense defecting from your membership rolls. It may be occurring as I write this letter. The human creature will desert any cause or movement that takes away their right to live.

As minister of your flock, I challenge you to educate yourself to this issue, develop an internal committee to test the level of concern over this policy. We are 90 million firearm owners who have the facts, the stories of citizens who saved their lives with firearms to counter this false premise put forward by this hollow policy of safety. I challenge you to start a committee and discuss this material. Even if the result is still the same, at least you have given history a chance to survive and free men and women make choices rather than follow the flock.

Sincerely

[RightOnline]

The United Methodist Church shouldn't even bother themselves with any further pretense of "Christianity". They're pathetic.

[William Terrell]

And ere I was thinking that "reverence for life" meant having a firearm to protect my life and that of my family. Silly me.