ONLY in America?
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is leading “Second Amendment Celebrations,” where churches around the state give away guns as door prizes in what a church spokesman calls “an outreach to rednecks”.
As many as 1,000 people are expected at the next one, on Thursday at Lone Oak Baptist Church in Paducah, where they will be given a free steak dinner and the chance to win one of 25 handguns, long guns and shotguns.
The goal is to “point people to Christ,” the church says in a flier. Chuck McAlister, an ex-pastor, master storyteller and former Outdoor Channel hunting show host who presides at the events as the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s team leader for evangelism, said 1,678 men made “professions of faith” at about 50 such events last year, most in Kentucky
Paul Chitwood, the Kentucky Baptist Convention’s executive director, said such results speak for themselves. “It’s been very effective,” he said in an interview.
But other clergy question what guns and gun rights have to do with with sharing the Gospel.
“How ironic to use guns to lure men in to hear a message about Jesus, who said, ‘Put away the sword,'” said the Rev. Joe Phelps, pastor of Louisville’s independent Highland Baptist Church.
“Giveaways for God” seem wrong, he said. “Can you picture Jesus giving away guns, or toasters or raffle tickets? … He gave away bread once, but that was as a sign, not a sales pitch.”
Nancy Jo Kemper, pastor of New Union Church in Versailles, Ky., and former director of the Kentucky Council of Churches, said: “Churches should not be encouraging people in their communities to arm themselves against their neighbors, but to love their neighbors, as instructed by Jesus.”
Bryan Patterson's Faithworks 
And that is why I don’t generally wish to reveal my church membership! Contrary to popular beliefs, I am not a seventh day Adventist but a Seventh day Baptist.
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What’s the difference? 🙂
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Giving away guns as an iincentive is just a normal activity in some areas. One local high school club was selling raffle tickets to win a rifle. Those making negative comments are forgetting that guns are used for hunting and I am thankful my unemployed son was able to provide meat for his family because he had a gun to hunt with.
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Yep! I forget that this article speaks of getting a free steak dinner (thus negating the need for a gun) before giving them a chance to win a gun. Nothing said about giving them a free steak dinner plus a gun. Did I read the article properly?
Having said that, how is this scenario different from the one featured recently where the pastor went to Adult Industry Trade Shows in order to preach the gospel to people in the adult industry (and used a 10 foot male genitalia to attract people to his stand and the “jesus loves porstars” bibles)?
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I can’t find any evidence of a pastor using a 10 foot male genitalia to attract people Davinci/Hassan. And based on your penchant for posting untruths and half truths I would take it with a grain of salt.
However some churches do distribute the Jesus Loves Pornstars Bible, which is just the gospel of John in a new cover.
XXX Church is a national Christian outreach to performers, producers, and patrons of the $14 billion adult-entertainment industry, which the ministry sees as damaging to performers and addictive to consumers.
This Is What Happens When A Porn Star Finds God
After seven years in the adult industry, hundreds of films and attempted suicide, Brittni Ruiz knew she wanted out. She just didn’t know how. This is her story.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/hunterschwarz/this-is-what-happens-when-a-porn-star-finds-god
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Have you tried youtube? There was a clip where it shows a walking male genitalia and Pastor Cross’ voice over tells the viewer that because they don’t have a large stand, they are using this as a means to attract people to the booth. But maybe the clip has been removed.
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Davinci/Hassan….I’ve looked on youtube and can’t find ANY reference to it. Perhaps you misunderstood. Or perhaps it just never existed.
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Giving away guns is not part of the Australian experience. The culture here is quite different. And we have far less shootings because of that.
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Me a liar Bryan? Perhaps you should google the words “Wally the Wiener” which was an inflatable penis that was used by the triple x church to attract attention to themselves. And whilst you are at you might google “Pete the Porno Puppet” which is a puppet aimed at getting kids to avoid pornography. Kids and pornography now? What in heaven’s name is going on in this church?
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Davinci/Hassan Yes I did google the words “Wally the Wiener” and found no evidence that it/he was used by the church. Pete the porno puppet I found and it’s not an x-rated puppet. This church is not promoting pornography. Quite the opposite. Why would you have a problem with that? What in heaven’s name is going on in your mind?
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Huh? But what’s the difference between that and say, giving away (our Australian equivalent) a carton of beer? Oh, that’s right, Baptists don’t drink. 🙂
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You know I was being facetious, don’t you? 😉
In other words, I cannot see any justifiable reason for a Christian church to give away firearms……and beer, and especially in the name of evangelism.
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To Christians have a right to defend themselves or are they to go without a fight (not with the intention of killing, only defending)?
“Today every citizen of Ukraine understands why our country has hundreds of thousands of policemen. Last illusions were crushed when riot police used rubber batons and boots at the Independence Square on peaceful citizens.
After such actions we realize that it is not enough to only adopt the Gun Law.
As of today Ukrainian Gun Owners Association will start to work on the preparation of amendments to the Constitution, which will provide an unconditional right for Ukrainian citizens to bear arms.
People should have the right to bear arms, which will be put in written into the Constitution.
Authorities should not and will not be stronger than its people!
Armed people are treated with respect!”
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Violence begets violence. As bad as the situation is in the Ukraine, escalation is the last thing needed. People might fight with bats, knives, anything they can lay their hands on, and make a strong statement to authority and to the world, even if by laying down their lives. It won’t be solved any faster by introducing guns.
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I understand what you’re saying Strewth but it didn’t help the Ukranian people in the time of the Holodomor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor
I’m not sure whether they were armed then, or really whether it would have made much difference – but somehow I suspect it would have. Had the Ukranian people protested Stalin’s policies early on, they would have been met with brutal force.
“Since 2006, the Holodomor has been recognized by the independent Ukraine and several other countries as a genocide of the Ukrainian people”
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People do lay down their lives willingly, for a good cause.
We must do what WE can to avoid their persecution, but for themselves they have to make whatever decision seems right, and I would hope it would not escalate violence.
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Your comment begs for another question; where is the other cheek Jesus said to offer? Do we conveniently forget because it doesn’t fit our perception.
Violence in any form feeds violence. Strewth is correct in his statement.
Did all the cannons in private hands of the Yanks help peace in their own country? Hardly.
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That’s my question. Do people just willingly go to their death? Is this what is expected of us?
You can turn the cheek in their treatment of you, not hate them, not wish revenge but does that also mean you can’t defend yourself?
Starving people to death, gassing them. This is what we should put up with?
Why do countries that rule with an iron fist always make sure the little people are disarmed?
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Oops! Sorry, replied above.
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Kathleen I am just pointing to one thing, if one believes that the bible is the word of god, than it should be applied without exception.
I found too many good Christians dodging the inconvenient passages. One needs to commit wholeheartedly or not at all. None of this is easy, I admit, but we should follow Jesus as he recommended: Pick up your cross and follow me.
We are presently living in mortal bodies and death of the body is not a great tragedy, because we are immortal. Once out of the body we return to the real of god, where we have immortal body.
We grieve for our loved because of our loss, not because of their loss. Grieving is natural way of freeing our emotions.
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Sorry, there is a typo – we return to the real of god, should be REALM of god
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Agree, Fossall. Death is not the end. Should be obvious to Christians?
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Interesting. The rates of assault per 100 000 people between the U.S. and Australia are almost identical. However the murder rate of the U.S. is FIVE times higher than Australia’s.
Wonder if it is the easy availability of guns when people lose their temper that causes the difference? Or are Americans really five times more murderous than Australians as well as five times more religious?
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WWJD ?
Fight or lay down his life?
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The truth should be enough to bring people. You should not need bribes,
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Hmmmm keep following that thought, see where it gets you.
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If the churches really manifest the truth, nothing but the truth, they would be packed to the rafters. But the truth is not preached in the churches, not one of them. They preach doctrines, interpretations by the mind. Like the Jews, they keep adding things not contained in the bible or ignoring passages if it does not fit the doctrines. Monica for instance maintain we not god. Jesus said: I and the father are one. That to me means the same. He also said what I do you will and greater. He also said ye are gods. Every enlightened master keep saying, what I am you are also.
In the beginning was god it says. God created everything, from what? Was there something else to create from or did god create from himself? Remember god is all-powerful, all knowing and (very important) all present. In other words god is in everything there is, in Heavens as well on Earth every living thing, every bit of dirt, every breath we take contains god. This is also, why he is all knowing, since god is in everything.
As for the devil, who you think it is? This is the opposite of love, opposite we have created to know the opposite. How else will we know experimentally who we are if we never experience the opposite? There is so much more then religions. Religions have suppressed the truth perhaps from good intentions, but by now, many know the truth and are too scared to reveal the truth simply because they will need to admit they were wrong. Who likes to do that? So we perpetuate the say untruths to safe face. Just have a look science, they will fight any new thought if it contradicts established theory. In that sense religions and science are in the same boat, hostile to anything new.
So what the churches are giving away to attract worshipers is irrelevant. Underneath our not so conscious mind, we know the truth and cannot be fooled. If we listen to the still small voice, we will know the truth regardless all the propaganda from whichever side.
I am on my way out most probably, my cancer is destroying my body faster than ever, but I know from my experience that I have found lot of truth in my life and I am surrendering to my creator willingly. I have no regrets or doubts. I like to ask all here to consider where you knowledge comes from. Is your knowledge authentic, from your own experience or does it come from what others said to you? You call me falls prophet, but did you question the others? What makes you think a preacher knows better, or tells the truth? Why don’t you apply same distrust to your trusted personalities? Distrust is healthy if applied as a precaution not to deceive yourself.
I joined this forum not to make you believe anything, but to make you question everything you read and hear. I will stop shortly as I will have to go back to hospital probably never come out again. If you are kind then pray for me, for I too believe that prayer achieves much. I bless you all without exception. You all my brothers and sisters regardless of religion and faith. Even the atheists are. After all, we all made from the same fabric, god the creator of all.
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all the very very best to you Fossall,
Perhaps we shall meet up one day in another ‘world’. Thinking of you. I agree with so much that you’ve talked about.
Rian.
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Thank you for your kind words. We will meet again for sure.
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“In other words god is in everything there is, in Heavens as well on Earth every living thing, every bit of dirt, every breath we take contains god. This is also, why he is all knowing, since god is in everything.”
For that to be the case(to be in everything) then God would have to be some sort of sub-atomic particle, or even countless trillions of individual sub-atomic particles. In that case it would be impossible for God to be all-knowing, as “all-knowing’ would require complex organisation, even to know what has already happened. To know everything that is one day going to happen, and to be having a personal relationship with billions of people on this tiny speck of Stardust that is the earth in this unbelievably huge universe, would be just a nonsensical notion, coming from sub-atomic particles.
I’m sure we’ve got better things to do than engage in such foolish intellectual contortions in the vain hope of forcing some “meaning” into our lives.
It makes more sense to give our lives meaning through our own interests, activities and relationships.
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Your idea of God is far too small Rol. Too limited by human limitations. If God is God, your little human concerns about how it all works doesn’t limit Him.
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Intelligence is more than just few particles. It is a form of energy if you insist to put it in human language. A pure consciousness. The good news is, that even you will understand it. We all destined to get to that point. Sooner or later.
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