Kentucky Pastor Tells Followers to Bring Guns to Church

By Melissa McEwan, Shakesville
Posted on June 26, 2009, Printed on December 6, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/140949/

If there's one question to which I've always longed for an answer, it's: Who Would Jesus Shoot?

Ken Pagano, the pastor of the New Bethel Church [in Louisville, KY], is passionate about gun rights. He shoots regularly at the local firing range, and his sermon two weeks ago was on "God, Guns, Gospel and Geometry." And on Saturday night, he is inviting his congregation of 150 and others to wear or carry their firearms into the sanctuary to "celebrate our rights as Americans!" as a promotional flier for the "open carry celebration" puts it.

"God and guns were part of the foundation of this country," Mr. Pagano, 49, said Wednesday in the small brick Assembly of God church, where a large wooden cross hung over the altar and two American flags jutted from side walls. "I don't see any contradiction in this. Not every Christian denomination is pacifist."

…"When someone from within the church tells me that being a Christian and having firearms are contradictions, that they're incompatible with the Gospel—baloney," he said. "As soon as you start saying that it's not something that Christians do, well, guns are just the foil. The issue now is the Gospel. So in a sense, it does become a crusade. Now the Gospel is at stake."Louisville is less than four hours away from Knoxville, TN, where, less than a year ago, Jim Adkisson walked into a church and opened fire, killing two people and injuring six more, for which he is now serving life in prison. So maybe this whole God-'n'-Guns bravado is a wee bit, um, insensitive, apart from everything else wrong with it.

Just sayin'.

Melissa McEwan writes and edits the blog Shakespeare's Sister.

© 2009 Shakesville All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/140949/