Gun Control Cloaked In Christianity

The Democrat(ic) party is returning to its roots.  Despite atheists finding a welcome home in the Democrat(ic) party, Democrats have always used a mask of Christianity to justify their secular humanist policies.  The reason for this is that the brand of Christianity espoused by liberal Democrats is actually secular humanism.  To Democrats, it is o.k. to talk about God unless he has any real influence in how you behave and vote.

The Democrat(ic) party used to be a party that advanced irrational arguments by misrepresenting Scripture to defend its pro-slavery position.  Democrats were the only “Christian” segregationists in the country.  They celebrate God’s “blessing” of abortion to murder their children.  Now they are a political party that cloaks itself in the language of Christianity to further its political agenda of gun control.

What hasn’t changed all these years is the Democrats’ promotion of secular humanism and their always being on the wrong side of the issues.  From slavery, treatment of the Indians, segregation, drug use, abortion, stem cell research, same-sex “marriage,” Democrats have a history of siding with the wrong moral position on nearly every issue.  Now that issue is gun control.

When Sen. Diane Feinstein introduced her unconstitutional plan to ban more than 150 different firearms, she paraded Rev. Gary Hall, Dean of the National Cathedral, to cloak her liberal agenda in the guise of Christianity.  Hall stated:

“As people of faith we have the moral obligation to stand with and for the victims of gun violence and to work to end it.  We’ve tolerated school shootings and mall shootings and theatre shootings and sniper shootings and workplace shootings and temple and church shootings and urban neighborhood shootings for far too long.  Enough is enough.  Now everyone in this city seems to live in terror of the gun lobby.  But I believe the gun lobby is no match for the cross lobby, especially when we stand together as people of all faiths across the religious landscape of America.  I don’t want to take away someone’s hunting rifle, but I can no longer justify a society that allows people other than military and police to own weapons like these or that permits the sale of high capacity magazines designed with the purpose of simply killing as many people as quickly as possible.

“On behalf of all my interfaith colleagues, whom I stand here and represent today, I ask that you join me now in a brief moment of prayer as we come together around these consensual middle of the road, common sense, legal actions being proposed today.  So let us pray.”

Before I get to his prayer, let me analyze his remarks before the prayer.  I knew nothing about this minister before Feinstein’s press conference.  He sounded more like a secular humanist than a Christian.  As it turns out, his denomination, the Episcopal Church, is a secular humanist denomination.   By that I mean, that no matter what issue the Episcopal Church is presented, it will always land on the same side as the secular humanist.  Funny, how liberal theologians, Democrats and secular humanists always seem to agree.

As an example of the Episcopal Church’s secular humanism, the denomination recently endorsed two provisions.  The first one lifted a restriction on Trans-”gendered” persons being ordained.  The second one allows the Episcopal ministers to bless same-sex unions.  When a delegation from South Carolina left the General Convention in protest Rev. Mark Lawrence wrote a letter that addressed the sexual confusion the secular humanist denomination had endorsed.  He wrote:

“To embrace an understanding of our human condition in which gender may be entirely self-defined, self-chosen is to abandon all such norms, condemning ourselves, our children and grandchildren, as well as future generations to sheer sexual anarchy.”

Feinstein’s choice of priest to beseech whatever deity du jour they had in mind comes from this line of secular humanism.

“As people of faith we have the moral obligation to stand with and for the victims of gun violence and to work to end it.”

As a “people of faith” myself I understand moral obligation.  The problem with Hall’s remark is that he believes banning firearms is the only way to fulfill one’s moral obligation.  His position may not come from a lack of compassion, but it comes from a lack of thinking.  Banning firearms has a counterproductive result: it increases violent crimes.  As Hall bloviated about moral obligation to end gun violence he ignorantly supports the increase of gun violence.  He assumes a position of superiority over the victims of gun violence, as if he knows better than they how to be morally obligated to them.

“We’ve tolerated school shootings and mall shootings and theatre shootings and sniper shootings and workplace shootings and temple and church shootings and urban neighborhood shootings for far too long.  Enough is enough.”

I simply reject his premise that we have “tolerated” shootings.  How many of us conservative types wished states would execute criminals?  How many liberal policies have coddled criminals?  By “tolerate” Hall means that we have allowed people to own firearms despite all these prior shootings.  He led with the “moral obligation” to “victims” and followed through with a bout of guilt for a culture that “tolerates” gun violence.

“Now everyone in this city seems to live in terror of the gun lobby.  But I believe the gun lobby is no match for the cross lobby, especially when we stand together as people of all faiths across the religious landscape of America.” 

Right off that bat on this one I want to address a humorous point.  He called his coalition the “cross lobby” but in the next breath identified his alliance as “people of all faiths across the religious landscape of America.”  So the gun lobby is no match for the cross lobby ESPECIALLY when we stand together as people of all faiths?  Ironically, the religious landscape of America does not believe in the cross.  His broad coalition against gun ownership just might be evidence that his anti-firearm agenda may not have the backing of the cross.  The truth is that the cross to which Hall refers is not the cross of Christ, but an impotent, powerless, figurative, empty cross.  His secular humanist god is one that is crafted in his own image.  His christ didn’t really need to go to the cross because Hall and his denomination does not recognize sin, therefore, there is no need for a redeemer.  In a world filled with sin and evil people, I am so thankful that the “gun lobby” and the “cross lobby” joined together to ease human suffering to defeat British tyrants, Nazi tyrants, Communist tyrants and secular humanist tyrants.

“I don’t want to take away someone’s hunting rifle, but I can no longer justify a society that allows people other than military and police to own weapons like these or that permits the sale of high capacity magazines designed with the purpose of simply killing as many people as quickly as possible.”

I am glad Americans are being educated on the purpose of the Second Amendment.  It is NOT about hunting rights.  It is about preserving an arsenal in the hands of the people in order to protect their liberties from a tyrannical, unconstitutional government.  The abuse of power has not decreased in Washington, D.C.  It has gotten worse.  And Hall’s unthinking approach to gun violence ignores the fact that people, not guns, kill people.  But paternalistic tyrants, whose tyranny is always done for the good of the subjected, will never tire of their abuse of power.

Now, I just want to quickly deal with Hall’s prayer.

“Oh God, you have made human beings in your image and you’ve given us hearts with which to feel the pain of others and minds to create solutions for human suffering.  Give us as a people compassion and vision.  Help us respond to the crisis of gun violence not only with words but with action.  Bless our elected leaders with the wisdom and the courage needed to bring about the changes their people demand.  And grant that in so doing our streets and our classrooms and our theatres and our churches may be peaceful and safe.  We ask this in God’s holy name. Amen.”

Notice first, that his prayer is to a generic god.  He did not pray in Jesus’ name.  He can’t afford to offend those of his cross lobby…I mean his anti-gun violence coalition.  (His “cross” lobby is not really offensive to “people of all faiths” because his cross is of no effect.)

Although he acknowledges humans are made with “minds to create solutions for human suffering,” Hall is not using his mind.  His thoughtless solution will actually ensure more human suffering.

We all do not want to see children slain by any instrument.  We need to beseech God to help us rid our land of wickedness.  While America is crumbling from the strain of secular humanism, prayers to a secular humanist god for blessings on secular humanist policies is not what America needs.

America needs Christians falling on their faces, rejecting their idols, repenting of their sins, worshipping God alone, fasting, praying, crying out for forgiveness.  While the Church is distracted by college football, Super Bowls, fellowship dinners, the next ministry opportunities, making unbelievers feel comfortable in church, Facebook, Downton Abbey, Les Miserables, Twilight, Pinterest, American Idol and every other idol we try to balance with our worship of God, secular humanists are tearing this country apart in search of a phantom utopia.

Hell has come to the real world.  Where is the Church praying for Heaven?