UNITED METHODIST CHURCH vs. GUNS
DISCLAIMER: This is not a slam on Methodists of any denomination, simply a call for awareness and appropriate action.
How many of you handgun owners out there are members of the United Methodist Church? If so, are you aware of the anti-gun...including anti-handgun...stance that your church leaders advocate 'on your behalf'? If so, what are you doing about it? If you did not know and after verifying that the below information is true (as you should), then what do you plan on doing?
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QUESTION: Does The United Methodist Church have a position on gun control?
ANSWER: The official statement on Criminal Justice and Restorative Justice can be found in the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church & The official statement on Gun Violence can be found in the Book of Resolutions.
Home > Our World > Book of Resolutions > Gun Violence
In light of the increase of gun violence affecting the lives of children and youth, we call upon The United Methodist Church to:..
(4) 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;
(5) support federal legislation 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;
(6) 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;
http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=937
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Summary: The stance of the United Methodist Church is plainly stated: National Bans on Handguns and "assault weapons"...anyone want to second-guess this? Also, if you are a member of the UMC, do you know how much money -derived from your tithes- the UMC gives to fight private ownership of handguns and "assault weapons" every year? Hint: it's a lot.
How many of you handgun owners out there are members of the United Methodist Church? If so, are you aware of the anti-gun...including anti-handgun...stance that your church leaders advocate 'on your behalf'? If so, what are you doing about it? If you did not know and after verifying that the below information is true (as you should), then what do you plan on doing?
______________________________________________________________________
QUESTION: Does The United Methodist Church have a position on gun control?
ANSWER: The official statement on Criminal Justice and Restorative Justice can be found in the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church & The official statement on Gun Violence can be found in the Book of Resolutions.
Home > Our World > Book of Resolutions > Gun Violence
In light of the increase of gun violence affecting the lives of children and youth, we call upon The United Methodist Church to:..
(4) 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;
(5) support federal legislation 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;
(6) 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;
http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=937
______________________________________________________________________
Summary: The stance of the United Methodist Church is plainly stated: National Bans on Handguns and "assault weapons"...anyone want to second-guess this? Also, if you are a member of the UMC, do you know how much money -derived from your tithes- the UMC gives to fight private ownership of handguns and "assault weapons" every year? Hint: it's a lot.
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Man, did they steal that right from the Brady book?
Got guns?0 -
And then, rehabilitate the murderers and rapists.[xx(] 0 -
Ouch! 0 -
I was born and reared in the UMC and this gun-stance folly is just one of MANY reasons I left them, or they left me, far behind about seven years ago. Their number one problem is, in my view, a failure to recognize the Bible as the authoratative WORD OF GOD. From that one fault, most of their others flow. They are ambivalent, at best, about abortion. They can't seem to make a clear stand on homosexuality. The whole issue of war, even in defense of freedom, is an enigma to them. Traditional, evangelical missions is fading from their "to-do lists."
Don't get me wrong. There are many, many SOLID, BIBLE-honoring and believing people in the UMC. Unfortunately, there are very few of them in the "controlling" roles of boards and commissions; therefore the LOUD ultra-liberal LEFT WING LOSERS are in charge, for the most part.
I haven't been around since algore invented human-caused global warming, but I'm fairly sure they're getting smarmy about that, too. Pretty much with regard to ANY subject, if it's far left of center, that's where you'll find the General Conference of the UMC. Fortunately, many local congregations and pastors are still more moderate and even, hush-hush, conservative.0 -
"Support legislation..."
"Call on governments..."
That kind of talk that can get their tax exempt status pulled. Oh, wait, it's PC. Never mind, they can say that if they want.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Ramtinxxl
I was born and reared in the UMC and this gun-stance folly is just one of MANY reasons I left them, or they left me, far behind about seven years ago. Their number one problem is, in my view, a failure to recognize the Bible as the authoratative WORD OF GOD. From that one fault, most of their others flow. They are ambivalent, at best, about abortion. They can't seem to make a clear stand on homosexuality. The whole issue of war, even in defense of freedom, is an enigma to them. Traditional, evangelical missions is fading from their "to-do lists."
Don't get me wrong. There are many, many SOLID, BIBLE-honoring and believing people in the UMC. Unfortunately, there are very few of them in the "controlling" roles of boards and commissions; therefore the LOUD ultra-liberal LEFT WING LOSERS are in charge, for the most part.
I haven't been around since algore invented human-caused global warming, but I'm fairly sure they're getting smarmy about that, too. Pretty much with regard to ANY subject, if it's far left of center, that's where you'll find the General Conference of the UMC. Fortunately, many local congregations and pastors are still more moderate and even, hush-hush, conservative.
Ram, why do you think that happened? I mean, surely it hasn't always been that way -?
RAM: "Fortunately, many local congregations and pastors are still more moderate and even, hush-hush, conservative."
The only thing about that is that tithes that are given at the local level are not really CONTROLLED at the local level. Remaining quiet while the upper echelons misspend your tithing according to their own political leanings isn't helping things. I'm not criticizing you personally, just thinking out loud. I don't claim to know what the answer is: I just want to 'raise awareness' (as the "political activists" are fond of saying).0 -
[:D]
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quote:Originally posted by Paleobrute
Ram, why do you think that happened? I mean, surely it hasn't always been that way -?
RAM: "Fortunately, many local congregations and pastors are still more moderate and even, hush-hush, conservative."
The only thing about that is that tithes that are given at the local level are not really CONTROLLED at the local level. Remaining quiet while the upper echelons misspend your tithing according to their own political leanings isn't helping things. I'm not criticizing you personally, just thinking out loud. I don't claim to know what the answer is: I just want to 'raise awareness' (as the "political activists" are fond of saying).
Why did it happen? The seminaries are partly to blame. That's where much, if not MOST, of the ultra-liberal thought is birthed and nurtured. But then of course, the seminaries were originally accountable to the local church and the local church, in effort to be "fashionable" and perhaps, progressive, allowed more and more liberal professors and administrators to seize control of the schools. Now, the baby (seminary) slaps the parent (the local church) in the face with NO CONSEQUENCES...except the money keeps flowing from the church to the seminary.
Sharing the blame, also, are the folks in the pew, who, as you point out, pay into the system without DEMANDING accountability from those groups that spend the money. People are too passive about their membership and participation when it comes to taking stock of what goes on "upstream" bureaucratically which is actually "downstream" fiscally. I have suggested MANY times that the old mushroom principle is used with great success in the UMC--keep the people in the dark and feed them horse manure. And too many folks in the pews seem to be content with the status quo.
It really is tragic. I had to leave in order to find that God really DOES operate, and quite well, thank you, outside of a overly-bureaucratic, hyper-politicized organization. Our independent congregation pays NOT ONE RED CENT to any agency or entity where we don't know how it is spent. We are not "taxed" just to have a name over our door. No collective body of bleeding hearts dictates what we preach, teach, believe, support, or subsidize. Alas, I still have a few friends in that old system but I only wonder how long they can keep a blind eye turned in the direction of the rotten core.[V][:(][xx(]0 -
Well, I'm a member of my local 1st UMC and have fowarded this topic to my pastor. I'll post his response if he wants me to.
Joe0 -
quote:Originally posted by rovrman
Well, I'm a member of my local 1st UMC and have fowarded this topic to my pastor.....I'll let you know what he says about this.....I may be church shopping soon.
Joe
Good for you! I suggest that more members do likewise. Challenge the church in order to CHANGE the church. For several years (17, to be exact) I tried it myself--to no avail. That's why I left.
Nothing ever changes for the better in response to people doing NOTHING! All the best.[^]0 -
quote:Originally posted by rovrman
Well, I'm a member of my local 1st UMC and have fowarded this topic to my pastor. I'll post his response if he wants me to.
Joe
Man, I sure hope he'll respond. I truly want to hear what the guys in the pulpits have to say! AND the ones in the pews.0 -
quote:and guns that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal detection devices.
that shows their ignorance right there0 -
alot of "christian" churches recently have been getting pretty liberal. i believe they have been infiltrated by stealth liberals to bring down the church from within. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by 1911a1fan
quote:and guns that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal detection devices.
that shows their ignorance right there
1911, yep I caught that, too. I don't know if it's so much ignorance as connivance, though. That's a classic bit of political innuendo taken right from the pages of 'another big business', ADVERTISING. IMPLY that something is this and thus without actually saying it. Say "OUR Ketchup is made from REAL tomatoes." thus implying that the competitor's Ketchup is NOT made from "real tomatoes". Or refer to "guns that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal detection devices" as if such a thing is being sold in the gun market. Create a hysteria against a contrived threat and then when someone points out the threat really doesn't even exist, smile smugly and say "Well...not any longer." as if you had something to do with the demise of something that never existed in the first place.
That and politicize the safety of children. The UMC's website is all over that which of course is a favorite sound byte of The Loony Left: "We just want to keep THE CHILDREN safe."0 -
quote:Originally posted by 1911a1fan
quote:and guns that cannot be detected by traditionally used metal detection devices.
that shows their ignorance right there
Yep, a lot of their hysteria dates from the introduction of the earliest "plastic" guns--with the phony lore that they were undetectable by metal detectors and airport scanners. Most of the policy-makers in the UMC wouldn't know a Glock from a rock, a Sig from a twig, a Beretta from a barrette. One of my former colleagues, a real "climber" in the system, used to like to ask, "Would Jesus own a handgun?" I'd always say, "Maybe. Maybe not. But He did tell His disciples to arm themselves." (Luke 22:36,38)0 -
I think those people need to read the bible more especially the parts that scare and would run off their congregation! 0 -
The reasons I left the Presbyterian Church back in the early 90's was because they came out in favor of the Brady Bill. I now attend a Non-Denomanational church that is totally in favor of our second admendment rights. My pastors favorite gun is his S&W 686, he has very good taste. 0 -
I don't know how my pastor feels about guns, but I do know that a lot of us carry in church. Also, we go shooting and attend gun shows, etc. Independent baptist. 0 -
Another reason that I refuse to be part of any organized church since reaching adulthood. Seems as if most groups have some agenda or other, usually contrary to my core beliefs.
I'll stick with God in my personal life and not rely on a "church" to interpret the Bible, or tell me what to think and/or how to believe.
I was raised in the United Methodist Church in Pa. What a disappointment.[V]0 -
IT496
+100 -
quote:Originally posted by lt496
Another reason that I refuse to be part of any organized church since reaching adulthood. Seems as if most groups have some agenda or other, usually contrary to my core beliefs.
I'll stick with God in my personal life and not rely on a "church" to interpret the Bible, or tell me what to think and/or how to believe.
I was raised in the United Methodist Church in Pa. What a disappointment.[V]
I am exactly like you. Never missed a Sunday when I was a little one in Hudson, IL. When we moved to Iowa in 1967, Mom and Dad had difficulty finding a church they liked, and thank God, our church going days ended. Today Mom and Dad each have their own churches they attend, but I prefer to believe in God on my own, and I refuse to let some preacher try to influence me on their interpretation of the Bible. I may not know the ends and outs of the Bible, but I know enough to feel at peace with God, and He is the only one I will have to answer to.0 -
It496 I have the same belief as you. I have been to numerous churches and got tired of their "Agendas". My wife and I have had a few arguements over my opinions of churches. What counts is the "MAN" upstairs knows what I believe in my heart and that's what counts. 0 -
Again +100 Sarge 0 -
Thank the Lord... My Church has a Standing Mercenary Army[}:)] 0 -
I love my little Redneck Church! We have the annual church picnic at a ranch with a shooting range, and we spend the afternoon trying out everyone else's guns.
Actually, the UMC is typical of your generic liberal church today: pro-gay, pro-abortion, anti-gun, pro-nanny state. And to do that you have to diminish the authority of the Bible. I suppose they skip over Luke 22:36-38, Proverbs 144:1, and a dozen other verses.0 -
An important message to posters here from your Maker: "If you don't like the church you last visited, keep trying others until you find one that fits. That is why My Church is allowed to have so much variety within it. Simply staying home and believing I exist is not enough. Satan knows I exist, and that won't save him either. Find a church family, and hold each other accountable. Be prepared for your exit interview with Me when I call you home." 0 -
Methodist church in Missouri denied my Father membership because he was a Mason...[:(] Needless to say that was the end of their church going days..[:0] 0 -
As is common in such publications devoted to making America "safer", lots of criticism for guns and gun owners and what should be done to them.
But no mention of the evil, violent criminals and what should be done with them. Guess the Methodist Church fears guns and gun owners more than they fear the violent, gun-toting criminals. Just as does the liberal media and most government officials.0 -
I believe a large faction of the methodist church was behind the push for the legalization of marijuana. 0
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