"The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long.~Deuteronomy 33:12"
That verse from the good book should end with the words: I give my humble servant a Glock to protect thee with so that he can covereth thee better.
Seriously, WTF? I know it's bad in Motown, but preachers with guns?
The following is from the AP:
"DETROIT - The Rev. Lawrence Adams teaches his flock at the Westside Bible Church to turn the other cheek. Just in case, though, the 54-year-old retired police lieutenant also wears a handgun under his robe.
Adams is one of several Detroit clergymen who have taken to packing heat in the pulpit. They have committed their lives to a man who preached nonviolence and told followers to love their enemies. But they also say it's up to them to protect their parishioners in church.
"As a pastor, I'm referred to as a shepherd," Adams said. "Shepherds have the responsibility of watching over their flock. Do I want to hurt somebody? Absolutely not!"
Responding to a break-in at his church on a Sunday evening, Adams surprised a burglar carrying out a bag of loot and shot the man in the abdomen after the man swung the bag at him.
The burglar survived - for which Adams is grateful - but the pastor said he could have been hurt or killed if he had not been armed.
Detroit had the nation's highest homicide rate last year among cities of at least 500,000 residents. The city has been losing manufacturing jobs for decades, and these days about one in four working-age residents is without a job.
The northwest Detroit neighborhood surrounding Adams' church isn't one of the city's most dangerous. But there have been many recent reports of crimes in the area, including four burglaries, three auto thefts, one armed robbery, and four assaults, including one with intent to murder.
"It's getting worse because of the economy," Adams said. "People are out of work and feel they have to provide for their families."
Prior to 2000, anyone who wanted to carry a concealed weapon in Michigan had to show a need to do so. Now, gun owners simply have to pass a stringent background check and complete eight hours of handgun training.
"I get people from all walks of life, including pastors," said Rick Ector, owner of Rick's Firearm Academy in Detroit. "But it's not anything specific to pastors. Detroit is not a very safe place."
Michigan allows pastors to decide if someone registered to carry a handgun can do so for protection inside churches. "'
Oh lawd, pastor! Seriously, what ever happened to turning the other cheek? I guess with these urban terrorist running around that is not an option. So protect your flock you must. Oh yes, and let's not forget the offering plate. [Story]
197 comments:
Post a Comment