According to the Pope, I’m not a Christian.
TURIN, Italy (Reuters) – People who manufacture weapons or invest in weapons industries are hypocrites if they call themselves Christian, Pope Francis said on Sunday.
It’s a good thing I don’t need his approval.
Good! More rational thought. Glad to see a Christian who’s not blinded by politics. Now, if we could find some politicians who aren’t blinded by religion we might be able to improve the human condition and all of a Gods creation.
Jadedly Unbiased said in another thread, “As a gun owner,…”
So you’re agreeing with the Pope that Christians who manufacture weapons are hypocrites, but you yourself took advantage of that hypocrisy to arm yourself? What does that make you?
Or were you congratulating Owen on his “rational thought.”
Clearly, the Pope needs to read his bible.
1 Timothy 5:8
“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
So one is not able to provide protection for their relatives and immediate household against criminals?
Weopons are also how a free nation defends itself tyranny.
JSR,
When the pope was talking about weapon manufactures and those that invest in those manufacturers he referenced the Holocaust and the Armenian genocide. He’s talking about the war machine. Not me as a gun owner. I don’t think I’m capable of committing genocide with the guns I own.
Kevin,
Are you suggesting the guns we keep in our homes will be able to hold off the Russian or Chinese military’s? How does Timothy 5:8 justify the manufacture of weapons used in genocide? Twisted.
Jade,
No it will not hold off a foreign power.
That’s why I referenced weapons as a defense against tyranny and how people stay free.
Christians should not use weapons if they can help it, but if evil threatens their Christianity, military is necessary to eliminate the evil. The Pope is advocating we should have let Hitler run amock. If we don’t have weapons to defeat evil, what are we supposed to use?
Peace through superior fire power tends to save lives vs a perpetual state of balanced war like we see in Middle East.
Kevin,
It’s a good thing the pope realizes sovereign countries including Vatican City are protected by military members that don’t have to be Christians. He’s able to separate his politics from his religion. Paying taxes is how I support our military which is capable of defending us from tyranny and keeping us free. How does Timothy 5:8 justify the manufacture of weapons used in genocide? The pope was talking about weapons used in war. You do know the difference between a nuclear bomb and a handgun or a 20000 pound banker buster and a shotgun. What about a fighter jet and a 30.30. The ability and willingness of people to mischaracterize and manipulate the words of a Christian leader is a disgrace. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.
Jade,
What are you talking about? The Pope separates his politics from his religion? How?
The left constantly complains when it comes to abortion and homosexuality he doesn’t do that.
I did not advocate genocide when I quoted Timothy 5:8, so I’m not even going to respond to that.
Kevin,
Have you completely ignored recent papal messages? Many of his statements have been outside the religious realm and give a more personal political view. I did say the Pope is “able to” I didn’t say he’s practices that daily. I don’t know what abortion and homosexuality have to do with this conversation but I’m assuming it’s just another distraction. When you mentioned Timothy 5:8 was it not in reference to the topic at hand contained in this thread? You state “Clearly, the Pope needs to read his bible” followed by Timothy 5:8. I didn’t say you advocated genocide but I would still like to know how Timothy 5:8 relates to this thread and what the Pope said.
It takes huge balls to quote the Bible back at the Pope but it’s Kev so I get it
And I get that Lutherans don’t have to listen to the Pope , not even when he says that by investing in gun manufacturers, you invest in deadly devices that kill people – which is true
But you can explain to your kids why folks are killed with guns so dad and his friends can play cowboy and hold fast to the 2nd amendment written when enemy troops were in the homes of the colonists .
The ability to rationalize all that and talk about your Christianity in any way is both astounding and astoundingly hypocritical
I guess, according to Da Papa, I’m not a Christian either. I’ve had a really great run with RGR since we got ourselves a lop-eared fool in the White House. The more he talks against the Second Amendment the more people run out and buy a new gun.
Perhaps he was preaching to the Muslim’s murdering people for ISIS, and us “Lutherans” just took it the wrong way.
Mark and Jade,
There is a Timothy 5:8 duty to provide protection from forces that may harm your family. That protection includes items to use to protect your family, like guns. The ability to make, manufacture, and invst in people who make them for our family’s protection.
If you provide food and shelter for your family, but fail to provide protection for them from a criminal, have you failed in your Timothy 5:8 duty? I would say, yes.
I don’t like that the Pope has taken a let criminal evil flourish stance when it comes to this issue.
As a Lutheran, I can say the Pope is wrong on this.
Kevin,
How does Timothy 5:8 relate to weapons of war used for genocide? Did you actually read the article within the thread? As you are now back to being a “Lutheran” (instead of an Evangelical Christian) I will ask… Doesn’t the bible condemn the use of weapons? How do interpret Matthew 26: 52-54, Psalm :144:1, Luke 22:36, Isaiah 2:4 and 54:17, Romans 12:19 or 2 Corinthians 10:4. I think the a Pope had it right when referring to Christians “duplicity is the currency of today… they say one thing and do another”.
I’m not opposing the part of his statement about genocide…I’m opposing his statement about all weapons. Some weapons are needed and neccessary to protect one’s family.
Kevin,
He, the Pope, didn’t make a “statement about all weapons”. He was referring to weapons of war. It’s quite a stretch to assume the Pope was referring to your home protection or even equate personal guns to the war machine responsible for genocide. Nice try.
“Some weapons are needed and neccessary to protect one’s family.”
Statistics indicate that your family is in greater danger because of your gun ownership rather than being made more safe by it. But I guess that’s just…numbers. Or something.
Scott,
Many weapons save families from criminal intruders looking to kill and rape family members.
That is why the choice should remain with the individual in terms of protection, not ther Pope who has his own police force, with guns, protecting him.
I don’t begrudge hunters their guns or Kev to keep a 45 under his pillow to keep Isis out of K’town .
I do wonder how heavier duty weapons fall under the defense of home .
The billions of $ ( off and on the books ) that we spend on state , local and federal security protect us like no other country in earth .
When Potus said Americans cling to the religion and guns, he committed a Gaffe
He told the World a sorry , indefensible truth about ourselves .