found online by Raymond
From North Carolina pastor John Pavlovitz:
In the wake of the shameful growing legacy of mass shootings in America, one of the saddest realizations, is that the loudest, most vehement voices championing the cause of weapons of brutality—have come from professed Evangelical Christians.
The cognitive dissonance of supposed followers of Jesus choosing the side of violence and opposing the movement of mercy is staggering, exceeded only by the contention that Jesus says they can pack heat.
It’s nonsense and heresy and it’s a full bastardization of his life and ministry.
It’s strange to me how Christians can be so in awe of God sacrificing its son, of Jesus suffering for humanity’s sins, and of Jesus urging us to love each other as ourselves and refraining from defending himself, yet so many of them preach and practice precisely the opposite, fancying themselves true believers all the while. How can the religion they practice be regarded as unique or transformative when it is just another primarily self-interested ideology that chooses violence to save one’s own life over loving sacrifice for another’s soul? Nothing about that is difficult, suggests enlightenment, or offers any reason for nonbelievers to rethink their ways. If it all comes down to “be nice to others, but stand your ground,” I think that most of us are doing well enough without the religion.