packinjesus.jpg

I’m sure some day, someone will look back on this and say, "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time":

A Valley Station Road church is sponsoring an "Open Carry Church Service" in late June, encouraging people to wear unloaded guns in their holsters, enter a raffle to win a free handgun, hear patriotic music and listen to talks by operators of gun stores and firing ranges.

In an effort "to promote responsible gun ownership and 2nd Amendment rights," the organizer, Pastor Ken Pagano, who also had been trying to get more people into the pews of his New Bethel Church, hit upon the marketing idea of an "Open Carry Church Service".

"It’s just a celebration we’re doing to coincide with Fourth of July," he said. "There are people who own firearms and do so responsibly and enjoy them as a sport, maybe like golfing or bowling."

I haven’t done any extensive research on it, but I’m fairly certain that the number of deaths by bowling balls or golf clubs is pretty small. Guns, not so much.

Not everyone in Kentucky is thrilled with the prospect of mixing Psalms with Smith & Wesson, however.

The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper of Lexington, who has lobbied against laws such as one allowing citizens with permits to carry concealed weapons, said the event "would nauseate Jesus."

The Rev. Kemper should get her bad self down to a range and fire off a couple of rounds in the name of Christ. Then she’ll understand how one can maintain two totally opposite beliefs in one cranium. Like this guy, for example:

Underwood [who owns a firing range] said he’s a religious person himself and believes the First and Second amendments are closely tied in the nation’s Revolutionary War history.

"Guns are the one thing that secured freedom of religion for our country," he said.

Remember kids: people don’t create democracies, guns do!

So the "Open Carry Service" is going ahead as planned, despite the assassination of Dr. Tiller in the foyer of his church on Sunday. God forbid the sensitivity-deficient Pagano cancel the event – wouldn’t want to piss off the gun-toting religious crazies. That would be dangerous. Just ask Dr. Tiller’s family.

[graphic by twolf, natch]

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