Opinion
Fayetteville, AR – -(AmmoLand.com)- A coalition of churches calling themselves the New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Movement held a conference in Orlando, Florida this month that coincided with Pride Week and the third anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Titled, Make America Straight Again, its purpose was to convince churches to preach against homosexuality and to advocate for the execution of LGBT people.
The idea that consenting adults whose sexual identity or behavior differs from the majority deserve to be killed is shocking to anyone who believes in human rights. One of the lessons that we in the gun community teach whenever asked is that if you mind your own business and if you’re not forcing anyone to be involved in that business, you should be left in peace. This principle must be broadly interpreted. It includes possession of AR-15s, the combined consumption of marijuana, Cheetos, and Pink Floyd records, and the sexual activity of same-sex partners. Whether I approve or not, and whether I am unhappy about not being invited or pleased to stay away, isn’t relevant to the decision of others to make their own private choices.
Calling for executions of LGBT people is disgusting. But I remain hopeful that Americans on the whole are decent enough never to adopt such a proposal. But one of the participants in the NIFB movement, Tommy McMurtry, raised a particular point that ties in directly to the general subject of interest of this magazine. Informing his audience that Florida is a Stand-Your-Ground state and if violence breaks out during any confrontations between Pride participants and Make America Straight Again attendees, members of his movement can fight back.
In Arkansas, carrying while participating in a demonstration that requires a permit is not legal. I haven’t found any such restriction in Florida law, but McMurtry does display a misunderstanding of what Stand Your Ground allows. While the law removes the duty to retreat from a potentially lethal attack, it does not allow people to set the incident in motion. If someone is the antagonist in a fight, that person then does have a duty to attempt a de-escalation and to withdraw if physical force becomes involved. This is the lesson that many learned in elementary school that if you shout threats at a classmate, you don’t get to whine when he gives you a bloody nose.
The NIFB is free to believe what they wish. They are even free to say in the abstract what policy choices we ought to adopt. But they are walking close to the line—one side or the other of it—and when they say that LGBT people should be killed and mention of Stand Your Ground while expressing such desires for violence, this is not what their attorneys would like to hear if any incidents arise from their bigotry.
But more broadly, those of us who value gun rights should stand up for our fellow minority groups who aren’t forcing the unwilling to join in and against attacks on the same.
As a political matter, I would be embarrassed to say to my fellow citizens that I want them to defend the rights that I exercise while refusing to return the courtesy. This would be morally repugnant as well. And in practical terms, if I want to win over enough people so that support for gun rights is no longer a minority thing, I’ll have to be on the side of other people of good will who are working for acceptance of their own favorite set of rights.
About Greg Camp
Greg Camp has taught English composition and literature since 1998 and is the author of six books, including a western, The Willing Spirit, and Each One, Teach One, with Ranjit Singh on gun politics in America. His books can be found on Amazon. He tweets @gregcampnc.
You may not be interested in the LGBT community, but they are interested in you. They cannot reproduce the way Nature intended. They must recruit. They are coming after your children. I saw it for years when I worked as a Peace Officer in SoCal. There are so many of them in the “entertainment industry” and they are very wealthy. Their wealth attracts politicians and their corrupt, syphilitic, sinful nature is then propagated to children through programs at “public schools”. Within the last week, these monsters held a “Drag Queen Story Hour” at the Spokane public library. The folks who… Read more »
….and Lenin said (paraphrased), “Give me your children, and I will transform your country.”
DONE…check….courtesy of ole two-faced Christian Jimmie Carter’s Department of Indoctrination…er, I mean Education..
This article reminds me of Bible’s Sodom and Gomorra story. Learn from history or be doomed to relive it.
Gay sexual relations are wrong and against the Scriptures see Leviticus Chapter 8 Verse 22 and Romans Chapter 1, Verse 27. However, as Christians we are suppose to hate the sin, not the sinners. For we are all sinners, but we are also all God’s children. Never compromise your Christian beliefs, for homosexuality is wrong. Never cease to speak out against it. What consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom should be of no concern to anyone. Its when they bring it out of the bedroom on to the public square, into the classroom, into popular culture we… Read more »
My friend, the whole concept of equal rights is skewed in this article. It’s not the fact that myself or any law abiding gun owner has set out to harm any person of different ideas of morality, it is the LGTBQs who have decided they need to put on an expose’ to declare their normalcy and then mandate that we all except it in a groveling manner. While I can understand your point of mixing protest with a means of harm is a bad idea, it appears your problematic with any opposing protest. The simple fact is that one group… Read more »
Its time to start talking about a peaceful revolution where all of the constitutional amendments are taken more seriously. The majority of americans are in the center of all these issues and talking about them like an extremist gives your argument zero credibility.
First, what has been wrong, illegal, immoral and an abomination before GOD ALMIGHTY for the past 6,000 years, still is. Most people have heard it said that history repeats itself. There are those who think what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah is just a bunch of fiction. There is ample evidence that the destruction of both of those cities actually happened. The same can be said of sacrificing one’s children to mullok, as in modern day abortion. Yes, there was and will be a response from the LORD about this also. I can’t speak for all Baptists but the hate… Read more »
Perfect reply. Concise and to the point.
Returning the favor, I say absolutely on target Brother Bill. This Georgia boy says, “God’s Will be done”! We are in the age of Apostasy for certain.
With the coming of Christ a new covenant was established. The OT was fulfilled by Him and most of those laws were not reinstated. And, remember, this nation allows not cramming your particular faith down another’s throat.
@Larry B, Nor may one cram their homosexuality down another’s throat. But that cramming is exactly what the homosexuals (no pun intended), moslems, socialists, recreational drug users, hard core unemployables, and a miscellany of libtards are doing. We better be pushing back.
YOU’RE A FOOL! You are correct that God’s covenants changed, BUT NOT God’s laws and doctrine. Covenants are NOT law, they are an established agreement between God and a person or a group of people, laws are for everyone — God had covenants with Abraham, Noah, the Hebrew people, etc. and some of those covenants were replaced by Christ coming and establishing a new covenant – BUT THE LAWS REMAIN THE SAME, the laws NEVER change!! The new covenant was Christ bringing forgiveness for violating the law, instead of DEATH/destruction. The problem with most Christians is they don’t know the… Read more »
Brother Rattlerjake, do you always call people fools when they may or may not be wrong? Get hold of yourself Sir!
The only thing needed for evil to succeed is for righteous men to do nothing. Per that Book you so rightly recommend well, this is not true. I read in there that if I am witness to evil, and say/do nothing, not even speak a warning that this behavour IS evil, then I am COMPLICIT in the evil. Thus, in the face of evil a good, or righteous, man CANNOT do nothing (else he no longer be “good” or “righteous”) If someone seeing evil does nothing about it, he is NOT good or righteous. If he remains good/righteous, he will… Read more »
@Tionico If interpreted correctly in the KJV, confrontation is a true form of Christian love. Which is what we should do to the mislead, and incorrect thinkers. Good write Tio.
“Confrontation” is a poor word to use. I think “educating” is better. Problem is that too many Christians turn educating/ministering into a confrontation. God gave man “FREE WILL”, it is each person’s choice to what they want to believe and do, and it is not up to anyone to force their belief on others. This is not the same as law! Man’s civilizations have followed the SAME Biblical laws since man was created, some societies have removed some of those laws but a few have always remained – No murder, No stealing or destruction of someone else’s property, No homosexuality,… Read more »
This is probably the worst excuse for an article I’ve seen since starting to frequent the site. Truly embarrassing.
Agreed. Disappointed with the level of reporting and analysis.
Yes. This is the worst article I can remember in Ammoland.
I’m surprised to see this thinly veiled anti-Christian screed posted on Ammoland. First, the MASA conference certainly was advocating that churches should preach the biblical doctrine of reprobates and against the sin of sodomy, but it was not directed at “advocat[ing] for the execution of LGBT people.” Obviously these preachers would rejoice if the USA adopted the death penalty for homosexuality as the bible commands, however, the point of the conference was not to get such laws passed. The author intentionally conflates the two. Next, the author misleads the reader by stating the MASA conference was a protest and thus… Read more »
Now that was a first class retort to this article!
I can assure everybody that forced “acceptance” of the perverts and their agenda will be delivered at the end of a bayonet at some point. Same with climate control ideology, same with “common-sense” gun legislation, etc.
At what point do the Traditional Americans say “Enough!” and fight back against the multi-pronged advancement of American-styled communism??
It is coming Brother Mike. Recall that Christ said, “They shall deliver you up to tribulation, and persecution”. Perhaps that will be the spark to ignite the war. But, also recall that it is stated that we will NOT prevail.
Where does it say “we will not prevail”? I’ve never heard that one. Is that supposed to mean we should just sit on our asses and let fascist/communists take over our nation? Not me. Live free or die, and take as many of the enemy with you as you can.
Prophesy does say that the anti-Chist and evil will prevail, and Christians will be persecuted and murdered, and hated because of his name. Tthat is the reason that Christ will return, remove all of his followers, and the rest of the earth will receive God’s wrath! But that does not mean to give in or give up, because Jesus said “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”…. this doesn’t mean that you need to stay alive, it means that you need to NOT deny God or lose faith!
Revelations, Chapter 13 verse 7 Brother Hopkins.
What’s wrong with the good old 17th century practice of burning queers at the stake?
What’s wrong with ignoring them and acting civilized?
@JBS and Larry Bickerly, Lots of civilized societies use execution on criminals that need executing. As to burning queers to a stake, its ok, but an awful lot of work. All work is cumulative, and there are many out there.
What’s wrong with the good old 16th century practice of burning Protestants at the stake?
@John Dunlap F. Your comment implies much, but means nothing. I hope that you live in a city.
Actually I live in live in the rural deep south, and voted for President Trump.
By intent…….they did this to make Christianity the “problem” ……….The further we get away from God The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost….the quicker we lose this country…….if you think losing Our Faith is the way to turn our country back to Freedom you are sadly mistaken…..like the pope and a vast array of churches, many are paid out to proclaim the opposite of The True Word of God
Quit being gullible and get on your knees Americans
WE DO NEED CHRIST ….HE IS WHO I FIGHT FOR
Amen
Sincerely,
A Woman of God
Wow. The responses to this article shore up my decision to leave the Christian faith. I was raised Southern Baptist. Saved and Baptized at the age of 13. My family is Christian. I have no ill-will towards Christians. I don’t like seeing Christians with ill-will either. I don’t need the Bible to tell me how to act as I know it’s not right to harm anyone else for any reason if they had not harmed or threaten to harm me or anyone else. Live your life as you wish. You only have one life. Want to be a Christian? Fine,… Read more »
It is stated in the Bible that homosexuality is a serious sin. The Bible does not condemn the people that practice it and as long as they repent they will be saved. I can remember, not to long ago, when the gays stayed in the closet and did not flaunt their less than Godly acts. It would be nice to revert back to those days.
Rattler Jake and Deplorable Bill, I appreciate your perspective on this matter.
Fake reporting sure brings out the creeps. Sad, these creeps are supposed to responsible citizens.
I am a Christian, I attended Bible college in the 1980’s. So I have some background in the Bible, and the King James is the only Bible I use. That being said, for all of you who seem to wish to either kill homosexuals, or to see them harmed or discriminated against in one form or another, that is certainly not the way that Jesus would have handled the issue. If you might recall the woman at the well, who was living in sin with a man who was not her husband, did Jesus condemn her? Or the woman taken… Read more »
Your entire comment is only HALF correct. Christ was here for one reason and that was to show God’s love of his creation – MAN! So Christ was NOT here to destroy evil, or to judge anyone, because that is all coming in the future. Secondly, your whole rant about sin all being the same and no different than other sin is not exactly true. God told us, and Christ reiterated it, that we are all sinners and have come short of the glory of God – man was born into sin but has the ability to salvage his soul… Read more »
Greg seems to hit the nail on the head, here. The right to disagree, and the right to behave differently, have differing interests, and even to have differing values is a matter of freedom. However, the free system cannot work when anyone, on whatever side of whatever fence, decides that another person must choose differently than as that person chooses. The desire of people to get in the face of other people and force them to change their behavior or thinking is an individual or group level of tyranny. Often, such people want to put that same enforcement at the… Read more »
[…] Source link […]
Yeah. Majorities don’t need protecting. Guns are the great equalizer, allowing the small to stand against the strong. Gun control in the US started as a way to keep guns out of the hands of blacks, and now we should aim to put them into the hands of queers.
NOPE!