Condolences and God's grace to you in the loss of your mother.
Thank you for commenting so quickly on the sad development with Matthew Warren. You are right in saying that this will put mental health front and center once again in the news but I doubt if it will even make a dent in the church news. The church does not like to talk about it and like Stetzer says does not recognize the reality of it. We prefer to live in a pretend world on this subject. We really have our work cut out for us as a church. I want to do my part but am not very clear on how to bring grace and truth to the church on this topic.
We cannot even get our congregations to talk politics civily after worship in the parking lot. How do you expect us to act politically and all this is done in the name of the church order and being reformed?
Just one question: how has crcna done with its church planting emphasis? How many are we planting each year? How many close after 3-5 years for various reasons? Are new plants having better experiences with evangeism and discipleship than churches that have been established? Sorry, my one question grew into three.
I think suicide by the mentally ill may be greater than in the general population, but not murder, mass murder or terrorism of any kind.
The finger is pointed at the mentally ill because sinners always want to know whose fault it is. Since the mentally ill cannot engage in the finger pointing, they are too ill, they become easy skapegoats. It's the old speck and plank problem. Our hearts are so blinded by our own sin, the plank, that we cannot see accurately the sin of another. We first need to do the surgery of confession and repentance on ourselves before we can understand the sin of another.
I am not trying to get your gun. I do not think you need a AK47 to defend your grandson or yourself. If you want a gun with a clip of 10 bullets , more power to you. I support you in that desire.
Incidently i grew up in the Edgerton/Leota Mn. area, so I doubt if you are in a more rural area than that. As a kid I went jack rabbit hunting often but I never needed nor would my Dad have given me whatever the arms that police officers or soldiers were using. It just was not necessary.
Mark makes a good point also. Not all people with mental health issues are violent. 90% are not. When I was in the mental hospital here in Visalia, my pyschiatrist told me I would not be able to buy a gun for one year or until I had fully recovered. No problem. I understood.
So what kind of gun do you need for self-defense and to protect your grandson? I think even Diane Fiensteins legislation would protect your right to that kind of gun.
I think you are right that my last comment wqs unfair. I was wrong and apologize for saying that 2nd amendment supporters are not prolife. I still think it is time for 2nd amendment supporters and the NRA to admit that they do not have a right to AK47s, grenades, bombs, drones, etc.
It seems unreasonable and sub-Christian to not favor sanctified common sense gun-control. The parents at Sandy Hollow have said that the only time there was a chance to excape the barrage of bullets emitted from the shooters gun was when he had to engage another clip. Just think if the clips had only contained ten bullets perhaps 1-5 persons may have escapred his deadly deed. I think that is immentienly worthwhile.
The US does not have an absolute 2nd ammendment right. The supreme court has explained in previous decisions that it is limited. Just as freedom of speech is limited. The 2nd ammendment even speaks about a well regulated Militia.
In light of the recent Boston marathon bombing, it is instructive to remember that the right to bear arms does not include bombs,canons, missiles etc all of which could easily fit with "arms."
Yes Ed. you have a point but if its people who are the problem theny why could we not pass enhanced background checks? That has to do with regulating persons who should not have guns. Also if there had been an armed teacher in the room he/she could have been the first person taken out, then what? Why not the sanctified common sense approach which 90% of Americans support? Why allow a small gun lobby to run the nation?
Posted in: How Churches Can Respond to Mental Illness
Hi Mark,
Condolences and God's grace to you in the loss of your mother.
Thank you for commenting so quickly on the sad development with Matthew Warren. You are right in saying that this will put mental health front and center once again in the news but I doubt if it will even make a dent in the church news. The church does not like to talk about it and like Stetzer says does not recognize the reality of it. We prefer to live in a pretend world on this subject. We really have our work cut out for us as a church. I want to do my part but am not very clear on how to bring grace and truth to the church on this topic.
Thanks for all you are doing,
Larry
Posted in: U.S. Health Care Reform
How will this affect retired ministers who are presently covered by BCBS of Michigan with Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO?
Thanks,
Larry
Posted in: The Church and the Exercise of Non-Ecclesiastical Power
Hi Karl,
We cannot even get our congregations to talk politics civily after worship in the parking lot. How do you expect us to act politically and all this is done in the name of the church order and being reformed?
Larry
Posted in: Seeking the Lost...Discipling the Found
Just one question: how has crcna done with its church planting emphasis? How many are we planting each year? How many close after 3-5 years for various reasons? Are new plants having better experiences with evangeism and discipleship than churches that have been established? Sorry, my one question grew into three.
Larry
Posted in: Grounded in Faith: Resources on Mental Health and Gun Violence
I think suicide by the mentally ill may be greater than in the general population, but not murder, mass murder or terrorism of any kind.
The finger is pointed at the mentally ill because sinners always want to know whose fault it is. Since the mentally ill cannot engage in the finger pointing, they are too ill, they become easy skapegoats. It's the old speck and plank problem. Our hearts are so blinded by our own sin, the plank, that we cannot see accurately the sin of another. We first need to do the surgery of confession and repentance on ourselves before we can understand the sin of another.
Larry
Posted in: The Holy Spirit and the Sermon – A Friendly Reminder For Those Who Preach
One thing bothers me about this article. It says this kind of sin is unforgiveable. I have committed it many times, so I guess I've made my bed.
Larry
Posted in: The Holy Spirit and the Sermon – A Friendly Reminder For Those Who Preach
My apologies I misread it. Please forgive me.
Larry
Posted in: A Perspective on Gun Violence Prevention
I am not trying to get your gun. I do not think you need a AK47 to defend your grandson or yourself. If you want a gun with a clip of 10 bullets , more power to you. I support you in that desire.
Incidently i grew up in the Edgerton/Leota Mn. area, so I doubt if you are in a more rural area than that. As a kid I went jack rabbit hunting often but I never needed nor would my Dad have given me whatever the arms that police officers or soldiers were using. It just was not necessary.
Mark makes a good point also. Not all people with mental health issues are violent. 90% are not. When I was in the mental hospital here in Visalia, my pyschiatrist told me I would not be able to buy a gun for one year or until I had fully recovered. No problem. I understood.
So what kind of gun do you need for self-defense and to protect your grandson? I think even Diane Fiensteins legislation would protect your right to that kind of gun.
I think you are right that my last comment wqs unfair. I was wrong and apologize for saying that 2nd amendment supporters are not prolife. I still think it is time for 2nd amendment supporters and the NRA to admit that they do not have a right to AK47s, grenades, bombs, drones, etc.
Larry
Posted in: Defining the Roles of the Offices of the Church
They could check with most or all of the social agencies and ministries to find out how they as deacons of the church could serve them.
Larry
Posted in: A Perspective on Gun Violence Prevention
It seems unreasonable and sub-Christian to not favor sanctified common sense gun-control. The parents at Sandy Hollow have said that the only time there was a chance to excape the barrage of bullets emitted from the shooters gun was when he had to engage another clip. Just think if the clips had only contained ten bullets perhaps 1-5 persons may have escapred his deadly deed. I think that is immentienly worthwhile.
The US does not have an absolute 2nd ammendment right. The supreme court has explained in previous decisions that it is limited. Just as freedom of speech is limited. The 2nd ammendment even speaks about a well regulated Militia.
In light of the recent Boston marathon bombing, it is instructive to remember that the right to bear arms does not include bombs,canons, missiles etc all of which could easily fit with "arms."
Larry
Posted in: A Perspective on Gun Violence Prevention
Yes Ed. you have a point but if its people who are the problem theny why could we not pass enhanced background checks? That has to do with regulating persons who should not have guns. Also if there had been an armed teacher in the room he/she could have been the first person taken out, then what? Why not the sanctified common sense approach which 90% of Americans support? Why allow a small gun lobby to run the nation?
Larry
Posted in: A Perspective on Gun Violence Prevention
I think we are beginning to see that the CRCNA is not a truely prolife church by our comments on unlimited gun freedom. We just don't care.
Larry