Guns, God and Presidents

by David Safier
The staged media event in Phoenix during Obama's speech, where Chris Broughton arrived with a rifle slung over his shoulder and was interviewed by someone who helped stage the event, has taken a weird turn, courtesy of Pastor Steven Anderson. It seems Anderson has been praying for Obama to die. Broughton, who joined Anderson's church a few months ago, was there for Anderson's sermon the day before he showed up at the Obama event packing heat.

Broughton's gun was apparently unloaded, and he wasn't anywhere near Obama, so I'm not accusing him of homicidal intent. I'm just pointing out the nature of the beast, this frightening confluence of God, revolutionary fervor and love of firearms.

You can listen to Pastor Anderson's sermons, including his August 16 sermon titled, Why I Hate Barack Obama. No, I'm not satirizing the sermon by creating a title with "Hate" in it. That's the title Anderson chose. Pastor Steven Anderson, servant of a loving God.

Here's an excerpt.

But let me tell you something: I don't love Barack Obama. I don't respect Barack Obama. I don't obey Barack Obama. And I'd like Barack Obama to melt like a snail tonight. Because he needs to recompense, he needs to reap what he's sown.

You see, any Christian will tell you that someone who commits murder should get the death penalty. Because that's what it says in Genesis Chapter 9, that's what it says in the Mosaic Law, that's what it teaches us throughout the Bible. 'Who so sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.' 'From the image of God created he Man.'

And when Barack Obama is gonna push his partial birth abortion, his salty saline solution abortion, hey, he deserves to be punished for what he's done.

And more.

And yet you're going to tell me that I'm supposed to pray for the socialist devil, murderer, infanticide, who wants to see young children and he wants to see babies killed through abortion and partial-birth abortion and all these different things -- you're gonna tell me I'm supposed to pray for God to give him a good lunch tomorrow while he's in Phoenix, Arizona.

Nope. I'm not gonna pray for his good. I'm going to pray that he dies and goes to hell.

It was funny when Dana Carvey as the Church Lady said to a guest, "I'm gonna have to say a little prayer against you." It was funny because it was what so many "good Christians" thought but wouldn't say aloud. Now we have a host of religious leaders who openly pray for the death of the President.

Anderson is not advocating assassination, of course.

"No where in the sermon did I advocate vigilantism," Anderson said today, reached at the church. "It's a spiritual battle."

He continued: "I'd rather have him die of natural causes anyway, that way he's not some martyr. I'm praying for him to die just so he gets what he deserves."

I'm glad he makes the distinction. And I suppose he feels certain no one in his congregation will take his words that anyone who violates God's law deserves the death penalty to mean they should be the executioner.

Commenters can tell me what a nice guy Chris Broughton is, and maybe they're right. But I don't know about the guy sitting next to Chris in the pews, or others listening to hate mongers in churches and at rallies around the country.

These people scare the hell out of me.