Guns And The Jesus Complex

BY Herschel Smith
10 years, 6 months ago

Concerning the Colorado recall:

In an emotional concession speech, Mr. Morse called the loss of his seat “purely symbolic” and defended the record of the last legislative session as “phenomenal.”

“We made Colorado safer from gun violence,” he said afterward, as his supporters trickled away from a hotel ballroom here in his district. “If it cost me my political  career, that’s a small price to pay.”

[ … ]

Mr. Morse’s hand was on the tiller during much of that debate. A former police chief, he said he found himself in a position of not just rounding up votes, but actually explaining the mechanics of guns to fellow Democrats. He brought a magazine to show his colleagues how it worked. In an emotional speech in March, as the debate reached its peak, Mr. Morse stood on the Senate floor and spoke of gun violence and “cleansing a sickness from our souls.”

I had followed the Colorado recall elections for the simple reason that some of my readers forced me to.  But this is the first time that I have seen the theological undertones in the debates.  Now, take note how people like me, conservative Christians, are repeatedly mocked in the national discourse.  Trotting out our religion, we always are.  Forcing it on other people.  It’s incorrigible – they cannot help but mock us.

While it’s true that I do see theological issues surrounding the right and duty of self defense, it is Morse who forced his views into the law-making proces.  I never demanded the freedom to do such a thing.  For instance, while I see the historical and interpretive value of knowing that colonial citizens were required to own weapons, I do not support such a thing today.

Note his language.  He believes that his actions were “cleansing a sickness from our souls,” and he is willing to sacrifice himself in a vicarious sort of way in order to effect this redemption.  Good grief.  Morse thinks he is Jesus.

I thank God that I have been spared such theological confusion (does that make me sound like a Pharisee?).  If I ever declare myself to be Jesus, I think my astute readers will hold me accountable.

UPDATE: David Codrea doubts that anyone else wants to be Jesus.

While the successful recall will not be enough to shift the legislative balance of power in Colorado, it will no doubt show activists there and elsewhere what is possible when they apply themselves, and give a boost of confidence to retry recalls in efforts where not enough signatures were gathered, or to start new efforts where success seems possible. And it will no doubt energize gun owners to participate in the next election … Fear of that unpleasantness may be enough to rein in legislators seeing gun owners realizing a newly-discovered power. At the very least, recall actions can cause anti-gun politicians and their patrons to use up their resources defensively, as opposed to launching new aggressive campaigns against gun ownership …

Yes.  This is a battlefield victory.  But there are more battles to fight.  We’re just beginning.


Comments

  1. On September 11, 2013 at 2:55 pm, TrishaMarie said:

    Well, honestly, I think I saw a little spittle on the corner of his mouth last night. And the doe-in-the-headlights look at the realization he was going to have to work in the private sector as an accountant – somewhere – to earn a living?
    Priceless.

  2. On September 11, 2013 at 3:42 pm, GunRights4US said:

    That elected politicians would ignore the expressed will of those who elected them warrants hanging in my opinion. It’s treasonous betrayal at its rankest most base level!

  3. On September 12, 2013 at 7:01 am, DAN III said:

    Good for Coloradans….they lead by example. As you pointed out Mr. Smith, the Colorado effort to punish these ruling elite shows others it can be done.

    BTW….I’ll never get over how these ruling elites call their time in office a “career”. Political office was never meant to be a “career”. Get in, SERVE one term and go back to the farm. Instead the electorate has allowed politicians to make it a career with stupendous pay and benefits and POWER.

    We have only ourselves to blame for the debacle in this country.

  4. On September 12, 2013 at 7:18 am, Mark Matis said:

    I beg to differ, DAN III. It will be interesting to see what the GOP actually allowed to run as replacements for these two. Are they REAL? Or are they McShame clones? On occasion, honest citizens DO sneak through. The party then does their best to insure they cannot be elected, conspiring with the Media and the Democrats because, after all, the end goal for the GOP is the same as that of the Donkeys. They merely want to get their slightly slower.

  5. On September 17, 2013 at 11:17 pm, Theophil said:

    Jesus was not unarmed. He chose not to use his power and authority to resist. Being more intelligent than I am he overcame violence without violence of his own (except to the worldview of others). With the lady taken In the very act, He defended her and gave her reason and opportunity to change. I am less intelligent and have less power yet he is my example. I think that unarmed citizens are less able to protect the public than those who have prepared themselves. It is a good thing to help protect the public, it would be a better thing if I succeed without resort to violence. It can quite easily be an evil thing if I do it with anger.

    When my children were young I used discipline on them. It was not done to hurt them. I had to learn for myself that using negative discipline in anger was wrong. I had to realize that three quarters of discipline is positive, not to build kids self esteem but to reinforce good behavior.

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This article is filed under the category(s) Gun Control,Guns,Religion and was published September 11th, 2013 by Herschel Smith.

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