Baptist Youth Gun Giveaway Sadly Cancelled.

[RiversideGator]

Well I'm a gun owner and user.  However I don't know about a church giving them away! 

To me the fact that you believe in an invisible man in the sky who does magic indicates that your already a bit too mentally unstable to own guns!

Hope you like it hot.   

[Steve]

This to me is just a bizarre story - while guns were used for hunting by people of all ages, how did this seem like a good idea?

[mkr32208]

WTF?  Now this entire post has become senseless...   

I think it would have been better to remove the entire thread than to parse it so that it just becomes nonsense.

Just my .02

[Steve]

WTF?  Now this entire post has become senseless...  

I think it would have been better to remove the entire thread than to parse it so that it just becomes nonsense.

Just my .02

Sorry - not finished.  I didn't want to lock the thread while I did it, because I didn't want to stop you guys from posting.  I'll be done in a sec.

[Steve]

BTW - any chance of FBC downtown doing a promotion like this?

[avonjax]

Gentlemen - I've removed some of the posts.  If anyone has an issue with my edits, please PM me.

Let's cut the garbage out.

Sorry Steve, I understand why you removed most of the posts to this topic.
I rarely lose it like I did tonight and since you did remove most of what was said some people who see this later may be completely confused.  I want to clarify my views to those of you who were here for round 1, and why I reached the point that I did tonight.

I usually avoid the subjects of religion and politics for the exact reason this topic had to be edited.
But this one really struck a nerve with me and unfortunately it had a bit of both.....
I DON'T LIKE GUNS. All my family and friends know that, but they also know that I respect EVERYONE'S right to own one....
My whole reaction to this thread was the church involvement......if it had been any other organization I would have had little or no reaction since pretty much nothing surprises me anymore.
I just can't accept this practice as proper behavior for a Christian organization... “guns for god” was more than I could take.
It doesn't matter what kind of gun it was, although the website did show a semi automatic rifle....my reaction was that a CHURCH related event would give ANYONE ANY KIND OF GUN.
I also think every Christian on earth has a right to own a gun, but as the Bible states, for those who believe it, Isaiah chapter two speaks about how weapons would be remade into implements for farming and nations would not lift swords against each other and they would not go to war. The same message is in the book of Micah....
I am sure that those who disagree with me will find their own reasoning and I know there was much war and bloodshed in the Bible, but the people involved were not Christians. If you recall the only time one of Christ’s followers used a weapon against a person, (it was Peter when he cut off the ear of a Roman soldier when they came to take Jesus to kill him,) he was rebuked and told "those who live by the sword, die by the sword." So I don't think Jesus would tell you that you couldn’t have a sword but I doubt he would pass them out to his followers if he were on earth today.
Granted I am sure that the church did not intend to give a gun to someone for them to use it to kill a person. But the whole thing just doesn’t sit right no matter what argument is made as to the merits of guns. (killing for food, protection, etc. obtaining and owning a gun should be a secular thing.)
And even further on the subject, I agree that if you were in your home and someone threatened your family you would probably have time to use your gun to protect yourself, but I highly doubt that if someone decided to shoot you they would announce their intention and give you time to pull your gun.
So there you have my reasoning on this issue....
You may not agree with me, but you cannot say I did not voice my belief on the subject without something to back it up.
The offense to me tonight was not that another person disagreed with me, I think more than one did, it was how one particular individual took snippets of my post and made it personal by making little digs at each line they quoted. Disagreements are less offensive if they are not made personal as this person chose to do tonight. I was not the only one who shared this view, but I was the one this individual chose to put on center stage. That would be okay too, but not in the style this person put me on that stage. Sadly that’s how this person often behaves on this site and why I retaliated.
I won't open a new can of worms, but he thought I was a female, which was okay, and as Stephen pointed out I live in Avondale thus avonjax. He made it a point to say he would buy Avon from me. I want to point out that when you have obviously provoked someone it does not ease the tension when you choose to make what came a across as a sexist remark. And if he thought it was funny, it wasn’t. But he also makes snide remarks whether he has all the facts on an issue or not. He comes across as a person who just wants to start and argument for his personal entertainment. This is just another way for him to be antagonistic. But alas this is his signature style.
I originally mentioned his name before I edited this post, but after thinking about it for a while I realized it would only encourage his behavior.


After tonight I am really struggling about removing Metro Jacksonville from my favorites....
I have been coming to this site for a long, long time (I'm not sure how long this site has been around) and MetJax is usually the first site I come to EVERY day when I go online....
I tell everyone I talk to about this site and I encourage them to visit and use it.... I am very passionate about things I am fond of.
I have always looked to this site as a fine source of information. And on many subjects maybe the best source. But the antagonism that has reared its ugly head here lately has taken a lot of the pleasure out of being here.

My intention with this post is to alert those who choose to ignore any semblance of online etiquette by allowing their opposing opinions and views to come across as personal affronts, are robbing a valuable resource of its real intention, and threatening the ongoing use by some of its faithful followers.

[NotNow]

Hey Avon,

I guess I am somewhat responsible for whatever happened here.  I was just trying to say that the culture is defferent in OK than it is here.  A lot of how we look at the world is based on our experiences.   Local churches are representative of the community that they are in.  I certainly understand your position, and encourage you to express it.  I'm not the same man who left that small town to join the military many years ago, and I won't be the same in twenty years.  We change and the world changes around us.  That is what makes TRUTH so valuble.  It does not change.  Lets just all try to understand that.

[RiversideGator]

Well I'm a gun owner and user.  However I don't know about a church giving them away! 

To me the fact that you believe in an invisible man in the sky who does magic indicates that your already a bit too mentally unstable to own guns!

Hope you like it hot.   

what a weird parsing of my post.

dude its like a fatal attraction isnt it?

I didnt say anyone was getting an uzi.

I was just stating my personal----as in my personal life---- feelings about fire arms, thats all.

I wasnt parsing your post.  The post you cited wasnt even in reference to yours.  And quit stating that I am attracted to you because I disagree with you.  That is really getting bizarre.

[jbm32206]

I have always looked to this site as a fine source of information. And on many subjects maybe the best source. But the antagonism that has reared its ugly head here lately has taken a lot of the pleasure out of being here.

My intention with this post is to alert those who choose to ignore any semblance of online etiquette by allowing their opposing opinions and views to come across as personal affronts, are robbing a valuable resource of its real intention, and threatening the ongoing use by some of its faithful followers.

This has been happening a few too many times, which is why members may notice that threads are either being locked, edited or moved. It's a shame when opposing views seem to take on a personal attack mode, instead of offering educated and civil discussions. I would hope that you don't leave metrojacksonville, and allow the administrators and moderators the opportunity to continue working towards maintaining a forum that's not only inviting to current members, but to new ones.

[gatorback]

My mom always said, "Love the Lord with all your heart and your Beretta 9 mm too." 

[avonjax]

Hey Avon,

I guess I am somewhat responsible for whatever happened here.  I was just trying to say that the culture is defferent in OK than it is here.  A lot of how we look at the world is based on our experiences.   Local churches are representative of the community that they are in.  I certainly understand your position, and encourage you to express it.  I'm not the same man who left that small town to join the military many years ago, and I won't be the same in twenty years.  We change and the world changes around us.  That is what makes TRUTH so valuble.  It does not change.  Lets just all try to understand that.

I just wanted to let you know that you are not the person I was talking about....
They know who they are.
When this person disagrees with someone on this site they tend to make it personal.....
I was very tired of their methods which resulted with "the straw broke the camels back," so to speak.
You and I have different views of this subject, but I am not angry nor do I have less respect for your opinion.
I appreciate that you gave a very solid reason for your view.
That was part of the point I was trying to make in my last post....

[Driven1]

I have always looked to this site as a fine source of information. And on many subjects maybe the best source. But the antagonism that has reared its ugly head here lately has taken a lot of the pleasure out of being here.

My intention with this post is to alert those who choose to ignore any semblance of online etiquette by allowing their opposing opinions and views to come across as personal affronts, are robbing a valuable resource of its real intention, and threatening the ongoing use by some of its faithful followers.

This has been happening a few too many times, which is why members may notice that threads are either being locked, edited or moved. It's a shame when opposing views seem to take on a personal attack mode, instead of offering educated and civil discussions. I would hope that you don't leave metrojacksonville, and allow the administrators and moderators the opportunity to continue working towards maintaining a forum that's not only inviting to current members, but to new ones.

thank you jbm.  we couldn't have said it better ourselves.

[Downtown Dweller]

Just to add... The white man raided the Indians not the other way around. When someone steals something they are still a thief, and the victim trying to get their 'stuff back is still a victim, whether acknowledged or not. perhaps if the indians had the uzi's back then the USA would be a different place so i say we all get one

[gatorback]

Yes.  In fact, you can see it in the "Welcome and Introductions" topics.  The regulars have even stopped welcoming people to the site which is a shame since we would want to welcome everybody one would think.


But anyways, Gun's for everybody!  DC is changing their law too so the young baptist up there can have them as well.

[gjb2008]

i am a gun owner.  and yes, i sometimes take my gun to church.  not INTO the church mind you, but it will be in the car.  it would be wonderful if thugs took Sundays off, but they do not.

You are one scary dude...
Do you mind telling me the church you go to?
I want to be sure to avoid it at all costs....
.....and obviously you are a Republican, cuz u guys love your guns more than your women....
oh and tapping your feet under bathroom stalls....
But at least you have your gun to snuggle up to at night....
Have a gun lovin', pistol packin' day....
Hallelujah!