Our Story
Tennessee Gun Store Offers Discount To Christians Only
"I am Christian and I carry"
Luke 22:35-37 And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. "For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end."
Christians Targeted
On October 1, 2015, a tragic massacre was perpetrated on the campus of Umpqua Community College in Oregon. Victims were asked to identify their faith. Those who said they were Christian were summarily executed with a bullet to the head. Those who did not profess faith in Jesus Christ were shot in the lower extremities. Before the smoke cleared, nine innocent folks had been shot dead (not all who died were Christian), and nine more wounded. As usual in these mass shootings, the cowardly assassin took his own life when he met an armed response.
Mathew Downing whom the shooter spared recalls the most chilling scene:
"The shooter asked one of the other students to stand up and, when he did, asked him if he was religious. The student said he was Christian and was shot. This continued with another person, who acknowledged he was Catholic but wasn't sure if he believed in an afterlife. He was shot too." CNN News
The President Speaks
As facts came in, the nation seemed to hold its breath until, even before the dead were identified, President Barrack Obama appeared in a televised speech announcing he would be politicizing these horrific, execution-style murders. The President renewed his call for the passage of more gun laws.
The President made no mention that Christians had been executed for their faith.
Enough is Enough
The next day I could not get the shootings out of my mind. I kept thinking, "enough is enough." America is turning its back on Christians. Christianity can't be mentioned in government functions and is banned from our schools and places of employment. Even at Christmas, many businesses no longer say Jesus Christ for fear of offending. I have even read about folk protesting because they didn't want the baby Jesus in a Christmas play!
And now Christians are being singled out for execution (also see the Charleston Church Shootings. NBC NEW Charleston Church Shooting
A Brave Stand
This is when I read that Tennessee Lt Governor Ron Ramsay had bravely taken a stand against the slaughter of unarmed people and Christians.:
"While this is not the time for widespread panic, it is a time to prepare... I would encourage my fellow Christians, serious about their faith, to consider getting a handgun carry permit. I have always believed that it is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it...Our enemies are armed. We must do likewise." The Tennessean
We Should Be Prepared
Nehemiah 4:14 ...fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
I thought Lt. Gov. Ramsey is right! Christians should be prepared by carrying a handgun, and as the owner of Frontier Firearms, I could help. This was when I decided to offer a discount to Christian to achieve these goals:
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Let Christians know that despite the growing opposition and hostility to Christianity around in the USA and around the world, in my store, they are respected and welcome,
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Help Christians obtain a firearm.
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Give Christians an opportunity to openly profess their faith and receive a small reward rather than a bullet in the head.
Facebook Ad
So I posted this ad on Facebook, and immediately Christians posted their support.
A Storm Blows In
Then a local television station, WVLT Channel 8, Knoxville, TN, filmed a story at my gun store. Within 24 hours, the story had gone national. See the report here: Local 8 WVLT TV Gun store offering discount for Christians.
That's when the storm began, and our Facebook page blew up. On one side, folks were supportive, but on the other, people were going nuts. Many, even after I assured them no one would be denied a discount during the sale, were threatening lawsuits for discrimination. Christians and atheists quoted out-of-context Bible verses to condemn me for suggesting Christians should even own much less and carry a handgun.
Many Claim Offense
I engaged many of the folks who were objecting and discovered they fell into the following groups:
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Liberals and progressives who hate firearms
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Liberals, progressives, and atheists who seem to hate Christianity if not Christians
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Atheists who love guns but hate Christianity.
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Christians who hate guns.
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Christians who do not hate guns but misunderstand scripture (especially Matthew 5:9, "turn the other cheek" and / or the commandment "thou shall not kill (murder) Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17)
Yet Support Was Great
I was receiving calls from all around the country from supportive folks who said more Christians should stand up and be heard.
ChristianCarryPins.com is born
That's when I had the idea for a tasteful pin Christians could wear that told other Christians were they stood.
I am Christian and I Carry
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Luke 22:35-36 And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. "For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end."
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Ezekiel 33:6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.
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Nehemiah 4:14 ...fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
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Nehemiah 4:17-18 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.
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Nehemiah 4:21 So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.
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Nehemiah 4: 23 So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.
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Psalm 82:4 Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
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We all know the Bible verse “turn the other cheek” from Matthew 5:39, but in the Sermon on the Mount does Jesus really mean as Christians we have to be doormats and let anyone who wants to “pound us” at will? Even kill us?
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Of course not, Jesus was using a common rabbinical teaching tool known as “hyperbole” in order to accentuate an important point. He did not intend the line to be taken in a strict, literal, and absolute sense. We know this because in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away…" (Matthew 5:29) and "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away…" (Matthew 5:30)
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Do we really think Jesus wants us to pluck out our eyes and throw them away or cut off our hands in His name? Of course not, Jesus is speaking in hyperbole to emphasize the fact that we must eliminate all obstacles to serving God. So when it comes to turn the other cheek, Jesus is not saying we should be doormats and pacifists.
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To "turn the other cheek," does not imply pacifism in the face of violence or war; nor does it mean we must place ourselves or others in mortal danger by refusing to defend ourselves. Like the principle of the eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth in Matthew 5:38, turning the other cheek refers or applies to personal retaliation, not criminal offenses or acts of military aggression. Clearly, Jesus did not mean to negate all God’s laws and injunctions protecting us against violent crime or invading armies. Rather, Jesus is speaking here of the principle of non-retaliation to affronts against our own dignity, as well as lawsuits to gain one’s personal assets (Matthew 5:40), infringements on one’s liberty (Matthew 5:41), and violations of property rights (Matthew 5:42). But He was not calling for the surrender of the right to self-defense
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Turning the other cheek means not to return insult for insult in retaliation, which is what most people expect and how worldly people act. Responding to hatred with love just might grab someone's attention and afford us a chance to share the gospel. When we respond in a manner that is unnatural, it displays the supernatural power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus was the perfect example because He was silent before His accusers and did not call down revenge from heaven on those who crucified Him.
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