Jesus Said

Written By: Dan Stanley  |  Posted: Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

I am afraid that many people's perception of Christians and Jesus Himself is greatly tainted by too many Michelangelo paintings taken from the Sistine Chapel or other places where He was painted. When in Rome visiting the Sistine Chapel many years ago, I was reminded of this. Forgetting the nudity the paintings were obsessed with, there is what I would call the "feminization" of Jesus Christ by Michelangelo, Raphael and other artists of that era. He is portrayed with long, flowing
hair and, at times, womanlike features which the observer knows are merely the vain imaginations of the mind. That perception persists until this day in the minds of modern day Americans. So much so that the idea of Jesus or a Christian using a weapon for protection is questioned by many and condemned by some as hypocrisy. A few texts of the Bible are abused, resulting in the "feminization" of Christianity.

It might be good at this time to divulge something about myself. I do not own a gun. For years I resisted not owning one for several reasons. One is that I felt no need to have one nearby. Also, as a pastor, it seemed best (if possible)to not have one due to my station in life. What I am about to say will certainly not support my prior position, to say the least. I have purchased guns for family members, but to this day I personally own no weapon myself. Granted, in the past year it has been on my mind for the first time in my life to purchase a gun or two for the protection of my family. Maybe it is the unsettledness in America that causes me to consider this. And maybe this very admonition of Jesus will push me over the edge to go and buy a gun.

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