Sunday, January 24: The A.D.D. Detective
GUNS and ROSES
by Leigh Lundin
This week I focus on two unrelated stories, the latter peculiar in a mysterious sense and the first peculiar in a What-the-hell-were-they-thinking? sense.
Last year, one of our readers mentioned he was so disgusted by the unChristian-like behavior of the Christian Ultra-Right, he couldn’t bring himself to capitalize the term ‘christian’ when referring to their political dogmatism. In news stories reported around the world this past week, our reader’s shift key is in little danger of wearing out, and I’m not discussing Pat Robertson’s damnation of Haiti or the Screwtape reply. <== MUST READ!
In violation of the Constitution, federal laws, national policy, common sense, and common decency, a federal arms supplier in Wixom, Michigan, Trijicon, inscribes rifle scopes etched with secret New Testament messages. Although known for years by weapons enthusiasts, the not-so-secret codes were only recently reported around the world, including of course, the Middle East. In response, the company and its supporters called critics unChristian and atheists. 
So be it: It’s difficult to think of anything more sacrilegious and unholy offensive to all religions including the one they purport to embrace.
From a crime writing standpoint, this tidbit will likely show up in a thriller. I haven’t seen the model/verse correlations published elsewhere, so following are the models of immediate concern and their corresponding verses.
| type | model | spec | ref | verse* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TA31 | ACOG | 4.0x32 | JN 8:12 |
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. |
| TA11 TA55 |
ACOG | 3.5x35 5.5x50 |
MT 5:16 |
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. |
| TR2n | Reflex | all | 2COR 4:6 |
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. |
| RMnn MSnn |
RedDot MCOG |
all most |
2PE 1:19 |
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. |
| MS07 | MCOG | all | 1TH 5:5 |
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. |
| RXnn | Accu- point |
REV 21:23 |
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. | |
| RX30 TX42 |
Reflex AmbDot |
1.0x42 | IS 60:1 |
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. |
* They all mention "light": rifle scopes… light… snuffing it out… get it?
Opinions on the Topic
"A disgusting use of the New Testament in itself… this is an outrageous abuse. Now in the open, it’s also a further impediment (reminiscent of the Christian imagery discovered on Pentagon war reports) to our efforts to assure the rest of the world that U.S. foreign policy is not driven by religious fervor.
Military contracts with the supplying company, Trijicon, should be halted immediately, until assurances can be made this won’t continue. … What good is it to have our civilian leadership traveling the world with the promise America does not fight religious wars, when the military has our soldiers training Afghans and Iraqis, and killing others, with guns that proclaim otherwise? This revelation deserves a quick and corrective response."
– Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
Fox News Fox & Friends, after hinting the "logos" might be something other than Biblical, concluded the impiously-coded scopes were "awesome" and "comforting" and asserted the company was well within its rights to put anything on its products it wishes. (Trijicon admitted the codes were Biblical, but apparently Fox didn’t get the memo.)
Carrying "Christian guns" into battle is sacrilegious: This must be the fundamentalist version of Jesus, "a war-making torturer of Muslims." It sure isn’t mine. It’s bad enough to entangle the government in religion— but it’s just wrong to put "the teachings of Jesus" on a gun.
– Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic
"Trijicon knew they were doing something wrong and trying to get away with it or they would not have encoded messages that, when used appropriately, need no disguise. The company should be ashamed of its actions, which do no favor either to the United States military or to Christianity; just the opposite. Messages of life and peace should not be prostituted by placing their imprint on instruments designed for death and war.
As a Christian, I am offended by Trijicon’s dismissal of the criticism saying that the organization raising the issue is “not Christian.” This is not a time for attacking critics, it is a time for Trijicon to clean up its behavior. As a patriot of this nation, I am outraged at this corporation’s lack of appreciation for our first freedom—religious freedom—and its corollary of separation between institutions of religion and institutions of government."
| United Kingdom | Israel | Qatar | United States |
For 61 years on Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday (19 January 1809), an unknown visitor has left three roses and a half bottle of cognac at his Baltimore grave site. This birthday, the mysterious visitor did not appear. (Hmm… Poe… Dick Stodghill…) Fortunately, Cynthia Pelayo of Chicago was one of a handful who picked up the slack and continue the tradition.
In other Poe news, a portrait of the author is up for auction and offers an insight different from the austere, boding daguerreotypes we’re used to seeing.
Also on Poe’s birthday, Spenser author Robert B. Parker died in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Jesus Rifles: Well, not to put too fine a point on it, this is further proof–like it was needed–that there are extremist nutcases in every religion!
Poe Offerings: Really, for 61 (!?) years, EVERY year? Let’s see, Dick Stodghill must have been in his twenties when he started that tradition. . . .
Great column, Leigh — and yes, both topics are mysteries.
Glad you mentioned Parker’s death. He will be missed.
The misuse of Bible references on weapons is reprehensible. A Christian myself, I wouldn’t use the word, even with the lower-case c, to describe such an action.
Good column.
Pat Robertson? “Haiti?! I Thought you said ‘Hades!’“
If it was O.T. verses they could have used “Thou Shalt Not Kill…” Speaking of Dick and Poe, when Dick Stodghill was born there were people alive who had been around during Poe’s lifetime around 70 years earlier.
Jeff, leave it to you to come up with the most common sense quote!
A cause contributing to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 is said to have been the issuing of rifle cartridges that were waterproofed with pork fat, offensive to Muslims, and beef fat, sacred to Hindus.
Problems arose as part of each cartridge had to be torn off with the teeth so powder could be poured out, thus bringing soldiers into contact with the offending ingredients.
Although British officers dismissed claims as rumours, orders were issued for fresh batches to be made using mutton fat or beeswax.
PS Jolly clever title
Here I am thinking that if Jesus or Satan were walking around today they’d be packing heat.
Seems like no matter what, they get shot down from one side or another.
Religion is religion is religion just as a rose is a rose is a rose.
Wars are wars and guns go to war.
I’m a Christian and I’d take a gun to town (so to speak).
and I wouldn’t care if it had inscription or not. Unless of course it was written by Jesus himself, but I’m sure you can’t buy those.
Wars of words don’t require guns, although I tend to shoot my mouth off enough.
I think I’m tired of all the bashing about of right and left wings. They are both evil!!!!!
Perhaps I’m just being sensitive to the fact my right wing is in a sling leaving me with a weak left wing in which to sling.
Whatever.
“PS Jolly clever title”
Yes, indeed. Leigh is an expert at creating puns, I believe. When I first read the title, I expected to read something about Axl Rose. LOL.
Assuming those codes do refer to Bible scriptures, I have no problem with it. Like many, I was brought up with the belief that this country was founded by men who carried a Bible in one hand, and a rifle in the other.
But approve or disapprove, it sure as heck isn’t unconstitutional, and thank God it isn’t.
There’s nothing unChristianlike about using a rifle to defend your country, or yourself, and nothing unConstitutional about Biblical verses on scopes, or even a rifle, used by the military.
Soldiers do while others don’t. Soldiers risk life while others stay safe and complain.
But just as a soldier has the right to carry a Bible, scope manufacturers have the right to mark their products as they see fit, and soldiers have every right to use such marked scopes.
Again, thank God, and the Constitution, they do.
The dangerous Christian is not the one who goes into battle with a Bible verse on a scope, it’s the so-called christian who ignores the Biblical commandmant to love other Christians, even if you disagree with them.
It seems to me the hate always comes from the side professing to preach meekness, anti-war, and that shouts the word “unConstitutional” every time they disagree with something.
“UnBiblical” is the term with real meaning, not “unConstitutional.”
It also seems the most uncommon thing in the world is common sense.
James, while respecting your views completely—I wore a uniform for over 20 years to protect your and others’ rights to espouse them—I disagree with you on some points. I don’t want to raise the temperature here, which is why I generally prohibit political topics on CB, but since the issue has been raised I think it should be addressed.
Constitutional law isn’t always what we think it should be.
The “unconstitutional” part of the argument comes in when the scopes become military equipment and not only the property of the U.S. Government, but physical instruments in the forwarding of U.S policy. It is unconstitutional for the U.S. Government to forward the interests of a single religion, especially with regards to doing so if it involves federal property. This is why if you put up a crèche on government property for Christmas, there had better be a menorah close by, or the courts will order you to take it down.
I agree that Trijicon has the right to inscribe their products as they see fit, but they do not have the right to surreptitiously engage in a religious agenda by selling those products to the federal government. If they included verses from the holy books of other religions, as well —you mentioned Bibles, and the U.S. Gov’t buys Bibles for the military, along with Qu’rans, Tanachs, and other scriptures— and especially if they left some of the scopes without any verses at all to account for freethinkers, then it would be a different matter entirely. Otherwise, the federal property should be completely religion-free to conform with the law.
Being fond of a Biblical verse myself, I cannot say that I can find fault with your reading of John 13:34, addressed as it was to the apostles at the Last Supper, although in the Church that I was raised, it was interpreted to mean love for everyone and not constrained to other Christians. But your interpretation is perfectly consistent and more literal, so I accept it. Be that as it may, there is also Matthew 7:12: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
That, at least, is unequivocally universal.
The most dangerous Christian to other Christians, in my view, is the one who kills for his religion. The most dangerous Christian to non-Christians is the one who dies for his religion instead. The saints calendar is full of them.