Read beyond the headline, because I can see by what they carry that they come from Barrytown

"I'm not one to look behind I know that times must change
But over there in Barrytown they do things very strange
And though you're not my enemy
I like things like they used to be
And though you'd like some company
I'm standing by myself
Go play with someone else
I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown"
Steely Dan-"Barrytown"


My friends,
I was all set to write a diatribe this morning that would probably have half of my friends cheering and the other half wanting my head on a plate and/or a long explanation. Well, that isn't happening. The diatribe is hereby modified, so put away your swords and hold your applause.

Gotta love hypocracy on both sides LOL


Headline: Pennsylvania church blessing couples with AR-15 rifles 2 weeks after Florida school shooting


When I read and heard last week that a Pennsylvania church was going to hold a blessing ceremony for AR-15s, I nearly did a spit take. I thought, what a great way to reinforce the stereotypes people from other states have that Pennsylvanians are backwater hicks! Yee hah! Also, were you aware that Jesus and Moses used guns to defeat the Romans (I know, I stole it from Family Guy)? So, I was triggered like an Armalite. I held my opinion in check for most of the week, aware that saying one phrase might unleash a wave of angry people beating down my e-mail box or my Facebook page demanding my carcass on a spit.

Then, I found out the name of the church that held the blessing ceremony, and in the words of Steely Dan, I could see by what they carried that they came from Barrytown. The church in question is the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, or Unification Church, in Newfoundland, PA. This is NOT your typical Christian congregation and it is not even a part of mainstream Christianity i.e. Catholicism, Orthodoxy, mainline Protestantism. They are known as "Moonies", after their founder, the Rev. Sung Young Moon. According to Lehigh Valley Live, "Moon was a "Korean evangelist, businessman and self-proclaimed messiah who built a religious movement notable for its mass weddings, fresh-faced proselytizers and links to vast commercial interests," The New York Times said following his death in 2012. He was 92." Sanctuary Church is a splinter offshoot of the Unification Church, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center that tracks hate groups are the United States. The pastor of Sanctuary Church is the son of Rev. Moon, and even the Unification Church itself distanced itself from the event, so it was too crazy even for that group of crazies that Steely Dan mentioned in the classic tune "Barrytown" on their album Pretzel Logic.


Reading several articles on the event made me realize once again, that news outlets write headlines in a way for you to form an opinion without even setting your eyes to the small print. One view of those headlines is enough to make someone at a glance think "typical American Christian nutcases, who think Jesus Christ carried a Kalishnikov around Jerusalem while walking around with the 12 disciples." And people wonder why I don't trust the media at all anymore? Well, let me think...Maybe it's the way you write misrepresentative headlines.

You see, this "church" is not a typical church. A casual read of the headline reports it just like it was the local Catholic parish, the local Methodist congregation, or the nearby Evangelical Free Church having a chicken BBQ or a parish pot-luck. Small problem, they aren't. They are considered by many to be a cult at worst, and at best a severely heretical form of Christianity to even the most non-denominational Christian. Do a little research on your own. Google the Unification Church and see what you'll find. A few slices short of a pizza. According to Wikipedia: "From its beginning the Unification Church has claimed to be Christian and has tried to promote its teachings to mainstream Christian churches and organizations. The Unification Church in South Korea was labeled as heretical by Protestant churches in South Korea, including Moon’s own Presbyterian Church. In the United States the church was rejected by ecumenical organizations as being non-Christian. The main objections against it were theological, especially because of the Unification Church’s addition of material to the Bible and for its rejection of a literal Second Coming of Jesus. Protestant commentators have also criticized Unification Church teachings as being contrary to the Protestant doctrine of salvation by faith alone."

Sorry, had to include my favorite scene from Airplane! Anyway...


So, the fact that this church's ceremony was reported as if it was a normal thing that mainline Christian churches do on a regular basis is absolutely shameful. How it should have been reported was as if it were a cult performing a ritual that has nothing whatsoever to do with mainline Christian teaching of any legitimate denomination. However, it wasn't, because Christianity is a favorite punching bag of the media, and this was another opportunity to smear us in the eyes of many. As a fairly devout Catholic, I can handle when people criticize us over our belief structure, because that is usually out of lack of knowledge and research, and with a little learning can be understood at least, if not agreed with. However, when people like myself, my wife, my friends who are practicing Christians are painted with a broad brush and lumped in with out of the ballpark lunatics like the Unification Church, I start to get angry. In this case, they have thrown away their broad brush and have pulled out a roller.

Fr. Ken at my church would not approve of a ceremony like this. Pastor Debbie at my wife's church would not approve of it. Neither would the priests and pastors at any of my friends or families churches. I am sure there are churches in the state that bless hunters, because hunting is a part of Pennsylvania culture, like it or not, and I would have no issue if they did. I have friends who hunt and I pray for their safety whenever they do so.


To be fair, there are Christians out there who are a little too fanatical about their firearms, and intertwine them with their religious beliefs, and I am sure there are preachers on Sunday who put God and guns into the same sentence. To not say that would be a falsehood. Yet, they are not representative of Christians in America as a whole and to say that they are is disgusting. Every religion has their extremists, and they should be roundly condemned. Is the fact that I am a Catholic mean that I am La Cosa Nostra? No. Is the practice of Islam a sign that someone is about to crash a plane into a building? Hell no. It doesn't matter what faith you are, be it Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Wiccan, Pagan, or whatever...it is wrong to be painted with a broad brush and it is wrong to be stereotyped. This is America, and one of the great things about it is you can build a church to worship Elvis if you so desire.


So, once again, the press has decided that one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch, and I for one would like to take that apple and shove it up their ass. No wonder I do not believe a word you say anymore. I am tired of you media hacks misrepresenting good people and lumping them in with lunatics. Get your shit correct for once.