Thursday, February 12, 2009

I thought God helps those WHO HELP THEMSELVES, eh? Was I mistaken?

Via the AP in this morning's Chron, Arkansas reps passed a bill allowing CHL holders to carry in church. From the story:

Rep. Steven Breedlove, D-Greenwood, a minister at the Valley View Church of Christ, said allowing concealed handguns won’t stop someone from opening fire inside a church.
“Ronald Reagan was completely surrounded by armed guards and he was still shot,” Breedlove said. “And that is why we must put our faith in God and not put our faith in something else ... Let us keep the sanctity of churches and put our faith in God and not in guns.

For some strange and unknown reason, I am reminded of an old joke, as well as the saying in the title of this post.
The joke: A religious man is on top of a roof during a great flood. A man comes by in a boat and says "get in, get in!" The religious man replies, "No, I have faith in God. He will grant me a miracle."
Later the water is up to his waist and another boat comes by, and the guy in this boat tells him to get in again. He responds that he has faith in God and that God will give him a miracle. With the water at about chest high, another boat comes to rescue him, but he turns down the offer again because "God will grant me a miracle."
With the water at chin high, a helicopter throws down a ladder and they tell him to get in, mumbling with the water in his mouth, he again turns down the request for help for the faith of God. He arrives at the gates of heaven with broken faith and says to Peter, "I thought God would grant me a miracle and I have been let down."
St. Peter chuckles and responds, "I don't know what you're complaining about, we sent you three boats and a helicopter."
And I do wonder if the good minister Breedlove has heard of what happened in that Colorado church with Jeanne Assam. I almost think he'd accuse Assam of not having any faith, but then I could well be wrong.