The Kingdom Come

Murderous crackpots have used religion to foment their followers to kill. Granted, the Bible has accounts of God instructing people to kill or go to war in specific instances but that is missing from Christianity. No where in Christianity do you see Jesus or the apostles advocating killing anyone; either for their beliefs or even actions. Of course Jesus was no pacifist. He instructed in Luke 22:35-36 that while He once sent the apostles out without defense, He was now instructing them to sell their clothes to buy a sword. But no where in Christianity is there this thought that at some future date, Christians following their pastors will rise up and slaughter those who don't "obey".

Yet murderous crackpots throughout history have tried to make Christianity into a religion of murder. I'm not just talking about people who claim they are Christians behaving badly, but I'm talking about "leaders" who specifically use the foil of their religion and specifically their "position" to foment violence.

A modern example of this comes in a sermon by a "pastor" named Kenneth Talbot. Talbot has a self-made church, a self-made seminary, and a self-made denomination. In a "sermon" delivered in April of 2012 Talbot says:

"WHEN we are in charge, WHEN the law of God is there, folks it's either obey, or get hung. Take your choice. Well, you can throw stones if you want to, but I think there's better ways of doing it than throwing stones. Just quick executions. You know, God's 'three strike' rule. You know --You know that right? You guys have been watching "The Right Wing Reverend." I explained that to you. God has a 'three strike' rule. The first time you have to pay for what you've done. The second time you have to double or triple pay for it. And the third time you just get executed, because God says you're incorrigible. And you're a blight on society, and you are a road bump that we don't want to deal with in our kingdom. And you're gone." -- Dr. Kenneth Talbot advocating killing people who don't "obey" when he is "in charge"

Listen to the 133 second audio clip of him saying it with more context. http://thekingdomcome.com/sites/default/files/talbotwantstokill.mp3

The point is; this isn't God who is planning to kill people, this is men like Talbot who point blank tells us that "when [he and his followers] are in charge" they will kill people who they consider "blights on society" or "road bumps" that they "don't want to deal with". And what is more dangerous is Talbot is on the board of many otherwise respectable "ministries" such as Gary DeMar's American Vision and Jerry Johnson's Nicene Council. The ministries are helping to foster Talbot's murderous ideas.

But before Talbot, there were men like Thomas Muntzer who 1524 advocated much the same as Talbot does today:

"...as Christ says in Matthew 10: 'I am not come to send peace, but he sword.' But what is one to do with the sword? Exactly this: sweep aside those evil men who obstruct the gospel! Take them out of circulation! Otherwise you will be devils,... Have no doubts that God will mash all your adversaries into little pieces... Now if you are to be true rulers, you must seize the very roots of government, following the command of Christ. Drive his enemies away from the elect; you are the instruments to do this. My friend, don't let us have any of these hackneyed posturings, about the power of God achieving everything without any resort to your sword; otherwise it may rust in its scabbard. ...Hence the sword, too, is necessary to eliminate the godless...There is no doubt that many...will be similarly offended by this little book, because I say with Christ...and with the guidance of the whole divine law, that one should kill the godless rulers, and especially the monks and priests who denounce the holy gospel as heresy and yet count themselves the best Christians. ...For the godless have no right to live, unless by the sufferance of the elect..." -- Muntzer advocates killing (source)

Men like Muntzer and Talbot are reason enough for people to reject Christianity even though there is nothing Christian in what men like Muntzer and Talbot preach. But it is egregious when supposed Christians and other "clergy" stand by while men like Muntzer and Talbot corrupt Christianity and use it to spout their murderous ideas.

I urge you to share this article with everyone you know that has any association with Talbot or men like Talbot. They make a mockery of our Faith. They are elitist, egotistical men; insulated by their followers who have no accountability; seeing how they are often self-appointed by "boards" they themselves set up.

What's more, Talbot claims he is "Reformed" and "orthodox". In reality, even Martin Luther despised men like Muntzer and Talbot. Luther writing on the very kind of crackpot "when we are in charge" murderous ideas had this to say; ironically enough in a letter he called Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants:

"...they cloak this terrible and horrible sin with the Gospel, call themselves ‘Christian brethren’, receive oaths and homage, and compel people to hold with them to these abominations. Thus they become the greatest of all blasphemers of God and slanderers of his holy Name, serving the devil, under the outward appearance of the Gospel, thus earning death in body and soul ten times over. I have never heard of a more hideous sin." -- Luther 1525 (source)

Thus, we must make sure -- whether we are Christians or not -- that men like Talbot are NEVER "in charge" since they tell us outright their plans to kill people who do not "obey" what THEY say the Bible says. Ironic, since Christianity no where advocates violence against people who will not "submit". This sounds more like Islamic mullahs than Christianity.