Pastor Maury Davis\’s church website tells that “he was arrested at age eighteen for the crime of first-degree murder. Following his trial and conviction, he served eight and one-half years in the Texas Department of Corrections.” He claims 3900 members at Cornerstone church, where he emphasizes that if Jesus can forgive him, anyone can be forgiven. We do not disagree.
Chuck Carlson reports: Our message must have also resonated with Pastor Davis, for he came out and spoke to me personally with the opening words, “what are you doing here?”
It is not our business to judge God\’s work, but if indeed Maury Davis repented for killing just one middle-aged woman, why did he sponsor a “Preserving Freedom Conference,” inside his church which openly promoted hatred and fear of Muslims. Most of the Conference participants openly called for preemptive war upon Iran. Nor is this the first Muslim bash Davis has sponsored, for Geert Wilders who is under criminal indictment for hate speech in his native Holland, was a guest in Cornerstone earlier this year, and beat the drum for war. Several of the speakers at Cornerstone, including Wilders, were sited as authorities in Anders Brievik\’s Manifesto, left behind as his logic to murdered upward to 90 Norwegian students in May.
Does Pastor Davis not know that killing is the purpose of war? I have reason to think he knows. Does Jesus repeatedly forgive those who go on killing, or encouraging others to kill time after time? We asked this question of Maury Davis in a letter delivered to him, and to most members of his staff by e-mail a week before the conference. Has Maury Davis repented of his sin if he calls for war that can not help but kill tens of thousands, most of whom will be every bit as innocent as was the woman he murdered 35 years ago for accidently spilling paint on his boots. Jesus\’ last words to a woman to whom He forgave of her sin of prostitution was, “sin no more.” He did not say, sin some more. We understand from this Jesus forgiveness was conditional upon her repentance.
I was one of the messengers at Cornerstone Church Sunday morning, meeting the entering congregation attendees and their departure with our simple message, “Who Would Jesus Bomb?” Every child know it is rhetorical, having only one answer. We answered our own question by delivering another one liner, “Choose Life, Not War.” It was delivered by a big poster to many of the thousands who came, and we have no doubt most heard about it. Some who drove in waved, or gave us a thumbs-up. But a lesser number made less friendly gestures and shouts, showing that they understood the question and were on the war side of the issue, following their Pastor. Both those for life, and against it, understood Project Strait Gate\’s message quite well.
Our message must have also resonated with Pastor Davis, for he came out and spoke to me personally with the opening words, “what are you doing here?” Our conversation was witnessed by one of his staff members who looked on aghast at our conversation, but spoke not a word. I suspect Pastor Davis will have a different version of the conversation, so I will not quote any words, except to say, I repeatedly asked Davis “who would Jesus bomb?” He finally answered he “was not sure” (who Jesus would bomb), but he was sure I was disobedient by not being in fellowship with others on Sunday morning. I took this to mean inside his church, and declined because I told him he teaches war in his church, not peace as Jesus did. Pastor Davis first attempted to tell me he was not responsible for the Shari\’ah Conference held inside his Church, claiming he only “rented out the facility” to the Conference. But when challenged, he did not deny that he was a co-sponsor of the event. Davis eventually called me an “Idiot” and left me with a angry voice and flashing eyes.
Whatever Pastor Davis\’ history, his present acts are is no more violent than those of pastor of many angry Evangelical churches we have challenged all over the USA. They are callously blind to thousands, even millions to be killed, maimed and starved in planned overturning of the Middle East in which they are playing an unwitting part. Scores of pastors are being used by the professional warmakers as drum beaters, influencing tens of millions of mostly well-meaning Americans to hate Muslims and accept war anywhere they are Muslims.
The Vigil at Cornerstone was a success and received strong and fair coverage in The Tennessean daily newspaper. Project Strait Gate is doing its part to point out a path, and if a few “Messengers” in every city would deliver this same message outside hundreds of churches each week, we might help prevent war upon Iran. In my view, the only opposition preventing an immediate Israeli attack on Iran is a handful of Israeli intellectuals who are warnings daily against it, and who are receiving press in the likes of Haaretz. If Israel starts, the US will follow in a heartbeat. We have the message and the method to alter warmaking history, where will we get the organization and the volunteers?
Letter to Pastor Davis
Report on Vigil in The Tennessean
WHTT podcast on the vigil: Islamophobia: Angry Evangelicals on the Warpath Against Muslims
Chuck Carlson, Colorado
Keith Johnson, Tennessee
