Controversy Arises Over Pastor’s Use of Unloaded Gun During Sermon
In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Legacy Faith Church is standing by its founding pastor, Philip Thornton, amid backlash for using an unloaded gun as a prop in a recent sermon. The church argues that the firearm was meant to symbolize “spiritual violence against unbelief,” a metaphor intended to invigorate the faith of the congregation.
During the sermon, which took place on September 28 and was streamed on YouTube with the title “Clearing the Room,” Pastor Thornton and another individual pointed assault-style rifles at church members. It was confirmed by the church that the gun’s firing pin had been removed, making it inoperable, and the weapon was demonstrated to be free of ammunition.
“At the beginning, Pastor Thornton makes it abundantly clear the rifle was a PROP and for illustration purposes only,” Legacy Faith Church stated to WHP. The aim was to illustrate how unbelief stands as an opposition to one’s faith.
Thornton, during his message, compared the approach to that of a soldier, reiterating the weapon’s safety. “He [God] cleared the room. He [God] put ’em all out, he went in like a soldier. Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence,” he assured, emphasizing the weapon’s deactivation and the harmlessness of the laser pointer used during the sermon.
Despite assurances, gun safety experts expressed concern over the actions. Emanuel Kapelsohn, a respected firearms and use-of-force specialist, remarked to Penn Live that the demonstration breached fundamental gun safety rules, including always treating guns as loaded and ensuring they are pointed safely.
David Sarni, a former NYPD detective and current adjunct professor at John Jay College, critiqued Thornton’s method, suggesting, “I understand the message he’s trying to do. But there are so many ways you could do that message without pointing a weapon at your members.”
Church leaders have emphasized there was no real danger, citing biblical stories where rooms were “cleared” to combat disbelief before miracles occurred. “Two scriptural precedents were utilized showing where both Jesus and Peter had to ‘clear the room’ of ‘unbelief’ in order for the needed miracle to take place,” they stated. The teaching aimed to promote a spiritual struggle against doubt, referencing Matthew 11:12 and 1 Corinthians 2:14, not to encourage violence against individuals.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
