Jesus is 'returning to Earth with a gun', says former US General
Lieutenant General William 'Jerry' Boykin told a conference everyone should get themselves an AR-15 rifle - because that's what Jesus would do
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.He served as a general during George Bush's tenure as US President, so perhaps it's fair to say that Jerry Boykin's latest comments should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Lieutenant General William 'Jerry' Boykin most famously made headlines when he was denounced by Bush and his fellow peers for controversial comments made about Islamic extremists back in 2003, over which he was then forced to back down.
Reports have now emerged that during a conference for pro-family legislators in November, the 64-year-old suggested that if Jesus were to come back to Earth, he would be "coming back as a warrior carrying a sword".
Boykin, who is the executive vice president of the Family Research Council, quickly got onto the topic of Jesus and the Second Revelation, but came up with a new suggestion for the "sword" of biblical references.
He said: "The Lord is a warrior and in Revelation 19 it says when he comes back, he's coming back as what? A warrior. A mighty warrior leading a mighty army, riding a white horse with a blood-stained white robe. And I believe now that the sword he'll be carrying when he comes back is an AR-15."
The AR-15, of course, is not a sword but a gun, and it remains to be seen how Boykin's suggestion could be perceived by the wider US Christian community.
The phrase in the Bible to which Boykin refers – "I came not to bring peace but to bring a sword" – is widely regarded as one of Jesus' most controversial statements. It appears he may have misunderstood the context involved, however.
He added: "Now I want you to think about this: where did the Second Amendment come from? ... From the Founding Fathers, it's in the Constitution. Well, yeah, I know that. But where did the whole concept come from? It came from Jesus when he said to his disciples 'now, if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one'.
"I know, everybody says that was a metaphor. It was not a metaphor! And the sword today is an AR-15, so if you don't have one, go get one. You're supposed to have one. It's biblical."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments