:D :D :D

well not saying this exclusive to texas but evangelical churches are very dominant in your state in a way that it’s not in others i think. and texas is the largest/most significant/most representative of the bible belt states.

some random samples (not in the statistical sense, just colloquial)

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/...e.html?start=1

http://documentaryvine.com/video/lou...rn-christians/

Texas definitely had a corner on televangelist/megachurch/“Get-to-heaven” water bottle selling religious nutbag freakshows. Maybe not a “brand,” but said stuff and nonsense is certainly not off-brand for the state that is basically just Austin surrounded by hell.

No disrespect to the parts of Texas that aren’t horrible. Like you, Bytor, or Rob, or Beyoncé. Also, way to go Astros!

Evangelical churches are prominent throughout the country, but more so in the South. Nashville has big azz steeple churches on every corner. Missouri and Kentucky have more hell fire radio preachers than you can shake a stick at.

YES - Texas has seemed to perfect the art of mass communication......and while it’s tied to religion, it is in no way an accurate reflection of Christianity.

Said churches, especially the smaller community churches were / are key to helping the community recover from Tropical Storm Harvey. From feeding those in need, dispensing goods and arranging muck-out groups, no doubt churches helped many in need. I did NOT notice the First Islamic Society or Hindu Nation stepping up......the Mormons did!!!

Springer, Bregman and Altuve were on SNL last night.

Sad News for a church outside San Antonio this Sunday morning.

It sure it a fucked up state of affairs when incidents like this are so common that it's hard to even act surprised. The one thing that might fix the issue--tighter gun control laws--seems to be a political impossibility in the USA, so unfortunately it seems like there's no end in sight to the current epidemic of mass shootings.

o man. that is awful. even kids?

unfortunately it’s true about guns being the other texas religion

e.g, see: http://www.emoaf.org/Christians-and-...-answered.html

and yes check their contact page for their address—it’s texas

meanwhile their governor sent “thoughts and prayers”— of course— what else?

Jesus Christ, just read about this Texas thing. Un-fucking-believable.

like a scene from Bone Tomahawk. That primitive. That ugly

Yeah, I really don’t have words anymore. Just kind of a primal anger at all the reps and senators who absolutely refuse to *ever* modify or change their position on gun control, no matter how often this happens. It’s godsamn sickening. If anyone wanted to actually make guns illegal or “take them away,” that person would probably be me — never shot one, not interested in whatever high one gets from obliterating a living thing — but I’m not for that. Just, y’know, maybe more intensive background checks aren’t the WORST idea in the world when mass shootings are ramping up like this. Fuck’s sake!

Also, refusing to ever reconsider one’s opinion or belief system no matter what new evidence or information comes into play might as well be the definition of stupid. And it’s how a majority of our politicians think.

It’s religious binary thinking mixed with greed.

i live in a ranch and have guns and everyone has them around here— there are no cops

but for fucks sakes i wish it was a little harder to get one. i would not have minded at least taking a test, like i did to get my driver’s license. everyone around here drives a truck too— but needs a license.

not that passing a test would prevent this sort of insanity, but— man.

yes yes i get it- it’s a right not a privilege. but still. wtf happened with “well regulated militia”.

Well, the country kept the “militia” part, the NRA turned away from its original objective and became the world’s most influential lobbying group, and “regulated” was slowly turned into a four-letter word by every republican since 1980. So we’re left with small groups of outspoken, eager, organized and fully legal domestic terrorists, and God knows how many lone wolf would-be murderers, and the regulative ability of the government has been amputated.

Again, I hate guns but I’m not about to suggest “taking them away.” I’m goddamn glad certain people in my life own them. But I do not consider gun ownership a “right,” even if it technically is one. It’s not inalienable. It can be taken away. Unlike, say, the guarantee of treatment at an ER, which cannot be taken away and is given to everyone from homeless people to death row inmates, yet can’t be considered a “right” because whatever fucking reason is currently being taunted by insane people. Hm.

And yes, the idea that operating a vehicle or owning a business, or fucking HUNTING is more regulated than actual gun ownership makes no goddamn sense. I am surrounded by people who hunt, it’s part of life, so is preparation and self-defense... but anyone who opposes stricter gun control/regulation legislation — opposes tests to weed out the potentially unfit to own, or background checks to weed out individuals with histories of mental illness or violence, is not really worried about protecting gun rights because that position is simply shaking a powder keg that will one day explode in an even more major way. If we people really wanted to protect the supposed sanctity of gun ownership, they’d want to make damn sure guns never fell into the wrong hands, by ANY MEANS necessary.

Fucking painkillers are in the verge of being labeled a national emergency. Painkillers! But NEVER guns. If someone wants to get fucked up and kill themselves, we need to make it hard(er) for EVERYONE to get access to *literal medicine* but if someone wants to purchase a weapon to slaughter 50 people, no such luck. Just lots and lots of motherfucking “thoughts and prayers.”

ETA: Just to be clear, I’m surrounded by people who own guns. I understand the conservational necessity of hunting. I understand the practical necessity of self-defense. I may be personally anti-gun, but I am not politically anti-gun. Just pro-sanity.

We need more citizens with guns!

My church has had a parking lot security team for about 15 years now. It started as a response to a few cars getting broke into, it has evolved into members open carrying. So many churches are now providing their own security anytime things are taking place.

Wow that’s a great solution. Especially in Texas. Can’t think of anything that could possibly go wrong. To get rid of violence, we need more people to be more equipped to inflict violence.

And yes, citizens! Because the government is clearly responsible for all the mass shootings, so absolutely. More guns in the hands of more people... totally the answer.

The fuck.

^^^there is no getting rid of violence. there is no getting rid of guns.

evil people will continue to do evil things.

owning a gun doesn’t guarantee protection, the same as wearing a seatbelt doesn’t guarantee survival of a car crash......here in Texas, we choose to buckle up!

dude, that is so wrong. Austin is a fucking shithole of redneck racism and extreme segregation. EXTREME. Just like LA, the product pushed out (music in asstown, and movies in LA) makes people think that the cities themselves are liberal and progressive when they are most certainly NOT.

Austin is a fucking SHIT HOLE.

Why do people/politicians always ask that "god" be "with" those who survive tragedy, when "god" was not there to stop the tragedy? #questionforMonday

You know what is pathetic? something like 90% of all murderguns (pistols, rifles, etc.) are owned by around 20% of the population. That means that those who own guns usually own more than a dozen each. who doesn't love a great collection of killing implements? How big is the ratio of these multiple-gun owning white people as opposed to multiple-gun owning brown people?
I wonder.

Guns and a,mo and maintenance are all expensive.

Also, they ask Mr. God to be with those who barely survive earthquakes and floods, even though you have to "conclude" :rolleyes: it was him who either "sent" said natural disasters or just created a shitty planet and let it play out. You shoulda seen the amount of mooks here running to mass after the axis-shifting earthquake of 2010...

in the interest of random statements
we have
a bb gun from my wife’s childhood (for pests)
a 22lr rifle (used to be for pests, needs repair, but bb is safer, so not sure i wanna fix)
a 20ga shotgun (for the home— only thing i’ve shot is a rattler)
a magnum .357 revolver (for “home defense” and late-night highway travel because trust me 911 does not work in the ghetto).

and i have considered an AR, yeah. the caliber/ low recoil is a lot more user friendly than either shotgun or revolver. .223 is like buttah