Let us offer some advice to anyone planning on attending a future “A Call to Arms” rally hosted by a right-wing radio host by the name of Ralph Bristol and TEA Party activists: even though it is being held in a church, be sure to wear your best military fatigues if you want to fit in …. and bring your gun:
An old-fashioned God and country revival broke out at Cornerstone Church in Madison [Tennessee] on Friday night, complete with patriotic songs, flag waving, and a dose of fire and brimstone about the dangers of socialism.
There was even an altar call.
But the 600 or so Christian conservatives gathered for “A Call to Arms,” organized by talk show host Ralph Bristol, weren’t asked to give their heart to Jesus. Instead, they were asked to sign up for conservative causes like the Tea Party Nation and the Eagle Forum, and to donate to charities like the Nashville Rescue Mission.
“You must get involved,” said Judson Phillips of Tea Party Nation. “The time for sitting on the sidelines is over.”
Phillips urged the crowd to fight what he called the “Obama-Pelosi-Reed axis of evil,” which he believes threatens the American way of life.
“Tonight we are doing a different kind of altar call,” he said. “Tonight’s altar call is not for God. It’s for country.”
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Toward the end of his program, Bristol replaced the Hawaiian shirt with a green army jacket and baseball cap with the American flag on it, to play a character called Sgt. Bristol. He gave his audience marching orders to slay the socialist monster.
One thing Bristol didn’t carry was a firearm. He had thought about bringing one to church as part of his uniform but decided against it.
“Sergeant Bristol gets pretty angry, and to be up there, wearing a gun, didn’t feel right,” he said.
Some of the audience wore similar uniforms, and brought their guns.
Sobota and his wife, Cindy, said they have permits to carry handguns, and brought them along to church on Friday.
“There’s been a lot of fear-mongering about that,” he said. “I’m probably the safest person out there, because I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my permit.”
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