Killing in the name of...

I finally got to see Machine Gun Preacher. Gerard Butler (300, Rock'n'Rolla,Gamer) plays the true life character Sam Childers; an ex-con, biker, and all around bad guy who finds God and discovers his mission in life-to help Sudanese children.


I have been waiting for this movie since they shot it (parts were filmed here in Detroit), but it never made it to the mainstream box office. Actually, after production finished I didn't hear anything about it. It finally came out this week on DVD.

I found the movie very provocative. It's one of those movies that make you uncomfortable and angry, then fills you with hope, than shatters that hope and leaves you with reality. I'm not writing a full review here, but I will say it is worth seeing. The first half is full of cussing, violence, and drugs. After Sam is converted and finds his purpose in life, he drops the drugs and most of the cussing, but the violence never leaves, and this is what I want to discuss today.

the real Sam Childers

It's cool to see someone that far gone come to find Jesus, and I found myself hoping and wishing that things change for him. He becomes convicted to go and build an orphanage in South Sudan, where Kony kidnaps children and turns them into child soldiers, and his passion is inspiring. Here's the thing that bothered me about the movie, and Sam Childers story though: He convinces himself that God brought him there to save these children, and that killing LRA (Lords Resistance Army) soldiers is how he accomplishes this. Now if you are friends with me on Facebook you might know how I feel about war and guns-we've had some pretty lively debates- So I wanted to raise this question:

Do you think God is pleased with people like Sam Childers? Do you think that Sam believes he's doing God's will by killing 'evil men'?

I'm torn by this. On the one hand I see the need to help the Sudanese children, so I am glad there are people like Sam Childers, and I know that the members of the LRA are heartless and would shoot a woman or child without blinking, so diplomacy won't go very far there; but on the other hand, It breaks my heart that someone would think that killing for God is righteous.

What do you think?