Officer Swasey was a devout Christian who risked (and lost) his life protecting Planned Parenthood

[oberliner]

Swasey was first and foremost a Christian. Dontanville says it's ironic that he died responding to Planned Parenthood, a place with values Swasey opposed. But he also said that didn't really matter in this situation. Dontanville says his friend would have done this for anybody.

"We want to honor life. And yet he was willing to lay down his life for them. Without hesitation," Dontanville said.

Swasey believed his goal in life was to share the gospel. Just a day after tragedy it's difficult to think about forgiveness, but Dontanville says that's exactly what his friend would be doing right now.

"That's where we need to be in this world. We need to forgive each other. And forgive this man that shot him. Garrett has and would and that's what he'd encourage us to do. Christ would and Christ has."

http://www.9news.com/story/news/local/2015/11/28/colorado-springs-officer-was-father-former-competitive-skater/76496346/

Let's not forget to honor this Christian man who gave his life to try to save others.

[KG]

1. doubling down.

[CurtEastPoint]

2. What does 'doubling down' mean?

[oberliner]

5. I think it's a reference to another post I made about Christians

This one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027389365

I do think it is important to recognize the heroic actions of the Christian officer who lost his life defending Planned Parenthood.

[DLevine]

7. He died trying to save people,

most of whom were probably themselves Christian.

[Le Taz Hot]

3. Yep.

[oberliner]

4. In case you missed it, a Muslim was the hero of the Paris grocery store siege

Remember this story:

The next time someone blames all Muslims for the actions of terrorists, please point them to this:
Lassana Bathily, a Muslim employee at Paris Kosher grocery store Hyper Cacher, saved several people by hiding them in a walk-in freezer when a gunman laid siege to his workplace on Friday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026070411

[zanana1]

6. I hope you're not saying...

that Planned Parenthood doesn't honor life. When I was a young woman with no insurance whatsoever, I depended on Planned Parenthood for all of my gynecological needs. I was once diagnosed of a very serious condition there. It saved my life.

[oberliner]

8. Of course not

Planned Parenthood honors life and it is essential and ought to be protected. It is despicable the way it is consistently under attack by the RW noise machine along with many RW politicians.

I just wanted to take a moment to honor the memory of the officer who died fighting the gunmen and trying to save the people trapped inside.

I was reminded of this story from around the time of the Charlie H shootings:

In case you missed it, a Muslim was the hero of the Paris grocery store siege

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026070411

[FailureToCommunicate]

9. This is a stretch for his friend to say. He OPPOSED the "values of Planned Parenthood"??

Really? Even though he was a father?

Also, as a police officer, does he need to AGREE with whatever organization or people he might find himself protecting??

Mourn your friend, but leave out the crap.

[oberliner]

12. True

That was an odd thing to say. Especially on behalf of someone who is no longer alive to speak for himself.

[PeaceNikki]

10. Let's not forget to honor the HUNDREDS of PP employees, volunteers & clients who are assaulted

and threatened EVERY DAY by Christians.

[oberliner]

13. Amen

Despicable the way PP is consistently harassed and attacked.

[Gore1FL]

11. The "Christian" brand is poisoned. Vocal Christians are more like the shooter than the cop.

It's a tragedy he died. It shouldn't be news however that there are cops that do their jobs or that Christians exist that aren't douche bags.

[oberliner]

14. "Christian" should not be a dirty word here

The way "Muslim" is a dirty word among so many right-wingers.

[PeaceNikki]

15. Religion in general, nearly every brand, is a warped ideology open to interpretation

by all kinds of psychopaths.

Religion is the dirty word.

[oberliner]

16. That is true

But religion can also inspire people towards compassionate and loving acts as well.

And psychopaths do awful things without religion playing any role.

[Gore1FL]

19. I'd argue if it inspires people

Those same people could be inspired by something real, provable, and not so easily abused.

[Gore1FL]

18. It makes itself so.

Religion is a self-dirtying concept. God is for and excuses all sorts off bullshit, apparently.

People kill in the name of their respective religions all of the time. They all deserve to be brought into the daylight and criticized.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. So the Christian Terrorist wasn't devout enough?

Is that your implied point?

[oberliner]

20. Huh?

No, I am definitely not saying that and do not mean to be implying that.

[Warren Stupidity]

21. so no connection at all with your other op?

The one where you are complaining of Christian persecution because the terrorist was a Christian who acted out on the tsunami of Christian hate propaganda against planned parenthood, the one where you claimed all the anti-Christian bigots here were jumping to conclusions?

Oddly enough the Boston Globe today had a very nice piece about Swasey, who it seems was devoted to figure skating first, but by paragraph 20 they did mention his pastoral role at Hope Chapel. I guess the Globe is a bunch of bigots too.

[TheSarcastinator]

22. It's a sad tactic by a true believer

desperate to avoid staring hard truth in the face.

[oberliner]

23. Definitely connected with the other OP

But I don't think your characterization of that OP is accurate. In fact, I specifically wrote that there was no Christian persecution going on at all. I also did not accuse anyone of being an "anti-Christian bigot" (though I could see how I may have given off that impression and said that I had wished I had toned down what I wrote in that regard).

It is connected to the other OP in this sense:

"It seems like some on DU are doing the same sort of thing that we accuse the RW/Fox News types of doing - except with respect to Christians instead of Muslims."

Remember the during the time of the Charlie H and related attacks in France when there was this story:

In case you missed it, a Muslim was the hero of the Paris grocery store siege

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026070411

My post here is along those same lines.

[Facility Inspector]

24. His figure skating and peace officer oath

carries more weight with me than his Xtianity does.