Results: The Blessing of the Guns

A Pennsylvania-based offshoot of the Unification Church is encouraging couples to bring their AR-15 rifles with them to a commitment ceremony in the Pocono Mountains, a half-mile from an elementary school. World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland, Penn., said it planned the Feb. 28 ceremony months ago, well before last week's massacre at a Florida high school. Authorities say the alleged gunman used an AR-15 in the attack that killed 17. Tim Elder, the Unification Sanctuary's director of world missions, said Tuesday the church believes the AR-15 symbolizes the "rod of iron" mentioned in the Bible's apocalyptic book of Revelation. The church website directs couples to show up to the ceremony with an AR-15 "or equivalents such as an AK semiautomatic rifle, representing both the intent and the ability to defend one's family, community ... " The church is down the road from Wallenpaupack South Elementary School, and many parents expressed alarm at the planned ceremony. The Unification Sanctuary's leader, the Rev. Sean Moon, is the son of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church, which is often described as a cult. The Pennsylvania offshoot is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. Unification Sanctuary operates a group called Rod of Iron Ministries, which is hosting a "President Trump Thank You Dinner" on Saturday — a fundraiser for Gun Owners of America. The Rev. Sean Moon's brother founded Kahr Arms, a gun manufacturer. Gun sellers in Missouri say sales of the AR-15, the weapon allegedly used in last week's deadly Florida shooting, have soared in recent days fueled by a 'younger dynamic.' What is your opinion of this story?