Markets 
A mock firing squad dubbed “Commandos for Christ” stormed into a Kentucky Baptist church’s vacation bible school — and executed the devil as part of a bewildering skit in front of young children.
The bizarre scenes, which unfolded at Lexington’s Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, saw armed soldiers take out their enemy and pastor Dewayne Walker rallied kids to chant “take him out, blow him up,” a TikTok video shared on Reddit Monday shows.
So-called Commandos for Christ surrounded their satanic target – who was flailing on the ground – before they opened fire in front of the screaming audience.
As the noise of gunshots rang out in the room, the “Devil” was shot and dragged out via a side door.
The bewildering scenes sparked fury – and Lexington cops said they received several calls, tips, and concerns over the clip.
Retired teacher Kathi Crowe – who is part of the Moms Demand Action anti-gun violence campaign group – told WAVE the clip was “unbelievably disturbing.”
She said churches should be safe spaces for children and branded the simulation “an appalling abuse.”
Crowe called on church leaders to help prevent violence.
Meanwhile, Walker said in a Facebook video he was “befuddled” by the outrage.
“The misinformation out there is sad, and I guess it’s a part of what this generation has become,” he said.
Walker then explained the message behind the skit, claiming that he’s orchestrated scenario for “the last several years.”
“We have characters every year that represent good and right and God, and we have characters that represent evil and wrong and that which should be avoided,” he said.
“Every year, for 32 years, we’ve had this evil against good [ritual] in our vacation Bible school.
“The last several years, we’ve had the commandos for Christ. The clip you saw was simply killing the Devil.
“You may not like how we did it. You may not like we used air rifles that are basically paintball guns, and maybe you’re right, maybe we’re wrong, but understand that we’re painting a real picture for kids to visibly see what’s going on.”
Supporters on Facebook said Mt. Olivet has “one of the best interactive VBS” in the country.
Russell Weisgerber, whose son was in the audience, feared the video would tarnish the church’s work.
“It could have been better, it could have been different, I’m not going to argue with it. It really hurts my heart because nobody wants to talk about the years of good from this church,” he told WKYT.
Read the full article here
