Different Perspectives of Benton
Perspective Two of Six: An Army of Sheep
Character Point of View: Rev. Abraham “Abe” Lincoln Shawn

“An Army of sheep lead by a lion is better than an army of lions led by sheep.” - Alexander The Great.

The congregation of my church is a collection of sheep in need of a shepherd. They are afraid, afraid of things their tiny minds can not start to understand. They do not understand social media, they do not understand cryptocurrency, they can not begin to even phantom the profound effect the internet has had on our daily lives, but they are loyal to a fault and believe I am God's appointed one. And that is all that matters.

Benton is a perfect town, the population is not too small, not too large, I think right now we have around four or five thousand souls living within our town. The down has dozens of churches, most of those churches are Baptist, I helm the biggest one, West Street Baptist Church. Benton's only mega church with room enough to seat five hundred or more people and I make sure each of those seats are filled every Sunday morning.

Why? Because of power? I don't concern myself with saving souls, I just want power. The people that make up my congregation are poor dirt farmers. Many of them are dim in their heads, a bit slow witted and yet they have hate in their hearts and that hate is what I want. Many of them fear the government. Many believe the lies that the media said about the last election being stolen. Many of them go to bed with loaded shotguns by their bedside. Many I know will kill for me.

And that is what I want. Like I'd said, I'm not concerned with the business of saving souls, I just want the power that comes with being a preacher, I've always wanted power. Ever since I was a little boy, I dreamed of commanding people. Of holding the power of life and death in my hands.

Now, anger is a powerful tool, but it must be given form. Benton has a small population of what people call the “LGBTQ+” crowd. Not more than most small southern towns. The only difference is this population has not been coward into the shadows. Instead they flaunt their presence in this town. They demand to be noticed, they demand to be treated like humans, and that has invited the ire of many of the old, white, gentry of the town. Why, there is even a rumor going around town that the mayor of the town wants to hold a parade to honor them. To celebrate how inclusive Benton has become. 

That is why I've targeted that small slice of the population. Because like the Nazis with Jews, I can point to them and say loudly, “They are the reason Benton is declining! They are the reason why the world you knew and loved is melting away before your very eyes! They are the scourge of the devil and must be removed from the face of the earth! They and all the ones who stand behind them, who love them and support them! Do the Lord's word and run them out of town!”

Is it true? No, but they are old and too dumb to question it. And those who have the spine to question it. Those who have a backbone to stand up and voice their disapproval? Why I simply motion for one of my guards to carry the wayward stranger out back, and have as I love to call them 'A come to Jesus' meeting. What does that mean, it means the person who dared to raise his voice to me, who dared to question the infinite wisdom of their supreme leader must be shown the error of his ways and what better way to correct and error than by beating the person onto the path of righteousness again as the Bible says.

“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. Punish them with the rod and save them from death.” That is Proverbs twenty three verses thirteen and fourteen. And it is true, these people are my children, even if some are older than me, I am their spiritual father and the responsibility for their spiritual health is a burden I've been tasked by the Lord to carry till I lay down my cross as I breath my last breath.

And like a good father, when one of my children dares put one toe out of line I must correct him. With the rod, after all a few moments of mortal pain is a small price to pay to escape the everlasting fires of Hell and enjoy the sweet shade of Heaven. A land I'm told that flows with milk and honey.

Anyway I ramble, let's return to the main focus of this little conversation shall we? The Transgender and LGBT+ population of Benton and how I wish to coward them into the shadows soon.

Three cheerleaders of this town are Transgender, I've made a point of learning their names, Madeline Brewer, Jamie Sarah Potter, and Cerridwen Circe Whitethorn. The last one is a self proclaimed witch and you know what the Holy Bible says about witches don't you. Oh you don't then let me quote it for you.

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” That is found in the Book of Exodus, Chapter twenty two, verse eighteen if you want to look it up.

There have always been witches in Benton too, strange people live in the hills that ring the town. A community of some two hundred or so live along a road that snakes through a hollow called 'Haunted Hollow' likewise in the hills that go toward Eden, a tiny village some six miles due East of Benton there are many people who have turned their little houses into fully fortified compounds. Complete with moats and a highly charged electric fence. The area inside the fence is patrolled by pairs of Dobermans that have been trained to attack anything that moves. A little extreme yes? But I think it’s fitting enough.

These are the people I want to attract to my banner. Why? People when the time comes I want sheep that are willing to follow my orders, my orders to the letter. I want them to be willing to kill for me, to take to the hills and defend each little hilltop and gully to the last man, woman and child. Why? Because if the Baptist Church Governing Council wants to remove me, I want them to have a thousand little Ruby Ridges on their hands. 

Why? Because if they threaten me I want them to pay and pay with blood. A pastor controls the gates to Heaven. And so, I plan on using the LGBTQ+ community of Benton and those that support them as a means to an end of securing my own power. Because these people are afraid of them, they are afraid that they are eating away at the moral fabric of this town and in that fear, they have turned to me, they have turned to me for guidance, for assurance that everything in the end will work out.

And so as I prepare next Sunday's Sermon, I smile and flip through the news. The media is playing right into my hands. The more stories they run about the border being overrun, about how the election was stolen, about how Disney World has become a den of thieves and perverts. The more they beat the drums and sound the trumpets. The more my sheep will become cowards and in that they will turn toward me and I, I will stand ready to direct their fear into a powerful weapon.

Because I have far bigger ambitions than just being a pastor of a small town southern church. I want real power, real and I'm slowly building up an army of faithful followers, who are willing and ready to kill for me. And that is simpler than it sounds. Because I control the gates to Heaven. So yes, worry not fair town of Benton, your time of being redeemed is near at hand.

For soon I will usher in a rebirth. And God promised to redeem Jerusalem, so too shall I promise to redeem Benton and usher in a new age, one where the Klan once more holds sway again empowered by the political pull of the White Citizens Council and it will be me in the shadows pulling the strings. Guiding the hearts and minds of the councilmen. I feel that day is close at hand.

Before I go, I want to tell you the reason why I have made it my mission to target the minuscule LGBTQ+/Transgender Community of Benton. The first reason is quite simple, making them the target of my anger filled sermons gives me brownie points with the MAGA movement that is slowly regaining its strength here in Benton. And the second is biblical.

Let me explain, in a way that even the most woke among you can understand. And understand I only do this so, I can hopefully snatch the wool from your eyes and save your souls from the fires of everlasting hell that are being stoked for you.

First let us look at the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter twenty two verse five clearly says.

“A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's clock, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.”

The keyword there is 'Abomination' . Let's take a closer look at that word. For that I need you guys to dig out your copies of 'Oxford Languages' and look up that word 'Abomination'. The word is a noun and is defined as follows; 'A thing causes disgust or hatred'. So in other words men who put on dresses, skirts, paint their faces to look like whores cause disgust and hatred for God.

Furthermore we only need to look at the First Corinthians chapter eleven verse fourteen to find further proof that the lifestyle they are living is not only morally wrong, but hurtful to the Christian and moral fabric of this community.

“Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,”

So in short the crusade I'm launching from this tiny church, is not one of hate, but one of love. I love all people, and want to see all people saved. But I believe my God is a God of law and Order and will punish all those who disobey him by sending them into the everlasting fires of Hell. Thus these poor, lost little souls need to be warned and guided back to the right path. As the Bible says in the Book of Psalms, Psalms one hundred and nineteen verse one hundred and five.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

And so I must use his word to light the paths of all those who are lost and wander in the wilderness of sin, vice and confusion. 

After all it's my duty as a pastor to do just that.It’s also my duty to establish the authority of the church and of God here on earth.