Newly Elected Republican Vice President

Sarah Palin

In my opinion she has good taste in motorcycles.

7 Christian bikers arrested in Orange County raid

The leader and members of the Set Free Soldiers are accused of attempted murder in a Newport Beach brawl with the Hells Angels, three of whom are also in custody.

By Tony Barboza and H.G. Reza, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers


Long controversial for its aggressive evangelism aimed at those with a troubled past -- ex-convicts and drug addicts among them -- the Anaheim-based Christian motorcycle gang known as the Set Free Soldiers found itself in deeper trouble Wednesday when its leader and half a dozen members were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The arrests, which followed a double stabbing in a brawl with the Hells Angels at a Newport Beach bar July 27, was the latest brush with the law for the group of black-leather-clad bikers, which has straddled the line between Christian outreach group and outlaw motorcycle gang.

By late Wednesday, authorities had arrested 10 members of the Set Free Soldiers and the Hells Angels during raids in Anaheim, Costa Mesa and Rancho Santa Margarita that started at 5 a.m., said Sgt. Evan Sailor of the Newport Beach Police Department.

The operation involved more than 150 officers, including SWAT teams and federal drug enforcement agents.

Seven members of the Set Free Soldiers, including leader Phil Aguilar, 60, have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and are each being held on $1-million bail, police said.

Three members of the Hells Angels are also in custody, including John Phillip Lloyd, a 41-year-old Costa Mesa man charged with assault with a deadly weapon. The other two were arrested on drug charges....(Full text at LA Times)

There are plenty of Harley enthusiasts who are also Christians. AND, I'm sure there are quite a few Christian Motorcycle Clubs. However, "Christian Motorcycle Gang" is a concept I can't quite get my arms around. Isn't that an oxymoron? After all, with the notable exceptions of Spanky & Our Gang and Kool & The Gang, "Gang" means criminal. At least, it used to!

In any case, it's fair to say these folks weren't too serious about the faith-based aspects of their association.

Who Would Jesus Stab?

Obviously, the Set Free Soldiers missed some of the basics. That's NOT a religious judgment, it's a fact. I JUST searched several online Bible resources and, believe it or not, there is not one single reference in there where Jesus stabbed anybody or suggested his disciples stab anyone. Or is "turn the other cheek" what you are supposed to do before stabbing your neighbor?

Notwithstanding legitimate questions about the piety of the Set Free Soldiers, it certainly does seem like the Lord wants these boys to minister inside the prison system! Who says HE works in mysterious ways?

Amen!