Walker is the choice for conservative Christians, not that pastor guy.
I’ve been in plenty of services where I’ve heard stories like that gun story. In evangelical-speak, it’s their “testimony.” There are two broad categories that they fall into:
1. A rock bottom and shameful moment that ultimately leads to a transformed life. In these stories, the teller doesn’t revel in their badness and they aren’t the hero of the story but rather the villain getting rescued. These people often will persist in their transformed life and remain productive members of society.
2. A pretext and justification for whatever the teller believes in the moment. In these stories, the teller often exaggerates their crimes, emphasizes team alignment, and is on some level, the hero of the story. These people often persist in their old life, now with a Jesusy window dressing, and spread their craziness through their communities. These people often have very exciting “testimonies.”