SECURITY BLANKET

"I know there are some who disagree and I respect their point of view but I believe that life begins at conception. The only exception I have to have an abortion is in that case of the life of the mother. I just struggled with it myself for a long time but I came to realize: Life is that gift from God that I think even if life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."
--Richard Mourdock, Indiana State Treasurer





I'll be honest, I haven't really been following the story of the shootings in Connecticut today. But despite my usual obliviousness to the news, my Facebook feed has been overrun by links to articles about the number of victims, how many victims were children, gun-law reform, Second Amendment rights, the callousness of the media, general displeasure with the "main stream" media, how none of this would have happened if we hadn't removed God/prayer/"The 10 Commandments" from Schools or Public buildings and how who ever is responsible will burn in Hell for eternity (run-on sentences running wild). But mostly I have seen the picture below circulating like a troubled teenager up for adoption:

Now, I don't blame anyone seeking solace or comfort on a day like today, but I am forced to reflect as to why this particular picture has become so popular. The idea that the children who were mowed down at their school are now hugging Jesus no doubt provides some comfort to the bereaving Christian families of the victims. But what of the Muslim families? Or Hindus?

At times of grief, we look for whatever might ease our pain, but do we think about the truth of such ideas? In a time of crisis, do we even care about truth?

Let's explore the idea that children who are murdered go straight to heaven, as implied by the picture above and as many Christians believe. Does this not mean that those children will be spared the possibility of sinning and being damned? Will not all children who die before the age of accountability be saved in similar fashion?

If Christians really do believe this, as Andrea Yates did, then shouldn't they see the tragedy of today as a blessing that so many children were spared God's wrath? Shouldn't the murderer be praised for saving the eternal lives of so many innocent children?

For as long as people have been able to grieve, they have sought comfort from where ever they can find it. But for me, such horrible events are more easily explained by mental illness and bad people doing bad things, than the idea that god just lets us do bad things so as not to impede on one another's agency; or that the young victims of today's shootings are now with Jesus. I'm sorry, but even if I still believed in god, such a sentiment would not console me. Rather, I find it contemptible and opportunistic of religious people to exploit tragedy in this way.

What good is an idle god?



BONUS MATERIAL:

Here is Republican talk-radio host Bryan Fischer on why god didn't intervene today: