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December 14th, 2012
06:17 PM ET
Massacre of children leaves many asking, 'Where’s God?'By Dan Gilgoff and Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editors (CNN) – As he waited with parents who feared that their kids were among the 20 children killed at a Connecticut elementary school on Friday, Rabbi Shaul Praver said the main thing he could do for parents was to merely be present. “It’s a terrible thing, families waiting to find out if their children made it out alive,” said Praver, who leads a synagogue in Newtown, Connecticut, and was among nine clergy gathered with parents at a firehouse near Sandy Hook Elementary School, where the shooting occurred. “They’re going to need a lot of help,” Praver said of those who are close to the dead. From the first moments after Friday’s massacre, which also left six adults and the shooter dead, religious leaders were among the first people to whom worried and grieving families turned for help. Over the weekend, countless more Americans will look to clergy as they struggle to process a tragedy in which so many of the victims were children. “Every single person who is watching the news today is asking ‘Where is God when this happens?’” says Max Lucado, a prominent Christian pastor and author based in San Antonio. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter Lucado says that pastors everywhere will be scrapping their scheduled Sunday sermons to address the massacre. “You have to address it - you have to turn everything you had planned upside down on Friday because that’s where people’s hearts are,” Lucado says. “The challenge here is to avoid the extremes – those who say there are easy answers and those who say there are no answers.” Indeed, many religious leaders on Friday stressed that the important thing is for clergy to support those who are suffering, not to rush into theological questions. A University of Connecticut professor on Friday hung up the phone when asked to discuss religious responses to suffering, saying, “This is an immense tragedy, and you want an academic speculating on the problem of evil?” “There is no good answer at that time that anyone can hear and comprehend and take in,” said Ian T. Douglas, the bishop for the Episcopal diocese of Connecticut, referring to counseling family and friends of the dead. “They’re crying out from a place of deep pain.” Praver, the rabbi, will join a memorial service Friday night at Newtown’s St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church. “We’re going to have a moment of prayer for the victims,” Praver said of the service. “We cannot let it crush our spirit and we march on.” Some national religious groups are also sending staff to Newtown, with 10 chaplains dispatched from the North Carolina-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association on Friday. Public officials including President Obama, meanwhile, turned to the Bible in responding to the shooting. “In the words of Scripture, 'heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds,' ” Obama said from the White House, citing the book of Psalms. On Twitter, #PrayForNewton became a trending topic. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories Some religious leaders argue that modern American life insulates much of the nation from the kind of senseless death and suffering that plagues much of the world every day. “Most of the world, for most of the world’s history, has known tragedy and trauma in abundance,” wrote Rob Brendle, a Colorado pastor, in a commentary for CNN’s Belief Blog after this summer’s deadly shooting in Aurora, Colorado, which left 12 dead. “You don’t get nearly the same consternation in Burundi or Burma, because suffering is normal to there,” wrote Brendle, who pastored congregants after a deadly shooting at his church five years ago. “For us, though, God has become anesthetist-in-chief. To believe in him is to be excused from bad things.” My Take: This is where God was in Aurora Lucado said there was an eerie irony for the Connecticut tragedy coming just before Christmas, noting the Bible says that Jesus Christ’s birth was followed by an order from King Herod to slay boys under 2 in the Roman city of Bethlehem. “The Christmas story is that Jesus was born into a dark and impoverished world,” Lucado says. “His survival was surrounded by violence. The real Christmas story was pretty rough.” Many religious leaders framed Friday’s shooting as evidence for evil in the world and for human free will in the face of a sovereign God. “The Bible tells us the human heart is ‘wicked’ and ‘who can know it?’” the Rev. Franklin Graham said in a statement about the massacre. “My heart aches for the victims, their families and the entire community.” Many religious leaders also said that such tragedies are a good time for lay people to express doubts about God – or anger. “This is a time to go deep and pray,” says Lucado. “If you have a problem with God, shake a fist or two at him. If he’s God, he’s going to answer. And if he’s in control, he’ll find a way to let you know. soundoff (9,194 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 Next »Post a comment |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke and Eric Marrapodi with daily contributions from CNN's worldwide newsgathering team and frequent posts from religion scholar and author Stephen Prothero.  |
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Evolution is a myth, the "new atheists" belong to a cult with Richard Dawkins as their leader
That'just so stupid that it does not even need a rebuttal.
Ordep believes in fairy tales and myths that a frog can turn into a prince
Straw Man Fallacy, Pedro.
Why are religious people so hung up on evolution? Is that the sharpest divide between those who believe in God and those who do not? I think the biggest difference between the two camps is that religious folks believe they have all the answers and non-religious folks are OK with uncertainty because they feel it is a more honest assessment of our current understanding of our place in the universe.
John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
. . . but I let children be slaughtered anyway.
Amen. You are on the winning side..when you choose Jesus!
Can a frog turn into a prince? Only in fairy tales
Darwin to Hitler
Non sequitur
Can always count on CNN to drag religion into this. Nobody has an answer. We have free will, whether we believe in God or not, this kid chose to do what he did and if a huge hand came from nowhere and stopped him, I could only imagine the insanity which would ensue. Personally I think religion is a load, but I do believe in God. I seriously doubt he caused this, but who is to say that these children weren't brought to a much better place than this world. I don't know, YOU don't know, so quit trying to throw insults at each other, trying to trample other people's beliefs just because they don't fit with your own. That goes for both sides, the religious zealots holding your noses in the air AND the arrogant know-it-alls from the "Rational" camp. If you believe in God, fine. If not? No problem.
Religion by definition is the belief in god or the supernatural. You are confusing it with "organized religion." But you are religious, by definition. And since you clearly allign yourself Christianity and it's concept, you have accepted organized religion at the structure of your belief, so you are religious that way too.
We get a lot of people making similar claims here, but if your belief alligns that closely with Christianity, then you just cannot honestly claim you are "not religious but believe in god."
we would all like to think that everyone goes to a better place when they die, but the fact is we are only certain of the one life we have. any optimism that they are in a better place is greatly overshadowed by their tragic early death. i hate to be a debbie downer but thats how i feel. the one life we are given must be cherished so much more than any hope for an afterlife
Actually neuroscience – along with other sciences – are starting to show more and more that the concept of free will is an illusion and – operant conditioning aside – we're more or less slaves to our DNA. Native intelligence and physical limitations play into this in a big way.
TOO,, ALL the "WICKED!!! and NON Believe's and to the AthEIS ,,,,GOD said LET their be !!!!LIGHT!!!!!!! and them guess what their was the """"SUN!!!!! ,,,which lighted the path of Earth.. GOD said let their be eternal Light . the SUN!! Which is where Hell is. the WICKED and atheis will be cast in eternal FIRE!!!!
god said you need to improve your grammar
I'm thinking Poe.
You really need to stop smoking crystal meth while reading the bible. You're experiencing psychosis and should seek treatment from the nearest, non-snake charming, health provider. Frankly, we're all getting worried about you.
The sun is not an eternal thing, it will DIE in about 4 billion years.. then what?
We might believe you a litle more IF your grammar and syntax were better. Also it doesn't help that not only does the first chapter of your big book of fables have two different stories of creation, the order of that creation is a little bas's-ackwards. If it's truly the word of a "god", don't you think the right order of things would have been given?
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me down to lie
Through pastures green he leadeth me the silent waters by
With bright knives he releaseth my soul
He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places
He converteth me to lamb cutlets
For lo,he hath great power and great hunger
When cometh the day we lowly ones
Through quiet reflection and great dedication
Master the art of karate
Lo, we shall rise up
And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water.
Where's God, you ask?
In the recesses of your cerebral cortex with the rest of your imagination.
Now stop being a child, get off of your ass, and make the world a better place.
I co-sign that statement Sir
Interesting how many God haters come on the 'belief net' section to argue against God. Anytime I find an article about God, you can always find the haters...the unbelievers. It's all good though. Maybe one day, at least one will seek God in his/her life and see that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
And maybe you'll realize religion is just a foolish delusion.
Hey stupid! You can't hate something that you don't think exists.
You must really hate Buddha.
Yeah, I mean the haters...like yourself. Where's the love for other people?? "Idiot"? "Stupid"? And you don't even know me. I can tell you don't have God in your life because God is love. You have no love. You spit hate out of your mouth whenever you can.
Oh and by the way, Buddha is dead. Why should I hate him?
Maybe you should reread your own posts and see what you have been spitting, hypocrite.
You wonder where;s God? You took him out of schools remember? Maybe if you kept him there, this may have been avoided!
false...countries that don't worship god have lower crime rates...google it...your argument is invalid
Are you implying god allowed the massacre to happen because the children didn't pray enough in school?
Let me say it once again: the people who are asking the stupid "where's god" question are not the atheists. It's the Christians. Catch a clue, buddy, because that's obvious as can be.
And let me say this again also: the shooter is reportedly from a church-going Catholic family, so god had plenty of chances with him.
So your point is just plain wrong.
Yes Athy. I kill send in killers because children don't pray. And movie-goers. And I send in hurricanes because people on the Jersey Shore don't pray enough (and they have those horrible twangy accents!).
I was trying to say that god is not needed in schools. he isn't worshipped in many countries, and they don't have the problems we do
Wow, you really think god is a vengeful, megalomaniac, who takes out his psychotic wrath on elementary school kids.
For all of our sake, I hope that God doesn't exist.
Why is America producing so many mentally unbalanced people?
We're more religious.
Simple. Because they do not have God in their lives.
Secular countries have less crime. Fact.
Relatively secular regions of the U.S. have far less crime than the Bible Belt. Fact.
You are a liar, 3n1.
There are just as many mentally imbalanced people in other parts of the world besides America. The only difference is in America, they aren't put away in asylums or funny farms like other parts of the world.
No Dandaman. The difference is that the whackos here have excellent access to premium large-caliber rapid-fire equipment.
@The guy that thought he was funny spelled my name backwards – Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Which makes my case that "wackos" as you put it aren't locked up but rehabilitated or have been attempted to be rehabilitated to a more normal socially accepted standard and sometimes it backfires.
People do indeed kill people. People with guns kill a lot more people than people without guns.
@funny guy – So, what's your point? Oh right, your still on the whole gun thing. I was replying to the original poster about his topic, not about "wackos" having easy access to guns. Now quit hijacking the thread.
You miss the point. The reason it seems there are more whackos in America is that they go on slaughter rampages far more often than in other parts of the world. Whackos get more press when they slaughter kindergarten classes, which happens far more often in America than, say, Belgium.
What if I told you that countries where people don't worship a god have less crime... Google it.
That's also true regionally. The Bible Belt has the highest major crime rate (by a lot). Utah has the highest rate of rape, and it ain't the atheists doing it. Atheists are about 3% of the population but less than .3% (notice the decimal point) of the prison population.
not just lower crime, but lower divorce rates and higher levels of education completed as well
In the beginning, God....
God has always been here from the beginning. You either have faith and believe...or you don't. He does not make you choose Him...or to serve Him. There was a beautiful garden if you have forgotten where sin first began. We are not in the garden anymore. We are living with good and evil around us. Jesus is our hope and God's gift to us...inviting Him into your heart is a free gift from God. Many in our own country have turned their backs on God...or simply do not believe.
Someday...and I pray soon...Jesus will return....and EVERY knee shall bow...EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
I hope and pray that you choose God. We can lean on Him...talk and pray to Him anytime...even when evil comes our way in our lives.
Retreating from reality and hiding behind fantasy will not help anything.
It is fundamentally unjust to punish decendants for the crimes of parents, which is exactly what God did to the whole human race for Adam and Eve having an apple. I personally would have just talked with them, made them understand their mistake, but God choseto punish everybody.
Funny how a lowly atheist can easily come up with a better, more humane system than god.
Punish?? You haven't seen His wrath yet. Hmmm....last time I checked, His punishment was to have a bit harder lifestyle than the easy one there in the garden.
You either believe or you don't. I'm sorry that you do not believe. Someday you will...as you will be one of those that will be kneeling and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Not likely.
I wouldn't do that either. It is too angry and vengeful and evil. I would educate them, do my god magic on them and expand their intelligence, and make them better. Then I would let them enjoy heaven with everyone else. Great rollercoasters and insanely good mojitos.
Again, my system is more decent and humane than god's.
Have you ever realized that every time you pray, you're actually just talking to yourself... Unless God's talking back... In which case you're suffering from schizophrenia and may want to see a psychiatrist.
Academic integrity: you can't cite the bible to validate or prove something the bible says. To put it another way, you can't say that a statement in book A is true because book A says it's true.
You took prayer out of the school and you don't love me any more so I had to kill some innocent children. That's how I roll.
Yours truly,
God
Oh nice one!
How dare you sign God's name to that garbage. Shame on you!!!!!!
Have you forgotten about the Master of all evil that is around us??? He only has so much power...and he knows his time is limited here on earth. Those precious children are being loved by God right now in Heaven...no more suffering....
how dare you blame God for the evil!!
3n1 sounds like he is going to grab his guns and head to a kindergarten tomorrow.
3n1, you seem like you need some help. Please visit a mental health institution as soon as you can.
There are many that don't believe in God, and I have no intention of trying to change their minds. It's not up to me what one does or does not believe. But, what is the purpose of bashing each? Christians bash atheist, and atheist bash christians. That is how hate starts, and hate leads to awful things. Also, just because one states they are a "christian" doesn't make it so. The bible says you will know them by their fruits. Meaning their works. If you are a christian and you are slandering someone, for any reason, you better recheck yourself. Stating whether something is true or not (meaning from a bibical point) isn't bashing, but to call names and be argumentative, is not how we are supposed to be. Why do I need to convince all the unbelievers out there who God is? That's not my job. If someone is curious and wanted to talk about God, that would different, but still that doesn't mean I shove it down their throat.
The issue many atheists have with christians is constantly being told that we're going to hell...not very nice in my opinion
Maybe it's because atheists don't believe in God so in turn, don't go to church....and don't get to hear the message of salvation...or about Hell. Hell is real...and perhaps the "Christians" you speak about truly do care about where you may be heading.
It truly is your choice. God is not going to make you choose Him or to believe in Him. He would love for you to accept Him...He loves you!
I'd say going to a church and being around crazy christians such as yourself would be similar to being in hell...so techinically its a lose-lose for atheists...hell either way
well jess – you may not personally shove your religion down peoples throats....
but it's happening... it happens.
xians consistently attempt to secularize their theological ideals....
they consistently ignore the 1st amendment...
they consistently seek to nullify equality in all americans.
LITERALLY no better than muslims in france and england who lobby for sharia law.
and ALL of it – based on a delusional construct.
and jess....delusional thinking = mental illness.
and here we have another mentally ill person who has committed another spectacularly terrible atrocity..... and people question their faith (good) or worse.... turn to faith... where's god? srsly?? are you that stupid? – statistics say yes
grow up, jess...
evolve.
Non-God-believers have NO hope. ;-(
So true. Jesus Christ is our only hope. Amazing how many other people in other nations are more accepting of Him than in our own country. Very sad indeed.
Actually, much of Europe is far less accepting of jeebus than we are.
You people are clueless.
The high the rate of accepting Jesus, the higher the rate of major crime. No joke. Totally true.
Hmmm...not talking about "Europe"...try places like third world countries, etc. People without much...is what it seems to me. Maybe since you have alot, you don't need Him???
"no hope" for what? You're brain washed. I don't believe in God but I hope often. Look up at the evening sky some time and ponder this... how could any human from 3000 years ago know anything at all about our existence. Any religion humanity has manufacture isn't close to the truth.
They believe this tripe because they're uneducated, not because they're poor. There is a strong negative correlation between religious belief and intelligence. Google it if you don't believe it.
Third world Christian countries have MUCH higher rates of crime than secular Western Europe. It's a very consistent pattern: more god, more crime.
Athy are you for real??? Uneducated?? So all the Christians who have accepted Jesus as their Savior in their life are all uneducated?? Seriously?? Next you'll say all the Christians are weak too. I'm sorry to disagree with you. It seems to me that many (not all) people in this country who have alot, don't need God. And then you find some needing God when they need something that they don't have. You must have everything you need to keep you happy. If you don't...or someday you lose it all, you can always turn to Jesus...to experience true joy in your life...I just hope it's not too late.
Athy are you for real??? Uneducated?? So all the Christians who have accepted Jesus as their Savior in their life are all uneducated?? Seriously?? Next you'll say all the Christians are weak too. I'm sorry to disagree with you. It seems to me that many (not all) people in this country who have alot, don't need God.
Sorry you don't like it, but it is a well-evidenced fact that the more religious you are, the lower your IG, th lower the level of education comleted, and the higher the rate of crime. Many, many studies show that quite clearly.
Sorry, but it is true. Feel free to google it if you don't believe me.
So are you telling me that all the uneducated people with lower IQ's that accepted Jesus will be the only ones in Heaven??? I'm thankful to be so dumb. I'm sure God loves me just the same...as the most intelligent person in the world!
I didn't say anything like that. There is no heaven. Your god is fake, and I can prove it.
There is no tangible evidence for a deity anywhere in the universe, right down to the tiniest sub-atomic particle. There is only the Bible. The Bible is easily disproved because Jesus is wrong twice on major issues. Gods cannot be wrong.
If you read Mark 13 and Matthew 24, you will see a long list of things that will happen (the end of the world) that will occur in the lifetimes of some of those standing there listening to him. Did not happen. If you read the fig tree thing, you will see Jesus say that if you believe, your prayers will be answered absolutely, exactly as you ask, even if you ask for a mountain to throw itself into the sea.
We won't mention the four radically different and incompatible versions of the resurrection.
No evidence, and your god was wrong repeatedly. Your religion is phony.
We do have hope. We hope that you'll leave us alone and stop spewing hurtful propaganda that people who don't believe in God can't be good.
Isn't it a bit odd that so many are asking where God is because of an evil act of a gunman shooting 20 children, while at the same time they recently elected a leader who's official platform supports – even wants to us all to pay for – the the brutal hacking apart of millions of children every year? A platform which celebrated this as a great virtue and paraded around evil people who prey on women in order to get rich by hacking apart all these children? We'll probably find out the gunman had some kind of mental illness.... what's the excuse of our leader the the DNC?
You truly can't see the difference, can you, Stevie?
Hysterical much?
No, not really... maybe you can explain it to me.
Well, actually I guess I can... one is the result of mental illness, the other a depraved mind.
"The earth is not flat, the sun does not revolve around the earth, and there is no invisible guy in the sky. Grow up people."
Atom is not the smallest particle, apes were still apes until they die and Theory of Evolution was just a product of Darwin's massive an extensive LBM.
A good rehab might help you.
Can you translate that for us?
Athy.
You seem so confused. You must get those neurons back to work.
Another example of the failures in the American education system.
"where's god?"-the same place it was at every other horrible and wonderful thing that has happened to mankind since our beginning...been at this place and never left. God or not, one thing is for sure, we are on our own and always have been. That may of even been the intention all along.
NOT
So far, your replies have consisted of "duh" and "not."
Let us know when you reach the third grade.
NO
In the beginning, God....
God has always been here from the beginning. You either have faith and believe...or you don't. He does not make you choose Him...or to serve Him. There was a beautiful garden if you have forgotten where sin first began. We are not in the garden anymore. We are living with good and evil around us. Jesus is our hope and God's gift to us...inviting Him into your heart is a free gift from God. Many in our own country have turned their backs on God...or simply do not believe.
Someday...and I pray soon...Jesus will return....and EVERY knee shall bow...EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
I hope and pray that you choose God. We can lean on Him...talk and pray to Him anytime...even when evil comes our way in our lives.
Don't hold your breath. He's had nearly 2000 years to return and he hasn't yet.
Where was God in Adam Lanza's family? Where is God in the public schools?
We are the ones telling God to go away. We're reaping what we've sown.
Which one of the Gods are you referring to?
Poor god, nobody wants him. Maybe he'll move to some other planet and get his jollies there.
CarrotNoggin is referring to the One and Only Great 'I Am'. Hellooo
Adam Lanza was apparently raised in a church-going Catholic family. You idiotic assertion is gibberish.
God in school would not keep him sane or in control, as has been shown by all-too-many killers who heard god and killed. God in his family did nothing to stop it.
Your position is idiotic.
The Lanzas were apparently Catholic.
God isn't gone from schools: you just can't force your personal religious beliefs into a taxpayer-funded educational system. You're more than welcome to pray before your school lunch, or to wear a shirt with the "Jesus fish" on it. Those are rights upheld by our courts.
What you mean is "I'm not allowed to teach captive children about my personal faith," which seems pretty reasonable.
Your argument is invalid.
Same place he's always been – in your imagination.