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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 (9,195 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 » |
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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 with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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For those who argue there is a God or there isn't, to both I say WHERE IS YOUR PROOF? Either you have the faith to believe in a supremem being or you have the faith to believe everything is just chance. Both are lunacy, I'll take God. You say Christians cannot "sense" God, because you have no sense. Sure there are perverts and nut jobs in the church, there are more outside. As my handle says, your intelligence = nothing.
That's funny considering the more intelligent a person is, the more likely they are to be an atheist...
You should select the most logical explanation. You didn't.
Oh there could be a god, just not the christian one.
On the surface, Pascal's wager seems like a no-brainer. One should believe because in believing you either lose nothing or gain everything. However, the unstated assumption in the wager is that belief in God guarantees one a place in heaven. With regard to Christianity, the assumption is false. Belief in God, in and of itself, is not sufficient to ensure entry into heaven, since the demons also believe, but are condemned:
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (James 2:19)
The reasons that the demons shudder at the thought of God is that they know that they are destined for hell.1 Why don't they repent and come back to God? God has set different criteria for salvation for angels (including the demons, who are fallen angels2). Whereas those who have never seen God directly can come to sincere faith at any time in their lives,3 those who have direct evidence of God's existence are condemned by any act of disobedience.4 The Bible says that one third of the angels followed Satan into rebellion1 and are already eternally condemned.4 You should be glad that you have never seen God directly!
An intellectual belief that God exists is not enough, since judgment is based upon what is in one's heart.5 Pretending to believe or going through the motions of some church service is not going to be looked upon very favorably by God.6 In fact, Jesus said that many would do all those religious things, but still be condemned:
The Apostle Paul also indirectly commented on Pascal's wager 16 centuries before Blaise Pascal lived. Paul said that our faith is dependent upon the resurrection of Jesus:
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. (1 Corinthians 15:12-15)
So, Paul was saying that everything hangs on the resurrection. If Jesus was not resurrected, the Christian's testimony is false and our faith is in vain. Not only that, but if the resurrection isn't true, then forgiveness of sin is false and all people are destined to die forever:
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:17-19)
Even the idea that people lose nothing by belief in a false premise is rebutted by Paul, who says that if we have hope only in this life then we are most to be pitied. Basing one's life on a lie is not going to result in any kind of Christian joy or spiritual good works.
Still not one answer showing intelligence. You puff about your wisdom and bray like donkeys. Notice only athiest proclaim their great intellect? Why don't you brag on hate spewing, judgmental Bill Maher next? Christians aren't going to be bullied anymore. Get ready to listen as much as you talk.
if you claim gods exist – you must show verifiable irrefutable evidence of said gods.
when i state "there are no gods" – i need do nothing.
the statement "there are no gods." is logically falsifiable.
the onus of evidence lies wholly and entirely on the shoulders of those who claim gods do exist.
you can erect arguments from ignorance – like bertrand russels teapot analogy.... in an attempt to shift the onus of evidence... but it will fail when you face someone who understands logic.
those of you who believe in imaginary men in the sky must rely on faith and faith alone.
faith is defined as a belief in something for which you have no evidence – and even evidence to the contrary.
remember – you can literally believe anything you want. you could, for instance – believe that monkeys will fly out of your butt at 3am. but please – don't get fussy when someone tells you not to sit around with a mirror pointed at your sphincter – because it's so highly improbable that monkeys will fly out of your butt – as to be impossible
"Your intelligence = nothing" sums up your posts nicely. you're toying with logic like an infant jingling a set of car keys.
evolve, son. evolve.
cha cha cha
Dear Atheists, please do consider the calendar, "from the year of our Lord". Yes, time, as we know it, is measured from the birth of Christ!!!! There is nothing you can do or say to change that!
that we use the christian calendar is only evidence that at one time religion held prominence in academia.
there are other calendars... the one we use isn't the only one, dummy.
you should literally be ashamed to be so stupid.
I believe that God exists and I need do nothing. I have absolutly NO care if you believe in Him because I do not believe your intelligence exists but obviously somehow you type. Surprising. As far as evolving, go visit your cousin at the zoo and ask him why you have a sphincter facination.
You're small and think yourself more than you are. Shouting your greatness doesn't make you any bigger and certainly not more important. I know there has been a lot of junk preched from the pulpits, but that's true in and out of the church. Scientists once told us the world was flat and that the sun orbited the earth. Oh wait, in your dilusional grandeur you probably still believe that.
"We are athiests and we are superior to those who believe in what they cannot see!" I see your intelligence is equal to nothing, worth nothing, and a complete waste of time.
Oh wait, one more thing before I pray and go to bed. I forgot the signiture of athiest intelligence,
"cha cha cha"
Hey, maybe you're one of those repressed tongue talkers.
simmer down princess...
the vituperative nature of your posts wreaks of frustration, yet – they lack substance.
you lack substance, son.
evolve.
i would suggest you read the history of galileo galilei and rethink your whole "Scientists once told us the world was flat and that the sun orbited the earth." bit.
you'll look less stupid.
those of you who believe in imaginary men in the sky suffer from delusional thinking.
you should be prohibited from voting, holding public office, purchasing/owning firearms, and teaching public school.
tolerance of religious idiocy is on a rapid decline...
deal with it.
If I had been banned from a school and I saw an insane person heading in with a gun, I would not be like god and say "oh, I was kicked out, I'll just let them die." I'd head in there and try to stop it.
God is a wussy
Someone, and switch the person daily, in the front office has to carry. This is not rocket science. Quit blaming God for your own thick headed stiff necked views.
Pretty tough for god to stop the killing in schools when he is not allowed in them anymore.
@Cobra
512
What a nonsense blog and article. Get this crap off news websites. Religion... what a laugh.
Canada, what a laugh
Why would a god let somthing like this happen? Because it doesn't care, or it doesn't exsist.
I say the latter.
And if your praying to a god to keep your kids safe everynight, then some tragedy happens to your kid... why would you turn back to prayer?
Nothing fails like prayer!
Wake up, grow up, get off your knees and get to work.
I can't relate to what I see in this world...
Someday... maybe in a world without religion, and we can move forward. Thinking scientifically, rationally, critically.
Instead most everyone belives in some god and they try to kill each other over which one is better.
Bet the shooter believed in god.
So right! Wake-up
Can you please explain where the universe came from or how it started? If we simply live by "rational" thinking then we should not be here, period. There is much more to this life and universe than your little pea brain can even quantify! Enjoy your senseless life, without hope, without faith.
AGAIN: Mankind's default is having a god. When you can't find one you nominate yourself....."Phl 3:19 Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, ............"
Well I have a better moral compass than the god of the bible so I am Ok with me god.
Well I have a better moral compass than the god of the bible so I am Ok with me as god.
And I see you speak out of both sides of your mouth.
I see the fundies have been busy today blaming public schools and the lack of prayer and Bible reading in public schools for their own shortcomings as parents. Fundamentalists want to have lots of children, yet they want to leave it to the state to educate their children in religion. Well, thankfully, we did away with that notion in 1962 and 1963, with two SCOTUS rulings. This is a good thing since today, about 23% of the average classroom population is non-Christian.
The truth is, fundamentalist Christians have never been at peace in the U.S. More often than not, they have never been at peace with other "Christians" as much as with non-Christians.
Around the time of our founding our very moderate and Deistic key framers of the Constitution were up to their ears with feuding fundamentalist Christian sects as well. The following shows some of their views on religious troubles and the newly established government. I feel these are more important than the more general proclamations made during that time that were celebratory, or intended as political appeals to the more fundamentalist constituency.
Listen to James Madison, POTUS #4, and the chief architect of the U.S. Constitution & the Bill of Rights that would become several of the Amendments, including the 1st:
During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry, and persecution.
(A Memorial and Remonstrance – delivered to the Virginia General Assembly in 1785.)
Listen to John Adams, POTUS #2:
I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved – the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced! With the rational respect that is due to it, knavish priests have added prostitutions of it, that fill or might fill the blackest and bloodiest pages of human history. "
(in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, 09/03/1816)
The United States of America have exhibited, perhaps, the first example of governments erected on the simple principles of nature; and if men are now sufficiently enlightened to disabuse themselves of artifice, imposture, hypocrisy, and superstition, they will consider this event as an era in their history. It will never be pretended that any persons employed in that service had interviews with the gods, or were in any degree under the influence of Heaven, more than those at work upon ships or houses, or laboring in merchandise or agriculture; it will forever be acknowledged that these governments were contrived merely by the use of reason and the senses.
Thirteen governments [of the original states] thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without a pretence of miracle or mystery, and which are destined to spread over the northern part of that whole quarter of the globe, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind.
(from A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America [1787-1788])
Listen to Ben Franklin:
Some books against Deism fell into my hands; they were said to be the substance of the sermons which had been preached at Boyle’s Lectures. It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them. For the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to be much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a thorough Deist.
(from his Autobiography)
Thomas Paine was very Deistic. He witness Quakers being hung in Massachusetts by other Christians:
I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church. All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.
Thomas Jefferson had his own Deistic version of the Bible.
Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth.
(from Notes on the State of Virginia)
Of course Deism holds to the belief of God as the creator of the universe. But many Deists also believed that God did not interfere with the lives of his creation. And many Deists disbelieved in all of the "magic" in the Bible – some of them refuting the Bible and Christianity completely.
Jefferson, Washington, Adams, Paine, Mason & Madison all witnessed the violent persecution between Christian sects in their home states around the time the government was being established. So it is of no surprise that they needed a secular government and they knew the only way to enforce freedom of religion was to keep religion out of the government as much as possible.
Listen to James Madison speak about the need for the need to keep religion out of government (Jefferson wasn't the only one to explicitly speak of the separation of church and state):
Every new & successful example therefore of a perfect separation between ecclesiastical and civil matters, is of importance. And I have no doubt that every new example, will succeed, as every past one has done, in shewing that religion & Govt. will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.
The Civil Govt, tho' bereft of everything like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability and performs its functions with complete success, Whilst the number, the industry, and the morality of the Priesthood, & the devotion of the people have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the Church from the State.
(from letters to Edward Livingston and Robert Walsh)
Madison as president vetoed two bills that he believed would violate the separation of church and state. He also came to oppose the long-established practice of employing chaplains at public expense in the House of Representatives and Senate on the grounds that it violated the separation of church and state and the principles of religious freedom. (Library of Congress – James Madison Papers – Detached memorandum, ca. 1823.)
Our most recent constitutional Amendment, number 27, adopted in 1992, was first introduced by James Madison in 1789.
President John Adams and the U.S. Senate on behalf of the U.S.
As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion;
(from Article 11 of the U.S. treaty ratified with Tripoli in 1797)
So what are you complaining about, Big mamak? Your systeeeem taught em. Ahem, to the test.
Obviously the lol?? idiot didn't understand my first two sentences. I'm not surprised.
Atheists exert an awful amount of energy and time into disproving in Someone who supposedly doesn't exist! Thank you LORD...
why wouldnt we? you idiots are ruining our country.
Can you prove he does exist?
Atheists don't scream our beliefs at the top of our luns from street corners... That takes a lot more energy than blogging.
A direct connection of not believing in God and these massacres? YA THINK!!
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. – David, Ps 14:1
The abominable deeds like massacres are the symptom, the belief system is the root. We are destroying ourselves from within as we blog away and dismiss wisdom and reasoning. God has given a way out, is what happened 2012 years ago when he visited here in person (a.k.a Christmas). Ball is in your court, good luck...
So, how do you explain that more people have suffered and died in the name of religion than for all other reasons combined?? Ever heard of the Crusades?? Religion... Todays wars?? Caused by religious extremism... Who owns the guns in America?? Religious people... Atheists are peaceful people. Religious people are paranoid, delusional war mongers.
And in the mean time, millions of innocent kids in Africa and elsewhere die of hunger and horrible diseases, leading to only 2 options: either Christian god is an uncaring and/or vicious ASS HOLE or he doesn't exist. For other reasons, I pick the latter.
Where is God? God was there the whole time and crying with us when our loved ones were killed by deranged psychopath. Since most of those loved ones were children, they are in a better place today. Those who were killed who were atheist and denied Jesus Christ are in a worse place today.
The question should be, what was Satan doing before, during, and after this incident?
So what you are saying is, that the christian kids that dies, were done a favor? Since they are in a better place now? You disgust me and are a horrible human being. This is why religion is BS. Delusiional people like you actually beleive this was a good thing.
So you re saying that after the shooter terrorized and murdered some of the children at that school, God terrorized and tortured some of the children for the rest of eternity?
I can't tell the difference between God and Lanza.
Already posted here today but Veritas, read this and re-think your silly god fairy stories:
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?”
Epicurus
Just when you think you've heard every stupid thing a christian will say to justify their delusions.
Looks like the atheists are losing the debate...
Only to the delusional... In other words, the religious.
How can you debate truth?
WHy? Did you finally prove that god exists? Didnt think so. Atheists, winning since god was invented.
Atheist have lost the battle,the war and their souls. Victory secured at the cross.
There are no winners and losers. Athiests do not have a God, christians do. what is the debate. the soulless do not have a soul, nor a God. let it rest. you cannot convince them you have something they cannot feel.
And religies are the worst fucking writers. No brains.
Religion is for the ignorant, the gullible, the stupid, and the cowardly, and for those who would profit from them.
I am at a loss to why AtHiests and believers bicker. For AtheiSTs God infact does NOT exist for they have no soul given them. Proof? They dont feel his presence. Proof? They claim he does not exist.
christains on the other hand, feel his presence and are able to experience the fullfillment only the creator can provide. But why you ask did the creator in his wisdom put his creation in a world of soulless beings? Life is not just a reward but also a test and a place of growth. For the soulless, he can gain one, however, he will lose his ego and sense of self. kinda like your pet getting a conscience, it would become a different creature, hence so would the soulless or atheiSt if you will.
Sorry to inform you, but your feelings must be an illusion. You do not posses any special magical powers that I do not. You are not able to communicate with celestial powers that others cannot.
I'll leave you with this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q16KpquGsIc
You need a new keyboard. The one you're using is malfunctioning. I'll translate that for you. It's fucking up.
This event has shown me without a shadow of a doubt that there is in fact NO GOD
Dear God, why Do you Allow So Much Violence In Our Schools?... Sign a Concern Student.
Dear Concern Student I'm Not Allowed In Schools ....Sign God
511
What's the count now?
508. Well done.
Dear Christians – Why do you keep saying that people need religion to be moral when the most immoral Americans are all Christians?? Just look at any Republican politician for proof.
What about Canada? They dont allow me there and I dont send in killers to punsih them. Maybe im a figment of your immagination.
511!
511?
Must have missed a few.
Benny tou are right, God totally turned his back on these innocent people
Dear god, that is a terrible excuse for your irresponsibility, you are a useless jack wagon. -a dissappointed student.
Dear god, Why do you allow so much violence in our shopping malls? Signed, A Concerned Shopper
Dear Concerned Shopper, What? Where? Did I miss something? There was a big sale on sandals at Macy's, I swear I was just gone for a minute! Signed, God
Morality is doing what's right no matter what you're told...
Religion is doing what you're told, no matter what's right.
Sorry, I was busy not existing.
-God
How is your heart?
its funny how those that don't believe in God or those that punch their ticket Easter & Christmas are first to ask where was God.. if you don't believe in God or don't worship, why would you comment on a thread like this..
God has been kicked out of schools, out of government buildings, kicked out of the lives of many.. God didn't "make this happen" God stepped back, pulled away his blanket of Peace, protection & blessing,and a PERSON made a CHOICE to kill.. we ALL have the right to choose what path we take, without FAITH, we ALWAYS make the wrong choices.. and some of those wrong choices.. destroy lives!
we'll NEVER know if God exists, since NO ONE has come back with any proof.. its all about FAITH.. FAITH is the belief in something w/o proof.. and when we're gone, we'll never know.. but the ODDS are , there is a GOD, his word is the BIBLE, and His SON is Jesus Christ.
but again, it's all about choice, you can make a choice not to believe.. not to care.. but when things like this happen, w/o a belief in something BIGGER than YOU are, or these events are.. where does one find solace?
But i find it disturbing all the hypocritical diatribe regarding "pray for them" " our prayers for for them"
etc.. without belief/faith in what you're praying for, Whom you're praying to.. its like a letter without a stamp.. someone see's it, but not the person you hoped for..
510, I think?
510
You are about number 300 on the list of people who said that idiocy.
The atheists are not the ones saying it, you nincompoop. It really couldn't be any more obvious.
If you're talking odds, its got to be around 99.9% thst your god and bible are fiction, since 99
99% of all religions that were created have failed.
What kind of a person has 'faith' in childish fairy tales that have been proven to be pure fiction?? Weak-minded, immature people.
It's not official until I do it!
510
There. Now it's official
Have faith? Faith is a cop-out because you got nothing else to believe in I guess I should just have faith in God that he will prevent another act like this. Good luck!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Q16KpquGsIc
Brad, you are very condescending about peoples rights to comment on this article who don't share your religious views. You blame the innocent victims for these crimes because "God was kicked out of schools, the government and our lives" So I believe what you are saying is it's our fault that "God" allowed this to happen. So what does this say about an uncaring God. The burden of proof that "God" exist is on you, not Atheist. By the way, you have many contradictory statements in your article.
This is not an over-simplification, but the foundational beliefs of this country. All the tweets and blogs and social re-engineering by the media will not turn this problem around. We are at a lost to understand this because we think we're so smart and we've laughed the thought of God out of our national consciousness even though this was bedrock to our history.
"God rules this world. It is the duty of nations as well as men to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow... and to recognize the sublime truths that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord." – Abraham Lincoln
"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his PROTECTIOIN and favors. – George Washington
"It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation's humble acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence." – John Adams
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. – David, Ps 14:1
“There is no God” belief system = New Town CT, Clackamas OR, Tuscon AZ, Columbine HS, Virginua Tech, etc…
The biggest problem the religious have is understanding 'cause and effect'.
The Psalmist made a direct connection of not acknowledging god and evil deeds like this shooting. It is connected folks, and all the blogging wit won't change it, sorry...
I don't care what the Psalmist says, claiming a cause and effect does not make it true. That is circular reasoning and is a prime example of cult logic.
Belivers, theist and every religious nut is responsible for this tragedy.....
I'm asking "Where is man, or where are the decent men?" If you don't believe in God, hold man to the same account. It doesn't work too well, does it?
Care to explain that?
Did that seem like a thought to you? You should practice mre.
Why did this happen, you ask? Simple. God knew the children were going to start Catholic school next year, and he wanted to protect them from Father Chester "Moe" Lester. So he had them whacked.
1 John 5:19 says that "the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one." It is he and his political minions who have removed prayer from the schools. It is for the sole purpose of getting YOU upset and distracting your attention from the great issue that is before all mankind, namely, Whom will you serve – God or the Devil? Satan is real, whether you like it or not..
Don't take my word for it; check the words of Jesus at John 14:30: "I shall not speak much with YOU anymore, for the ruler of the world is coming."
Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. He offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, in exchange for one act of worship. Did Jesus argue that those kingdoms were not Satan's to give? No. He knew that Satan was in control of all the world. He was then and still is today. 1 John 5:19 still stands.
Don't miss the tremendous future that lies ahead of those of humankind who prove themselves willing to honor God rather than Satan. It's up to you, folks.
Neither god nor satan exist. Grow up.
Captain the kool aid levels are too strong! Don't know if she can take it anymore!
Man, you are extraordinarily delusional.
The idea that Satan who was created by god (Jesus) could tempt god (Jesus) with his own creation shows the absurdity of the Christian dogma.
Are you the same professor who built a lie detector out of bamboo and coconuts on Gilligan's Island?
#MithraLives!
Neither god nor satan exist. Grow up.
#Anon
Captain the kool aid levels are too strong! Don't know if she can take it anymore!
#Athy
Man, you are extraordinarily delusional.
#Blessed are the Cheesemakers
The idea that Satan who was created by god (Jesus) could tempt god (Jesus) with his own creation shows the absurdity of the Christian dogma.
#You're a schmarty
Are you the same professor who built a lie detector out of bamboo and coconuts on Gilligan's Island?
Thanks for reading my post, folks. Firstly, Schmarty, if you're old enough to remember Gilligan's Island, then you're way too old to be missing the point of what I wrote.
For the last last forty-five years I've been researching this topic, and have reached the conclusion that, because 97% of Bible prophecy has actually come true, while mankind is unable to discern accurately what the weather will be like tomorrow, the Bible must be from someone who knows with accuracy what the future holds. It must be the person who makes the sun rise every morning without fail, whether we can see it or not.
The Bible DOES NOT SAY THAT JESUS IS GOD. (Interestingly, even Satan acknowledged that when tmpting JC.)
The Bible does not generally present humans with a prospect of life in heaven after their human death. Life is life, death is death, the opposite of life.
The Bible's stand is that a human does not HAVE a soul, as according to Gen. 2:7, a man is a soul. Dogma to the contrary is man-made. (Sorry for shouting...)
I know you probably don't believe in God anyway, but that's OK, but it makes me remember the dark days of World War II, when it was often said that there are no atheists in the foxholes, or the lifeboats. When did you last pray? Who to? Who was listening?
#Esp. for Blessed are the Cheesemakers (Fabulous handle; great thought. I love cheese.) Thanks for your expression, but Satan was not created by God. The Bible presents Satan as an angel who deviated from the truth and went his own way. Remember how he asked Jesus to accept all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for one act of worship. It was obvious that Satan wanted to be like God, and steal some of the worship being rendered to God. Jesus' refusal of his offer shows that even Jesus understood that Satan was the "ruler of the world." (Please be patient with me and read my thesis on page 21 of this CNN blog, filed at 10:03 p.m. on December 14.)
Agape to all
Fellow atheists,
Remember how easy it was to kick god out of schools? He didnt put up much of a fight, did he? Almost like he doesnt even exist. How weird.
It was like kicking air, like he wasn't even there.
Dear Fellow Atheists:
Christopher Hitchens died of cancer. How weird.
What's weird about that? Millions of people have died from cancer. Do you have a valid pont?
George,
Millions upon millions of christians have died from cancer too. Its almost like you want to look stupid.
@ George
You do know that everyone dies of something, right?