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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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To all the idiots who claim that this happened because we "took god out of school", answer this .... In a public classroom, would you make a Muslim child recite "Our Father"? Would you force the Jewish child to memorize "Hail Mary"? What about a kid who is raised in an Atheist or agnostic household? Would you still make them recite a prayer in homeroom? Well, would you?? C'mon.. answer this!!!
Yes, that's exactly what they would do.
This event occured because of an insane gunman, the issue has nothing to do with the presence or absence of religions in schools or because of any religious or irreligious group.
"This event occured because of an insane gunman, the issue has nothing to do with the presence or absence of religions in schools or because of any religious or irreligious group."
I agree. Try telling that to the fundies.
The christian retards can't distinguish between public schools and religious schools. Why is it that most christians can only see the world through their own belief system and ignore the 5 billion or so that do not believe as they do, hypocrisy or willful blindness? You want your kids to mumble over beads for the rest of their lives, send them to a catholic school and leave other kids alone.
Please stop asking where God is. You liberals kicked him out of the Schools and now when it's convenient you want him back. God is always with is, even in our worst times. Even when we turn our backs on him he forgives us. However even he cannot control the psychopaths of the world.
Typical christian, blaming the victims and refusing to examine his faith in the cold light of reality.
You are what evil looks like.
You idiot. Liberals don't want your superstition fouling the minds of children. Only a total dingbat would not recognize that the question is by Christians.
What a weak god – can't control the psychos. Easily kicked out of school.
If your "god" cannot control the psychopaths of the world then your "god" really isn't all that powerful is it? Look at the countries of Western Europe. No "god" in those schools, and they are advancing by leaps and bounds on an acedemic scale. No "god" is required at all to create a good learning environment.
The Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy is another proof that God doesn't exist. Just a couple months ago Sandy the hurricane was another proof that God doesn't exist. Human sufferings throughout the world and throughout history due to wars, murders, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, volcano eruptions, famines, unemployment, poverty, racism, hatred, diseases, illnesses, viruses, etc etc, are proofs that God doesn't exist.
If God exists then it's him who've been creating all of these human sufferings. Thus as long ago as 2,550 years ago the Buddha wisely said that whether or not God exists is irrelevant to your life.
Why would a real Christian think this is so tragic? Don't Christians believe these kids are in a better place, living in Heaven with God and angels and freed from the evils and suffering of this world? Or could it be that even Christians don't believe their own fairytales?
christians are doing what they always do in response to such tragedies – leveraging it to foment hatred and discord by blaming the blameless victims and heaping their usual scorn on those who disagree with them, or who question why a caring, loving, compassionate god would put bullets in the brains of 20 young children.
They are what evil looks like.
Six, I suppose defamation of an entire religious subgroup is done out of the goodness of your heart?
Careful of the question – You could be killed simply for thinking that question. That's "how" the perpetrators of religion control their "flock" - Before you ask "Where is God?" - First you need to define "which" god you asking about? There have been so many..... Leaders need to stop using religion as a valid point for anything. If ever their was a god, why would he need the money and worship of a lowly human being?
Not only which god but which version of that god.
When we remove GOD from our country the Devil will move in. Today as we head off to church, WE must ask for forgiveness from God and prayer for the famliy's who lost childrens and friends. It is time to put God back on his throne in this country. Praise be to God, Amen
Pass.
Your country was built on genocide – where was god then? Or did the devil do that too?
Forgiveness from god? What the h ell for? God just murdered 20 young, blameless children. And his supporters only response seems to be "Well, they deserved it." Why would anyone embrace such a loathsome, hate-filled, evil religion that makes such statements?
Six, your posts are using a tragedy for the purpose of maligning one specific religion you don't particularely care for.
six degrees you are on a mission to prove people wrong about a God. My two questions to you is if there is No God then where did you come from and why is there love, and joy in this world.
"Six, your posts are using a tragedy for the purpose of maligning one specific religion you don't particularely care for."
So what? They deserve it abundantly. I haven't seen any muslims or buddhists or jains here promoting the evil that christians are promoting. I don't see them blaming the victims or wallowing in hatred and loathing in the name of their god. It's not enough to just parrot bible versus when confronted with your own loathsome behavior – instead of constantly ramming your religion down other's throats, try living it instead and you might win some support, or at least some tolerance. Continue to be a band of vile as sholes, and you'll get nothing but contempt from me because you richly deserve it.
Simple, god does not exist.
There is no god and no devil, so neither is moving in or out. There are just 310 million people here and some of their brains just aren't wired right. End of story.
Which god, be specific now? After all many may be heading off to one temple or another.
"Suffer the little children to come unto me for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"-Who else but Jesus. So where was "God" if He so loved the little children & let them allowed to be slaughtered. The answer my friend is written in the wind. There is no God!
Okay then, new question...why did existance allow for this tragedy?
Jeff: There are 310 million people in this country, and some of their brains aren't wired right. It's no more complicated than that.
Where`s God? I bet God is saying to himself where`s real Christians, where are real parents, why did the killers mother have assault weapons, why did the killer need to wear camouflauge gear to conceal himself a bunch of 5 year olds in a school building, why didn`t the school have security?? Beacuse the same people who say where`s God are usually the same people who pray when it`s convient for them, or who don`t go to church on Gameday. People need to quit treating God as though he`s some sorta Jeanie and start treating God as the soveriegn power of the universe who isn`t to be judged but is the judge. These kids are growing up in heaven and will be there forever, so don`t stay too sad.
Pure B.S.
And in you, we have a fine example of a true christian – one who blames the young, blameless victims who are now dead, who shows no compassion or concern for their families, one who heaps scorn on and hopes for even more vengeance against anyone and everyone who disagrees with his hateful, evil views even slightly.
You and your god are the monsters. You are what evil looks like.
The very people that are asking where is god are the very people that claim they should have guns to protect themselves with. Is god protecting you are are your guns protecting you? Cannot be both. and the perp was brought up in a catholic school. The guns were legally purchased. The problem with god is that you cannot follow god with guns in your hands. You need to go read again the book that you are to follow, the bible. Many profess to be christian but do not follow the teaching of Christianity. It makes no difference what your mouth says, only what your actions prove.
It's about time humanity grew up and accepted the reality that there is no god.
If there is a God he has the easiest job in the world: doing nothing. He can just let events unfold naturally. If they go the way a Christian wanted, he gives God the credit. If they don't, he makes excuses for God to give him a pass. For example, Joe the Christian's kid is really sick and Joe prays for him to get well. If the kid gets well, Joe chooses to believe it's a miracle and gives God the credit. If the kid dies, Joe starts rationalizing. It wasn't God's will for him to live. God needs him on the other side. Blah, blah, blah. The exact details of the excuse are unimportant. What matters is coming up with an excuse for not accepting that God didn't answer Joe's prayer.
Twenty kids died in this incident, and a guarantee you there are Christians claiming it's a miracle more weren't killed. Hogwash. A miracle would have been God smiting this guy before he could fire the first shot. When God starts doing stuff like that you can talk to me about miracles.
Do you believe in Hell?
Nope. I don't believe in God, hell, Santa Claus, Leprechauns, the tooth fairy or alien abductions either. Your religious beliefs are nothing more than a narrative you've chosen to believe because you like it better than the alternatives. There is no reason to believe any of it other than the fact that it feels good to believe it.
Where did you come from? How were you created?
"Created" is a weasel word. It implies a creator, but the system is natural, and just ran withing it's parameters, changing, growing, adjusting, changing again with the geological and meteorological changes. Life starts when inorganic matter turns into the first simple amino acids, develoes, changes, mutates, some mutations are better, and so forth, over billions of years.
Just a nice natural process. No creator, so no need to play weasel word games by calling it creation.
Terry: Where did we come from? Evolution is a good start. How were we created? There's this little thing called sexual intercourse where two people get together and create a baby. If you don't understand these basic things then you shouldn't be getting up before your Mommy and using her computer.
Sorry, Terry, but the creation argument is bogus. Basically you're just replacing one question, "what created you" with another, "what created God?" Unfortunately, your answer generates far more questions you can't answer than it answers.
Roscoe, okay lets say we did go through process that you were saying where did the amino acids come from?
Truth Prevails, if you say evolution? Where did that come from? Something had to have come out of something?
Skytag, I agree it does bring up more question… It does not mean that we should ignore them. There is so many questions that I will not be able to answer and I can rest in that because they are not mine to answer. Do you all believe in Hell? Do you ever wonder in the deft of your soul what will happen with you die? I use to a lot I was always afraid of dying because I did not know what was going to happen after. I was so addicted to drugs and alcohol,and could never get away, but it was through Christ Jesus whom I was set free. I know in your mind you don’t understand. I would challenge you all to ask God to show you He is real. I know He will. In Jesus name
Terry, you believe in fairytales. There is no God. Your explanation for the creation of the universe and what's in it is nothing more than a fairytale someone made up. Time and time again throughout history people have used God and the supernatural to explain things we later learned have nothing to do with anything supernatural. Disease isn't caused by evil spirits, it's caused by bacteria and viruses. Thunder isn't the sound Thor's hammer makes.
You are no different than the people who used to believe these things. You embrace fairytales about an imaginary being to fill in gaps in your understanding of the universe. Just because we don't understand something doesn't mean there must be a God to explain it.
Terry, what you've basically told us is that you're not strong enough to get through life without a crutch. I would agree that as crutches go religion is much better than drugs or alcohol, but it's still just an elaborate crutch that let's you deny the reality that when you die, that's it. The synaptic activity in your brain that makes you the person you are will cease. Your body will rot unless you're cremated or they pump you full of embalming fluid to preserve you. You will not pass into some imaginary spirit world, nor will your body be resurrected. It's over. You exist to do your part to perpetuate the human species, just a bee exists to perpetuate the existence of her hive.
Terry you are spot on, but atheists can't comprehend the errors in their own thinking. I ask them to prove that something can be created from nothing, and they can't do it. There is a creator for everything. Therefore, using their own logic, there was a creator that set everything in motion. If they can't admit it, it means they are saying they believe in something that has no factual basis of proof. Sounds like what they accuse believers in god of doing, no?
Ask any creator if there is life on other planets. They must say definitively no, not "maybe, we just haven't found yet". Alien existence can not be proven, so by their logic they do not exist...period.
Thank you Creator :0) I praise God everyday for the life He has given me and pray that those who do not believe will believe according to the Father in JEsus name Amen God Bless you all
We allowed God to be taken out of our schools and this is what happens. We need him back in the schools. Thirty-seven years ago when I was the same age as these kids you never heard of things like this happening. Most that happened back then was a kid would wander off from a boy scout or girl scout camping trip. Nothing to this extent.
TAMMY, WAKE UP . THERE IS NO GOD.!
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BELIEVE IN A GOD THAT WOULD ALLOW THIS ???
What a load of fantasy hogwash.
Tammy,
The most secularist countries in Europe have considerably less without God than the United States ever had with God. Their murder rates embarrass ours despite most of the citizens of a country like Norway describing themselves as non-religious.
What a loathsome, hate-filled comment. All too typical of christians to blame the young, blameless victims and offer nothing in the way of comfort or compassion.
You are what evil looks like.
Subtle six, real subtle.
Tammy: God has not been taken out of schools...school officials leading a christian prayer has been taken out-children can still pray if they wish to. We left god in the catholic church and that hasn't prevented numerous children from being harmed at the hands of holy men...why doesn't your imaginary friend care about them?
wake up you fools. we are microscopic stardust in a universe so vast that it is un comprehend able. nothing that happens on earth matters. earth is a speck of dust in the wind. we are hear to learn . you know nothing of the nature of god. lets use the term universal consciousness instead of god. cause god is not a man or woman nor a human at all. you think you know anything about god but you dont and could not even know the physics that universal mind knows. wake up. we are all one
I like your sentiment, Toth. I prefer to think of God as the sum total of all things and all people.
I am so sad for these children and so angry at the gunman. I am angry that we can not trust one another in society. I am angry that there are people who can simply threaten our survival and do. I can't even think about what their parents must be going through. To those affected you have my love, and prayers.
There are two as yet unexplained factors. What was the argument that the killer and the administration had? And remember that the description of the principal was tough, which translates as unrelenting. Remember the book IN COLD BLOOD. The family that was invaded had no sympathy for what was abt to happen. They were tough, unyielding people.
Any Nation throughout time that has turned it`s back on god (Like the USA) has Fallen, just look back people 911, mass shootings, huge hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes ,wars, droughts...get the picture ??? and why you may ask ?
why god ? ...abortion,gay marriage, no god in a once god fearing government, Don't let yourselves get brainwashed by your
TV`s thinking these thing are acceptable..you are to see otherwise.. Jesus is Lord
Edward,
I'll remind you of the Black Death in the 1300s - a very, very religious time in history, and an estimated 100 million people in Europe died.
What a mean-spirited, shallow, hate-filled comment. It is also typical of christians, who so often hide behind their religion to heap scorn and loathing on others. Do you think god joins you in your hatred? Why don't you try spewing your bile at some of the parents in Connecticut, and explain to them how your god killed their children because someone else did something that god didn't like?
You are what evil looks like.
"give me that old time religion..It was good enuf for me!" Bah hambug.
OH THE STUPIDY OF RELIGION. GOD "ALLOWS" 20 BABIES TO BE SHOT, BUT CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN THE GRAND FAIRY TALE !
HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE IN ANY 'GOD' THAT WOULD ALLOW THIS ?? – YOU SAY "WE MUST ALL PRAY FOR THE FAMLIES ! – PRAY TO WHAT / WHO ? NO SUCH 'THING'. IT'S ALL IN YOUR STUPID HEAD. GO TO YOU CHURCH SUNDAY & PRAY, THEN WAIT FOR THE NEXT KILLING, - WHICH WILL COME !
He is the one who created you... How can you explain YOUR existance!! Who created you who created joy who created love... Evil? Have you ever asked yourself if God came to save you from EVIL. You know He is real and is calling you.
Speaking only for myself I have no evidence of an afterlife. But since we all face death, wether it is at the hands of someone else or not, I prefer to think that our consciousness survives that experience somehow be it paradise or reincarnation. Again I prefer to think this which I agree is not the same thing as proof.
Name one time that you can say "oh that would have been a tragedy except god stepped in and stopped it". God doesn't stop tragedies ever. Just look at the holy land. Thousands of years of continuous bloodshed right on his doorstep.
What makes me sad is when people say "Oh, my child was able to escape because an angel was watching over them and guided them to safety." So are you saying that the angels just came down, allowed the gunman to start shooting, then picked who they wanted to save and let the other children just die? Why didn't the angels pick everyone? The "angels" aren't going to protect everyone, WE as a society need to do it. At the very least, we need sensible gun control (no assault rifles or semi-automatics, no large magazine clips, mandatory gun safety training for purchasers, etc) as well as effective mental health services.
If we did a better job of raising our children they wouldn't ask this question or commit these horrible acts.
No matter how well you raise your children some will do terrible things. It's not always a matter of parenting.
He was insane. That wasn't parenting. But nice knee-jerk blame you did there.
Whatever we may think of God's approach it is still preferable for me to think that there is a God and an afterlife and that these children are in paradise now. I prefer it to the thought that there is no diety and no awareness after passing.
I can not say I care for atheism's approach of shameless self promotion in the face of every tragedy with no words of comfort for those who may be suffering.
Christians pray the children are in heaven. Atheists lock the doors at the school in the first place.
Bob, how do you know Christians, Muslims, Budhists, Hindus and so forth wouldn't have done both.
Excuse me? As far as shameless self-promotion goes, have you even looked at the comments? On every single page there's someone spewing hatred of all who disbelieve, and who go on to claim that these children deserved to be shot because their parents or school or society has ignored him. There's no compassion offered for the victims, no condemnation of the gunman, only more hatred and evil heaped onto the situation and fanned by christians seeking – desperately – to shore up their own position while it crumbles into pieces before their eye and the event calls in to question the very idea that a loving, caring, compassionate god exists in the first place.
"it is still preferable for me to think that there is a God and an afterlife and that these children are in paradise now. I prefer it to the thought that there is no diety and no awareness after passing."
I agree it's a comforting fairytale, but that's all it is. You are simply choosing to believe it because you like the sound of it, not because there is any truth to it.
the best jerks are the ones who say this was Gods will, that's really comforting
Apparently, for some people the NRA is God. Don't blame God if you love your guns more than your kids. It's time to take a stand and stop this madness