Newtown, CT Shooting

After watching the tragic events of today unfold on the news and on Facebook, I feel like I must comment about something that someone said.

A former friend (as I unfriended them following this comment) updated their status with a message saying that it was a good thing none of the first responders wasted time praying and that they just apprehended the shooter in a timely manner.  They went on to say that God wasn't in any hurry to stop the shootings.

First of all, it's not like the shooter was taken out with a bullet from a police officer.  The first responders arrived AFTER the fact.  The shooter killed himself.  For someone so crazy to then turn the gun on themselves, I say IS divine intervention.  Imagine how many more children would be dead right now if the shooter kept going until an officer took them out.

What this poster failed to realize is that God gave everyone free will and unfortunately some evil people CHOOSE to do horrible things.  God doesn't stop people from doing horrible things.  However, if our society was a little more open minded and accepted that religion has a place in public life, maybe more people would be exposed to the types of morals and values that make for a safer society.

Thou shalt not kill.  Honor thy mother and father.

Those two lines would have prevented this whole thing from ever happening.  Instead, this sociopath decided to kill his mother and the students in her Kindergarten classroom.  I can't imagine that he had any type of faith, otherwise he wouldn't have done this in the first place.

So to the Athiest that posted the horrible comment on Facebook, it looks like you and the shooter have something in common.  You are both missing something rather important in your lives.  Faith and the types of moral compasses that would prevent you from shooting a room full of children or using a tragedy to spread your own anti-religious views.

This one horrible comment sparked such outrage in me.  I was tempted to respond with a something I once heard...  A student asked God why He allowed such violence to happen in schools.  God simply replied that he is not allowed in schools.

I urge everyone to keep the families and children caught in this horrible tragedy in your thoughts AND prayers.  Hug your children, kiss your spouse and never forget to tell the people you care about that you love them.  You never know when it will be your last chance.