Sunday, February 18, 2018

another school shooting...

On occasion, I have been chided by atheists for not addressing mass shootings from a Christian point of view.  The answer is simple.  Horrible things happen to 1000's of people every day throughout the world, yet it is only these kinds of events that gain the interest of the public. Satan is everywhere and the problem is confounded by what people choose to focus on and how limited their attention span is. 
2 Timothy 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

27 comments:

Robert said...

Throughout history evil has been around ,the tools have changed but man has always been a destructive force to others or to themselves . It is no doubt tragic that innocent lives were lost at that school . Making laws that prevent law full citizens from protecting themselves is not an answer to a much larger problem MORALs the decay of culture in the world is more evident everyday it seems we have lost our way. in 2016 there were 64000 drug overdoses. at what point do we stop and look to actually try and find the root cause of these things and reboot ?
When I was a child I remember the pledge of allegiance ,it cannot be used in some schools they had prayer meetings some schools think children should not be praying on school property . I think it would be good for more folks to find the Lord to learn to get away from the distractions that are pulling is all apart from being good neighbors.

Ronald Mahan said...

LET'S KEEP THE GUNS OUT OF SCHOOLS - OTHER THAN ON ARMED GUARDS.

I believe all schools should have metal detectors on their entrances - such that weapons can be detected and confiscated before any student or visitor enters a school. And we need armed guards doing this protective service! We do this at the courthouse to protect the politicians & judges & others - but our schools have very little protection & have become shooting galleries!

savingtheworldthrusmallchanges said...

so the answer is to turn schools into -PRISONS-?
armed guards ? metal detectors ? that means kids cant have open campuses anything less is security theater kinda like airports ? where there are government guards everywhere, yet they routinely fail to detect fake bombs 88% of the time, and the bigger question is, Is all the money spent on schools now providing well educated critical thinkers ? or are they exempt from standards ? i ask because every year we throw ever increasing amounts of money at schools , and despite all that, we get kids who mostly need remedial education if/or/when they get into college,and consequentially also have higher failure/dropout rates in both high school and colleges , and an absolutely horrible record of turning out kids who are ready for any kind of job when leaving high schools
the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results
i kinda think turning our schools into defacto prisons isn't the answer to this problem, besides it seems like our modern schools are nothing but government indoctrination centers doing everything they can to turn the kids send to them into mindless liberals anyway
maybe its time to invest all the money spent on "schools" every year, on say,, online classes instead, or perhaps small local neighbor study centers, run locally, then there's no need to worry about large groups of kids being guarded all the time from the threat of 1 deranged person, now im not suggesting that what i have purposed is "the" answer to these problems, but it is an idea we could consider,among many others ,and in isreal some years ago the terrorists started attacking schools - they armed the teachers - the attacks stopped,
and think of this ,, most urban schools already have at least 1 armed cop on campus , its to stop students from assaulting each other and dealing with student on student crime, mostly, with the occasional student on teacher crime thrown in for good measure
whats that tell ya about the state of our schools ??

pamit said...

This atheist doesn't give a rat's patootie what Christianity has to say about school shootings, John. Rather than being caused by Satan (yawn), such tragedies are due to our gun-worshiping culture; the increasing isolation of young people (especially men) over social media and political divisions; and the fact that guns are SO readily available.

The proper response is a three-pronged approach: limit gun sales, especially assault weapons, to 21 year olds (the age at which one can legally drink); consolidate and make readily available during background checkss, mental health records; and instigate a standing gun buy-back program. Of course, the NRA is against all of these and since they own half or more of our politicians, these reasonable controls will never happen. Satan will be proud.

I can see SO many issues with armed teachers. First of all, many accidental shootings are already the result of guns poorly secured in the home. So can you imagine the chances by which bored or unruly young men could/would seek to steal or borrow teachers' (loaded, nearby) guns? Can you imagine the type of person that would gravitate to a teaching career, in charge of imparting "wisdom" to young men and women? Oy. I predict we would have more accidental/purposeful shootings via teachers' guns within the first year of instigating such a short-sighted policy.

Most Americans do NOT want to live in an armed, suspicious society. Yet that's the way we are heading, and it's A-OK with the 2nd amendment crowd.

Satan surely approves.

Ronald Mahan said...

Yes Hillary, Bloomberg, and a great many liberals want to take away the weapons used for our protection - but how many of these Deep Thinkers would willingly give up their armed guards providing their protection?

The home of one of my ancestors is Switzerland. Now that interesting country requires most men that have been in their military (and most men have) -to keep their weapons in their homes. Yet strangely - Switzerland has a remarkably low murder rate and almost no mass murders. Could it be the Deep Thinkers are incorrect about banning guns from American citizens?

WhyR said...

Army-issued arms and ammunition collection
The Swiss army has long been a militia trained and structured to rapidly respond against foreign aggression. Swiss males grow up expecting to undergo basic military training, usually at age 20 in the recruit school, the basic-training camp, after which Swiss men remain part of the "militia" in reserve capacity until age 30 (age 34 for officers).

Prior to 2007 members of the Swiss Militia were supplied with 50-rounds of ammunition for their military weapon in a sealed ammo box that was regularly audited by the government. This was so that, in the case of an emergency, the militia could respond quickly.


A "shooting society" somewhere in Switzerland; people come to such ranges to complete mandatory training with service arms, or to shoot for sport and competition.
In December 2007, the Swiss Federal Council decided that the distribution of ammunition to soldiers would stop and that previously issued ammo would be returned. By March 2011, more than 99% of the ammo has been received. Only 2,000 specialist militia members (who protect airports and other sites of particular sensitivity) are permitted to keep their military-issued ammunition at home. The rest of the militia get their ammunition from their military armory in the event of an emergency.[2][21][22]

When their period of service has ended, militia men have the choice of keeping their personal weapon and other selected items of their equipment. However, keeping the weapon after end of service requires a weapon acquisition permit (art. 11-15 VPAA/OEPM).[10]

The government sponsors training with rifles and shooting in competitions for interested adolescents, both male and female. The sale of ammunition – including Gw Pat.90 rounds for army-issue assault rifles – is subsidized by the Swiss government and made available at the many Federal Council licensed shooting ranges. That ammunition sold at ranges must be immediately used there under supervision (art. 16 WG/LArm).

The Swiss Army maintains tightened adherence to high standards of lawful military conduct. In 2005, for example, when the Swiss prosecuted recruits who had reenacted the torture scenes of Abu Ghraib, one of the charges was improper use of service weapons.[23]
From WIKIPEDIA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Switzerland

Robert said...

Laws do not stop criminals from getting firearms never have and never will laws only effect the law abiding citizen . There is undoubtedly a culture issue where morals and self consciousness is a prevailing problem Chicago has some of strictest gun laws in the country yet look at the murder rate . How many of those weapons are registered? The rights of the people should not be infringed and means all the rights not pick and choose .
A assault rifle is no different than an assault baseball bat or an assault knife the moment anything is used to injure the moment rights are infringed that's asault.

Margery Billd said...

I learned in economics that this is one of the many ways of controlling population growth called crime I guess (along with natural disasters, disease, and so forth). Yes Satan is everywhere. Tragic. We had a shooting Sunday night by a person with a black mask with an automatic at a steakhouse in San Antonio which is shocking here. Shooter has not been apprehended. They said it was not random. ???

Margery Billd said...

I was very annoyed with one of my dogs one night and tied him out. At 1:30 a.m. my dogs inside and the dog outside woke me barking and I got out of bed and opened the door a little. I heard a teenager say, "a dog". The other said, "a big one". And they left. That's it.

Margery Billd said...

Times are changing here north of San Antonio. Also people from San Antonio are pushing out - good and bad. Squealing auto tires at night, vandalism, graffiti. Not to mention all the drug houses around the lake in this exclusive area. They had a very big drug bust here recently. Ten homes around me have been built this year - about finished.

Margery Billd said...

Comal County is the fastest growing county in the U.S.

Dale said...

I do not believe ones religious affiliation or lack thereof has any bearing on these horrors. There is an underlying wrong headedness afoot in the USA and it has become the wrong place to have civilian access to AR style large magazine weapons. It is really time to make mass murderers get more creative in their deeds instead of making it so damned easy.

Margery Billd said...

Some people want Communism here like Antifa and the downfall of America. These are big money, Russian/Communist inspired (from their secret spy organization - like we have also) who are fostering and backing these uprising attacks - not to mention the problem with Isis. We are under attack by anti-American forces. This is serious. Guns are not the issue. It is the survival of our way of life. These are not little bad boys rebelling. This is big money backed, hard core paid rebels.

Margery Billd said...

See the ways of attack like massive drugs, fostering gays, abortion, and so on. Some people want the downfall of America. We have to be alert and uphold our values.

pamit said...

I keep hearing the conservative talking heads mention that Israel has it right, with metal detectors everywhere, armed guards in school, etc. They fail to mention that Israel has some of the strictest gun control of any country. Furthermore, there is compulsory military service at age 18 (unless you are Orthodox!). At that time young Israelis learn to handle guns and (I would imagine) not to fetishize them as we do here.

While Israel's situation is not much akin to ours (they don't have anything resembling a 2nd amendment), it's worth considering that when the pundits point to Israel, they are omitting a great deal.

As I think about the gun problem (or, the "people" problem as gun folks would have it), this occurs to me: why not have citizens undergo a course of gun training prior to being able to purchase a gun? This would ensure that wackjobs are not easily able to get ahold of weapons that can kill hundreds of people in seconds. It is similar to how Israel does it.

By the way, y'all who are saying that liberals want to take away your guns: please stop. No one is remotely suggesting that. Instead, we are suggesting variations on the "well regulate militia" - you know, that *actual* text of the 2nd amendment? Which by the way is far, far different from the mumblings about having to protect yourself from an overreaching government. Consider what would have happened had Japanese Americans being interred in WWII, taken that wrong-headed approach.

Dale said...

Actually the 2nd amendment was introduced by the colonies of VA and SC or they would not sign the Constitution without it. They did not want to leave it to the Federal Government to respond to local uprisings. In many places down South they had frequent uprisings by slaves. Often slaves outnumbered citizens by 3-1 or more. They needed to raise their own militia's as they felt northern colonies who at the time were already talking about ending slavery and many colonies already had ended slavery for all intents and purposes. Hence the term - Well regulated militia.

Thankfully that time is far behind us and there is no need for that antiquated amendment.

Robert said...

Japanese Americans were wrongfully imprisoned without babes corpus they lost homes businesses and freedom all the reasons why we should have the second amendment.amusing
A moral citizen is not a threat to society if they give test for people to vote maybe just maybe I could see a test to own a firearm.
I am from Detroit and I assure you that amendment is as valid today as it ever has been.God bless you

Ronald Mahan said...

I wonder how many of these people who don't think we need weapons to protect ourselves and our family - actually live in a remote place like Terlingua Ranch? Now the Field Lab is remarkably close to a major paved highway and is not typical of many residents. Many places like our Mahan Hunt Camp require another half-hour or more drive after you get to the mailboxes. And the one local deputy is normally down in the Study butte / Terlingua area - another 30 minutes away. I think that most residents or visitors have at least one or more defensive weapon - simply because you could be very dead - before any lawman arrived to run off the bad guys! We like the Second Amendment of our Constitution.

Ask John Wells if he keeps weapons for self defense or hunting? I bet he answers self defense!

At the Mahan Hunt Camp - we also needs weapons to harvest a few game birds every fall!

100% Boer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
pamit said...

So, Robert, those Japanese American citizens that were imprisoned wrongfully - it sounds like you are saying they SHOULD have taken up arms against the government. That is my point, dear; they DIDN'T and that was the RIGHT thing to do. There would have been bloodshed and death, their children would have been killed. Life would have been lost on the government side as well.

INSTEAD, they went quietly and endured the horror of imprisonment. Yet, they got to LIVE and were eventually released and took their places in society. Eventually many of them got the satisfaction of an apology from the government, and acknowledgement of that wrong doing by the nations.

I guess in your world, the bloodshed was preferable, due to that good ol' 2nd amendment. Not in mine. I wonder which alternative SATAN would prefer (to continue with John's meme)?? Which would JESUS prefer?

Think about it, Robert.

WhyR said...

Mr Mahan, your point is well taken. You have serious, provable uses for a gun or two. But you'd be able to describe your uses to some serious, competent person entrusted with weighing the needs of a community for safety against who you are and the environment you live in and the uses you have for guns. No one wants to see you at the mercy of some bad actor. But right now there's virtually no one doing that- no one matching stated need with the purchase of a gun and the type of gun that's being purchased. No oversight, and the trend in most states is to allow anyone to freely buy and carry, concealed or not. In my humble opinion, there needs to be way more questions asked, at purchase, by some one able to deny purchase, and I don't mean the gun shop owner, because they have an interest in the sale. The same should apply to the other side of the coin, the ammunition. Some of these shooters had thousands of rounds of ammunition in their possession when they died or were captured, way more than sufficient for a month-long standoff, which they weren't going to get anyway. The little round, golden cartridges were clearly a fetish object for them, a possible indication of a lethal psychic disorder, which someone with the power to deny purchase might be able to detect and then evaluate, simply by looking at the numbers desired and the uses stated. But no one, especially in the republican party, has the moral courage to suggest any such thing, because if they do they will be attacked vociferously by any means possible, but especially by the NRA. The yammering coming out of this organization and especially its leader seems calculated to grease the slide to madness of many a susceptible individual and to warn off local authorities from attempting any oversight of guns and ammunition. And so anyone who desires can easily get their hands on the most efficient, machine gun-emulating killing machine that they might want, and enough ammunition to hose down a concert. Easy peasy. This is crazy, in my opinion.

Robert said...

Japanese were killed in those camps the living conditions were deplorable but hey it was the government and they meant well . The individual shall determine for himself what his freedom is worth should he stand against injustice or be a servant under it. When the government gives an apology should they have restored those citizens of all the property and paid for unjust imprisonment ?
Jesus did say "sell your cloak and buy a sword " he also said that "I did not come to bring peace"
And yet morals the the decay of culture is still an issue not confronted .

savingtheworldthrusmallchanges said...

And which other of YOUR Rights are you also willing to give up ?
1st AD. Rights? 3rd AD. Rights ? 4th AD. Rights etc. etc. etc. ALL of them ??
For What ? - A "promise" of protection ?
the old adage comes to mind - when seconds count, the police are only minutes away ,,,
or in the case of the big bend area,,,
50 to 80 minutes away best case
2hrs+ worst case

i can only advise you not to give up any of your rights,, thats all i can do for you ,
i on the other hand choose to NOT give up ANY of my rights, and contrary to popular current mis-beliefs, Rights are NOT granted by government, These are the birthright of an American Citizen, as described in THE Bill of RIGHTS. not the bill of privileges granted by government,
the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, which are the first 10 amendments Constitution, declare that our Right come for God, and that our government is instituted (by the consent of the people) to protect our rights,
if you choose to surrender yours, so be it.
Just remember! you dont have the power or right to try to force me to abide by YOUR choices
i leave you with a few quotes from Tench Cox - The power of the sword, say the minority..., is in the hands of Congress. My friends and countrymen, it is not so, for The powers of the sword are in the hands of the yeomanry of America from sixteen to sixty. The militia of these free commonwealths, entitled and accustomed to their arms, when compared with any possible army, must be tremendous and irresistible. Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom. Congress has no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every terrible implement of the soldier are the birthright of Americans.

Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.

The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments but where, I trust in God, it will always remain, in the hands of the people.
Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.

Whereas civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms.
"Remarks on the First Part of the Amendments to the Federal Constitution," under the pseudonym "A Pennsylvanian" in the Philadelphia Federal Gazette, June 18, 1789, p. 2 col. 1. As quoted in the Federal Gazette, June 18, 1789, A friend of James Madison, writing in support of the Madison's first draft of the Bill of Rights.

The militia, who are in fact the effective part of the people at large, will render many troops quite unnecessary. They will form a powerful check upon the regular troops, and will generally be sufficient to over-awe them.
On October 21, 1787.

Robert said...

CNN has a list of mass murders and only one of those murderers was raised in a nuclear family ,could there be a problem there? Is that culture decay?

savingtheworldthrusmallchanges said...

hey pamit
cognitive dissonance much ?? or are you practicing being a hypocrite ?
i only ask because of your very prominent self canceling statements I.E.
1. This ATHEIST doesn't give a rat's patootie what Christianity has to say about school shootings,
2. Satan will be proud.
3. Most Americans do NOT want to live in an armed, suspicious society. Yet that's the way we are heading, and it's A-OK with the 2nd amendment crowd.
4. Satan surely approves.

if your an atheist ? why do you put so much stock in satan ??
doesn't atheism reject the idea of both heaven and hell ??

how can you believe in satan and not believe in god ?

and just to point out

we HAVE always lived in an armed society, from the very beginning of time man has visited violence upon his physically weaker brethren, do you advocate the complete surrender by the weaker segment of society to the more physically powerful segment of society ?
that hardly seem right or fair to at least 3/4 of all people who are smaller physically then larger people I.E. MEN and along that same line do you advocate that violent people be given free rein to cause terror whenever or wherever they choose ?
by disarming people who CANT physically fight back ?
is that your idea of a better world
thats the law of the jungle

the lion is called the King of the Beasts -
Because he the largest most powerful most dangerous beast in the jungle,
the lion takes what it wants when it wants,
that is not the world we live in , or want to live in

and i, as an american citizen am born with my GOD GIVEN RIGHT TO BE ARMED!, I will NOT give it up willingly ,its in the Constitution, look it up you seem to need a refresher course

WhyR said...

@savingtheworldthrusmallchanges:

irony
noun, plural ironies.
1.
the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning:
the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2.
Literature.
a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.
(especially in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., especially as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
3.
Socratic irony.
4.
dramatic irony.
5.
an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.
6.
the incongruity of this.
7.
an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing.
8.
an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance, disposition, quality, etc.

Unknown said...

"Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
(Proverbs 22:6)