Is God Responsible for the Killings?

[Gordon1]

Let's not forget the (dirt poor) brown children who will be visited by drone missiles in the next ten days.

[JoeMo]

Quote:

There has been documented cases where murderers have acknowledged the influence of what they had seen on television.

To be more precise, there have been documented cases where murderers have blamed what they saw on TV for their actions. Adam blamed Eve for his sin of eating the apple; and Eve blamed the serpent. Christians blame satan for their sin, and satan blames God. We may not always be in control of or responsible for our circumstances; but we are always in control of how we respond to them. We are not animals or robots with programmed responses. We have a free will that we exercise in every circumstance. Sometimes people make wrong choices that cause considerable collateral damage. But it's no one's fault or responsibility but their own.

[Woody]

Let's not forget the (dirt poor) brown children who will be visited by drone missiles in the next ten days.

No war is surgical to perfection. There will be collateral damage. But the over all good of the drones is worth it.

[Gordon1]

How much collateral damage of one's neighbors should a Christian accept?

[Gordon1]

Or pay for?

[Woody]

There is one and only one person who is able to give us a victorious life. All we can do is ask for it. WE are not able to do it on our own power. The one and only thing we can do is to ask. Of ourselves - we can't even choose. There is one path and only one path for us and that is sin. The desire to not sin - comes from our Lord and Saviour.

[Woody]

as much as needed. How much collateral damage did God allow for when He wiped out people?

[JoeMo]

Quote:

How about the availability of video games where children are allowed to engage in the killing of human beings on their television screens?

Nic, really? Do violent video games and movies make people want to be violent? Or do people who enjoy violence enjoy violent video games and movies?

Is God responsible for the killings? In a way, He gave humans a free will; and doesn't step in to prevent us from using it. Does that make God "responsible or just respectful of our free will?

Some folks logic is so twisted and strained!

If exposure to things makes us "like" them, why are so many people who have been exposed to religion and Christ all of their lives running away from religion as fast as they can? Why are so many children of a gay parent straight?

I've seen lots of violent movies and played violent video games. I've never wanted to kill or physically harm anyone. I have several gay friends, and I'm not the least bit inclined to experiment with same-gender sex. I smoked weed for 20 years; and never wanted to shoot heroin. I've seen lots of evil things in the world; and I strongly believe that satan is the author, not God.

The shooter and/or satan s responsible for killing the people in CT; not guns, not gun laws, not society, not God.

[Woody]

Actually - more than God being responsible for the killings - I have to wonder if the fact that the killers mom was unemployed ... might be a factor.

[JoeMo]

Nic,

My heart goes out to you. My oldest son died suddenly 8 years ago. Worst thing that ever happened to me - changed me forever.

May God give both of us continuous comfort and peace.

[JoeMo]

Woody,

Quote:

There is one and only one person who is able to give us a victorious life. All we can do is ask for it.

Amen!

I'm not usually a "nam it and claim it" guy, but victory is ours for the asking, because it is always God's will that we be victorious over satan! Just believe!

[Woody]

Quote:

Just believe!

I DO

[JoeMo]

Quote:

Would you dismiss the connection between the mass killer in a theatre with the film being portrayed at said event?

Yes; I would deny it. The alleged shooter in Aurora is simply a twisted attention-grabbing nut case who was looking for any excuse to kill people.

[cricket]

The mass shooting in Aurora could have occurred at any showing with an audience at full capacity (be it Twilight, Batman, The Hobbit, or even Disney films). In hopes of avoiding any ill-effects from a deranged person on a vengeful spree, it is best to steer clear of large crowds.

Churches also have large crowds. A quick Google search of "murder at church service" generates about 40.5 million results:

[JoeMo]

There was a shooting at a big megachurch here in Colorado a while back (New Life in Colo. Springs). One of the elders was packing and shot the gunman dead right in the church foyer. He was soundly criticized by several people for packing in church. How many people would have died if the elder didn't have a gun? Go figure.

[phkrause]

There was a shooting at a big megachurch here in Colorado a while back (New Life in Colo. Springs). One of the elders was packing and shot the gunman dead right in the church foyer. He was soundly criticized by several people for packing in church. How many people would have died if the elder didn't have a gun? Go figure.

There will always be those that no matter what will complain. If the pastor had not been packing and others were killed than they would've complain why there was no one there to protect them, etc. I remember quite a number of years ago, our Jewish/Adventist church had moved from the Bronx down into Manhattan. The building/church had an apartment in it, so they hired a husband and wife to be custotiuns(sp). One night the husband went out to get something and some guy broke in and was gonna rape his wife, but before this could happen the husband got back and got his gun and shot the guy. Not sure if he hit him or not, but obviously he didn't kill the guy. Not really sure, its been a while since this happened, if maybe he just confronted the guy with the gun and held him until the police came. Anyway its what happen after that is the real story. The guy that broke in was released the following day, but the husband was arrested for an illegal firearm. Don't know what became of the whole thing, but unfortunately the guy should've registered his weapon.

[Bravus]

Whether or not guns help stop guns is kind of off topic, isn't it? Thread is about God's role. On which, if God could have prevented it and didn't, why not?

Certainly Huckabee's 'pushing God out of the schools' makes no sense - if God is omnipresent, he's in the school.

An omnipotent, omnipresent God *is* responsible for what happened, in my view.

The question is what you do with that.

[Nic Samojluk]

To be more precise, there have been documented cases where murderers have blamed what they saw on TV for their actions. Adam blamed Eve for his sin of eating the apple; and Eve blamed the serpent. Christians blame satan for their sin, and satan blames God. We may not always be in control of or responsible for our circumstances; but we are always in control of how we respond to them. We are not animals or robots with programmed responses. We have a free will that we exercise in every circumstance. Sometimes people make wrong choices that cause considerable collateral damage. But it's no one's fault or responsibility but their own.

Would you argue that if young kids spend thousands of hours in front of a television shooting at virtual people such activity will not have any effect on their attitude toward real human beings?

Would you grant that such activity might tend to desensitize some troubled youth to the value of human life?

[Nic Samojluk]

Actually - more than God being responsible for the killings - I have to wonder if the fact that the killers mom was unemployed ... might be a factor.

If she was unemployed, this means she had more time to be with her children. Is this a disadvantage?

[Nic Samojluk]

Nic,

My heart goes out to you. My oldest son died suddenly 8 years ago. Worst thing that ever happened to me - changed me forever.

May God give both of us continuous comfort and peace.

Amen! And may the good Lord be with those who lost their loved ones in the terrible Newtown tragedy!

[Nic Samojluk]

Quote:

Would you dismiss the connection between the mass killer in a theatre with the film being portrayed at said event?

Yes; I would deny it. The alleged shooter in Aurora is simply a twisted attention-grabbing nut case who was looking for any excuse to kill people.

Didn't the film inspire him to mimic the actions of the individual being portrayed in the film? Would he have had any reason to enter a theatre for the mass killing if the film had been the "Wonderful Life" kind?

[bonnie]

If she was unemployed, this means she had more time to be with her children. Is this a disadvantage?

The mother in this case was left very well off in the divorce.

The last I heard was that she was in the process of trying to obtain help for her son and he felt threatened. Don't know if it is true or not.

But living where she did in a expensive home,finances doesn't seem to be the issue

[Nic Samojluk]

There was a shooting at a big megachurch here in Colorado a while back (New Life in Colo. Springs). One of the elders was packing and shot the gunman dead right in the church foyer. He was soundly criticized by several people for packing in church. How many people would have died if the elder didn't have a gun? Go figure.

Yes, murders will continue to take place even in holy places like churches. Does this mean that we should make such crimes less likely to take place or more likely?

[Nic Samojluk]

There will always be those that no matter what will complain. If the pastor had not been packing and others were killed than they would've complain why there was no one there to protect them, etc. I remember quite a number of years ago, our Jewish/Adventist church had moved from the Bronx down into Manhattan. The building/church had an apartment in it, so they hired a husband and wife to be custotiuns(sp). One night the husband went out to get something and some guy broke in and was gonna rape his wife, but before this could happen the husband got back and got his gun and shot the guy. Not sure if he hit him or not, but obviously he didn't kill the guy. Not really sure, its been a while since this happened, if maybe he just confronted the guy with the gun and held him until the police came. Anyway its what happen after that is the real story. The guy that broke in was released the following day, but the husband was arrested for an illegal firearm. Don't know what became of the whole thing, but unfortunately the guy should've registered his weapon.

Unfortunately there have been many similar cases. Some time ago a man broke into a home and was injured by the broken glass. He sued the homeowner for damages. Our society is sick, and some judges should have chosen another profession!

[Nic Samojluk]

Whether or not guns help stop guns is kind of off topic, isn't it? Thread is about God's role. On which, if God could have prevented it and didn't, why not?

Certainly Huckabee's 'pushing God out of the schools' makes no sense - if God is omnipresent, he's in the school.

An omnipotent, omnipresent God *is* responsible for what happened, in my view.

The question is what you do with that.

Being Omnipotent, God could prevent all evil deeds and every evil thought from taking place. He could obliterate all evil actions the moment such thought enter the mind of human beings.

We would be robots, and the Devil would have strong arguments proving that God is arbitrary and that he is a despot who will not grant human beings the freedom to exercise their right to choose between good and evil.

We would be simply puppets in the hands of a mighty being. All our choices and decisions would be made by such a God. Is this the kind of God you would like to have?