School Shootings and Spiritual Warfare (Russell Moore)

[reaganmarsh]

Brethren,

As we mourn the Connecticut school shootings, and interact with others regarding them, this article by Russell Moore of Southern Baptist Theologial Seminary may prove helpful in providing a response and guiding our perspective. Moore to the Point: School Shootings and Spiritual Warfare

Christmas is spiritual warfare, he explains. A worthwhile read. Grace to you all.

 

[lynnie]

thanks. good essay.

 

[jwithnell]

Amen -- a very helpful, Biblical perspective.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

Thanks for posting that, Reagan!

 

[irresistible_grace]

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the President's speech was the level of irony, if not hypocrisy, when it comes to his views concerning the murder of beautiful children yet to be born who have "their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own"

But, that is another topic!

 

[J. Dean]

Good article. Even if it's not Satan himself behind this (and we need to be careful about direct attribution to him on things like this, as our own sinful natures are able to manifest evil just fine without his prodding), it is in a sense spiritual warfare. The flesh we carry is a formidable and manipulative enemy, whether or not the devil and his minions add with their seduction.

Also agree with Joshua's point about abortion, the embrace of which has essentially been the irony of humanism: that man, in self-exaltation, has dehumanized himself into nothing more than an "inconvenience."

 

[reaganmarsh]

J. Dean, your point is well taken on our sinful nature's ability "to manifest evil just fine without [Satan's] prodding."

And I'm with you, Joshua and Jessica -- abortion was the first thing that came to mind for me, as well.

 

[SolaScriptura]

Would that our nation be as disgusted, horrified, and outaraged by abortion, which slaughters millions of little ones -even more defenseless than those in Sandy Hook- every year. This is not to take away from the tragedy that occurred yesterday, but the elephant in the room looms large.

Indeed.

What follows are the comments that I emailed to everyone in my unit on Friday afternoon. I offer it here not because I believe I wrote the most winsome, profound, or "helpful" commentary possible. Instead, I want you to know that there are indeed some of us in the military who seek to be a prophetic voice in our context. Of course, not everyone was happy with my comments... but oh well.

Colleagues,

As you by this time know, this morning a gunman entered an elementary school in Newtown, CT, and took 26 lives – 20 of them young children – before taking his own life.

I’ve already talked with a number of you, but I wanted to offer some quick thoughts to everyone.

First, we are right to be shocked and outraged by this manifestation of evil. Many of us have seen firsthand the gruesome reality of mass casualty scenarios, but as disturbing as those experiences were, they took place within a context of war. And as professional soldiers, we know that war is ugly. But today’s events were not within a context of war. They were the actions of a man who was so filled with rage and contempt for human life… in short, evil, that he appears to have killed his own mother and then targeted her class for extermination. So this monster simply walked into his mother’s classroom and then proceeded to slaughter those defenseless children like animals.

Second, the Bible teaches us that God has a special place in his heart for the defenseless. Those who are the most vulnerable and prone to being oppressed are those for whom the Lord God Almighty is especially concerned. Being made in God’s image, humans possess an inherent sense of the heinousness of harming those who are the weakest and most incapable of self-defense. When we are outraged and disgusted at the abuse, molestation, exploitation, and killing of defenseless children – in that moment our consciences resonate with our divine image. Indeed, in that moment our response testifies to an immutable fact. Namely, that for all our assertions that there are no moral absolutes, deep down we know the truth: Really, truly, there is such a thing as right and wrong. The One who made us – with our ingrained sense of horror and disgust when atrocities like this are committed – has given us his Word in which he reveals his will for us and what he has done for us because of our need for his intervening work on our behalf. I invite you to obtain a copy of God’s Word – the Bible – and begin reading it. I believe that the book of John is a great place to start.

Third, I want to be as gentle as I can because what has happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School is truly reprehensible and our hearts rightfully mourn with the families who have so abruptly lost their children. Friends, this atrocity – with our rightful disgust at the vileness of butchering little children – is, as I noted, so heinous because we know it is particularly egregious to harm those who are so defenseless. It is precisely this reality that has caused a number of us to decry the heinous atrocity that occurs thousands of time each and every day in this country. I speak of the holocaust that is abortion, in which – much like the children of that unfortunate class in Sandy Hook Elementary School – the most defenseless among us are snuffed out. When life at the extremities is devalued, it is inevitable that life along the entire spectrum becomes expendable.

It is my prayer that our consciences would be awakened and that just as our President and many of us wept for those 26 innocent lives, we would weep for the thousands of children who are each day slaughtered. Even if you believe that abortion should be a legal right, I hope that your response to today’s shooting might offer you an insight into why many of us are opposed to abortion.

If you would like to talk or pray, just let me know.
Your Servant,

CH D

 

[Alan D. Strange]

Thanks, Ben, for this. You are spot on. I pray that all the chaplaincy would see this as you do, as well as those to whom you minister.

Such a massacre is where our hatred of God and man takes us. May God awaken us and deliver us from such. Amen!

Peace,
Alan

 

[earl40]

Colleagues,

As you by this time know, this morning a gunman entered an elementary school in Newtown, CT, and took 26 lives – 20 of them young children – before taking his own life.

I’ve already talked with a number of you, but I wanted to offer some quick thoughts to everyone.

First, we are right to be shocked and outraged by this manifestation of evil. Many of us have seen firsthand the gruesome reality of mass casualty scenarios, but as disturbing as those experiences were, they took place within a context of war. And as professional soldiers, we know that war is ugly. But today’s events were not within a context of war. They were the actions of a man who was so filled with rage and contempt for human life… in short, evil, that he appears to have killed his own mother and then targeted her class for extermination. So this monster simply walked into his mother’s classroom and then proceeded to slaughter those defenseless children like animals.

Second, the Bible teaches us that God has a special place in his heart for the defenseless. Those who are the most vulnerable and prone to being oppressed are those for whom the Lord God Almighty is especially concerned. Being made in God’s image, humans possess an inherent sense of the heinousness of harming those who are the weakest and most incapable of self-defense. When we are outraged and disgusted at the abuse, molestation, exploitation, and killing of defenseless children – in that moment our consciences resonate with our divine image. Indeed, in that moment our response testifies to an immutable fact. Namely, that for all our assertions that there are no moral absolutes, deep down we know the truth: Really, truly, there is such a thing as right and wrong. The One who made us – with our ingrained sense of horror and disgust when atrocities like this are committed – has given us his Word in which he reveals his will for us and what he has done for us because of our need for his intervening work on our behalf. I invite you to obtain a copy of God’s Word – the Bible – and begin reading it. I believe that the book of John is a great place to start.

Third, I want to be as gentle as I can because what has happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School is truly reprehensible and our hearts rightfully mourn with the families who have so abruptly lost their children. Friends, this atrocity – with our rightful disgust at the vileness of butchering little children – is, as I noted, so heinous because we know it is particularly egregious to harm those who are so defenseless. It is precisely this reality that has caused a number of us to decry the heinous atrocity that occurs thousands of time each and every day in this country. I speak of the holocaust that is abortion, in which – much like the children of that unfortunate class in Sandy Hook Elementary School – the most defenseless among us are snuffed out. When life at the extremities is devalued, it is inevitable that life along the entire spectrum becomes expendable.

It is my prayer that our consciences would be awakened and that just as our President and many of us wept for those 26 innocent lives, we would weep for the thousands of children who are each day slaughtered. Even if you believe that abortion should be a legal right, I hope that your response to today’s shooting might offer you an insight into why many of us are opposed to abortion.

If you would like to talk or pray, just let me know.
Your Servant,

CH D

[/QUOTE]

Forward this to Joel Hunter who has the Presidents ear. Who knows maybe our Lord will use your letter to change a heart?

[email protected]

 

[Michael Doyle]

Would that our nation be as disgusted, horrified, and outaraged by abortion, which slaughters millions of little ones -even more defenseless than those in Sandy Hook- every year. This is not to take away from the tragedy that occurred yesterday, but the elephant in the room looms large.

Indeed.

What follows are the comments that I emailed to everyone in my unit on Friday afternoon. I offer it here not because I believe I wrote the most winsome, profound, or "helpful" commentary possible. Instead, I want you to know that there are indeed some of us in the military who seek to be a prophetic voice in our context. Of course, not everyone was happy with my comments... but oh well.

Colleagues,

As you by this time know, this morning a gunman entered an elementary school in Newtown, CT, and took 26 lives – 20 of them young children – before taking his own life.

I’ve already talked with a number of you, but I wanted to offer some quick thoughts to everyone.

First, we are right to be shocked and outraged by this manifestation of evil. Many of us have seen firsthand the gruesome reality of mass casualty scenarios, but as disturbing as those experiences were, they took place within a context of war. And as professional soldiers, we know that war is ugly. But today’s events were not within a context of war. They were the actions of a man who was so filled with rage and contempt for human life… in short, evil, that he appears to have killed his own mother and then targeted her class for extermination. So this monster simply walked into his mother’s classroom and then proceeded to slaughter those defenseless children like animals.

Second, the Bible teaches us that God has a special place in his heart for the defenseless. Those who are the most vulnerable and prone to being oppressed are those for whom the Lord God Almighty is especially concerned. Being made in God’s image, humans possess an inherent sense of the heinousness of harming those who are the weakest and most incapable of self-defense. When we are outraged and disgusted at the abuse, molestation, exploitation, and killing of defenseless children – in that moment our consciences resonate with our divine image. Indeed, in that moment our response testifies to an immutable fact. Namely, that for all our assertions that there are no moral absolutes, deep down we know the truth: Really, truly, there is such a thing as right and wrong. The One who made us – with our ingrained sense of horror and disgust when atrocities like this are committed – has given us his Word in which he reveals his will for us and what he has done for us because of our need for his intervening work on our behalf. I invite you to obtain a copy of God’s Word – the Bible – and begin reading it. I believe that the book of John is a great place to start.

Third, I want to be as gentle as I can because what has happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School is truly reprehensible and our hearts rightfully mourn with the families who have so abruptly lost their children. Friends, this atrocity – with our rightful disgust at the vileness of butchering little children – is, as I noted, so heinous because we know it is particularly egregious to harm those who are so defenseless. It is precisely this reality that has caused a number of us to decry the heinous atrocity that occurs thousands of time each and every day in this country. I speak of the holocaust that is abortion, in which – much like the children of that unfortunate class in Sandy Hook Elementary School – the most defenseless among us are snuffed out. When life at the extremities is devalued, it is inevitable that life along the entire spectrum becomes expendable.

It is my prayer that our consciences would be awakened and that just as our President and many of us wept for those 26 innocent lives, we would weep for the thousands of children who are each day slaughtered. Even if you believe that abortion should be a legal right, I hope that your response to today’s shooting might offer you an insight into why many of us are opposed to abortion.

If you would like to talk or pray, just let me know.
Your Servant,

CH D

Ben,
I am going to repost this on Facebook to those in my sphere of influence. If that is not ok I will delete it upon your request.

 

[Michael Doyle]

Ben,
I am going to repost your letter on Facebook. I will delete on request if this is not ok with you

 

[Miss Marple]

He's argued for children born alive to be left for dead, too, I'm sorry to say.

It seems the 5 and 6 year olds, however, have made the cut.

The cognitive dissonance is incredible, but what can I say.

Would that our nation be as disgusted, horrified, and outaraged by abortion, which slaughters millions of little ones -even more defenseless than those in Sandy Hook- every year. This is not to take away from the tragedy that occurred yesterday, but the elephant in the room looms large.

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the President's speech was the level of irony, if not hypocrisy, when it comes to his views concerning the murder of beautiful children yet to be born who have "their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own"

But, that is another topic!

 

[timmopussycat]

Would that our nation be as disgusted, horrified, and outaraged by abortion, which slaughters millions of little ones -even more defenseless than those in Sandy Hook- every year. This is not to take away from the tragedy that occurred yesterday, but the elephant in the room looms large.

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the President's speech was the level of irony, if not hypocrisy, when it comes to his views concerning the murder of beautiful children yet to be born who have "their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own"

But, that is another topic!

An African based missionary and theological educator observed:

For the love of evil If your pastor has preached on the massacre of the innocence following the Newtown bloodbath, he has the gift of discernment to not wait until January. The time to speak of the Western infatuation with violence and evil in movies must be exposed. The following trend-setting movies are symptomatic of what Western viewers have paid billions to entertain them: · In 1955 Marilyn Monroe’s adulterous movie The Seven Year Itch was a triumph. · In 1960 Hitchcock’s horror movie, Psycho earned $50 million. · In 1962 the James Bond series made violent & sexy spying a $5 billion production coup. · In 1967 rebels were successfully glorified in Cool Hand Luke and Bonnie & Clyde. · In 1968 Henry Fonda popularised evil in the Western: Once Upon a Time in the West. · In 1972 p0rn and prostitution became hugely profitable in Deep Throat and made $600 million. · In 1972 underworld crime became celebrated in The Godfather, also earning $ 600 million. · In 1973 the demonic became lucrative in Friedkin’s movie, The Exorcist and made $441 million. · In 1975 Spielberg’s movie Jaws made predator horror films a new popular genre. · In 2005 homosexuality was popularised in Brokeback Mountain and made $178 million. The list could go on… and these were merely the trend setters. They have spawned thousands more. The glorification of evil is so commonplace that words like “wicked and decadent” have been domesticated to mean ‘fantastic, super cool and desirable’. For our film entertainment of choice, well, “give us darkness” say millions of moviegoers. How close are we to sitting in the Roman coliseum, being entertained by gladiators hunting each other down? Now add the action (aka “shoot ‘em up”) gaming industry which made worldwide $66 billion in 2010. [1] Behold our digital entertainment! None of these R-rated films or violent games would shock the traditional Baatonu in Benin. They have their own version of glorifying evil in their traditional religion where cunning, deceptive, scheming ‘Judases’ are heroically admired –if they are successful. Is not the south of Benin the birthplace of Voodoo, Amazon warriors, the Slave Coast and the most staggering human sacrifices? Nor did Islam discourage the glorification of evil when it appeared 400-years before Christianity. Is not “Allah the best of deceivers” according to the Qur’an? So where is the salt and light of Christianity? What says the Bride of Christ in 2012 to the digital cult of death and violence? Notice, two words are missing from the daily cover of the Connecticut disaster: “sin” and “repentance”. What a terrible time of self-examination is upon us. Pray we will.