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Friday, December 14, 2007

Headline of the Day

posted by on December 14 at 12:11 PM

From the LA Times:

Colorado Church Sees Shooting as Test of Faith

Well they would, wouldn’t they? And you gotta love the subhead:

Young worshipers say they have laid down their anger and fear, even their questions, to focus on God. They say Satan is to blame.

JoeMyGod thinks homicidal blow-back from New Life’s anti-gay bigotry might be to blame. Back to the story…

Youth pastor Brent Parsley expected to be challenged: Why did the Lord let this happen? How could this be? Where was God when a troubled young man stormed New Life Church on Sunday, killing two devout teenage sisters?

“All the questions are out there,” Parsley said.

Except, they weren’t.

Teenagers swarmed Parsley with hugs and high-fives at an evening service this week. But they expressed no despair or doubt. Instead, they said the attack had left them with a sense of pride—and a quiet joy.

Ugh.

RSS icon Comments

1

Two girls get shot and these idiots say it's a test of faith? Maybe it's a test of God's devine protection against flying lead.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn | December 14, 2007 12:18 PM
2

Satan made me post this snide remark.

Posted by seattle98104 | December 14, 2007 12:25 PM
3

Okay, so they're holding in all this despair and doubt. How long until it causes one of them to snap and do something similar?

Posted by Mike of Renton | December 14, 2007 12:36 PM
4

God Mad! God smash!

Posted by Original Andrew | December 14, 2007 12:48 PM
5

I don't recall you being so much of an asshole when the Amish community forgave the shooter that killed all those little children because he had some grudge against the amish?

Your hate getting the better of you?

No wonder you and Newspeak get along so well.

Your kinda a homophobe, aren't ya Dan.

Posted by ecce homo | December 14, 2007 12:55 PM
6

Letting go of anger and fear can allow for a clear mind, but one should never stop asking questions.

Posted by boxofbirds | December 14, 2007 1:05 PM
7

Well, what they really should be asking is who pissed off Jesus to make him spank them so hard?

Posted by Megan W | December 14, 2007 1:07 PM
8

This is just more of the Power of Positive Thinking goop that has been adopted by conservative Christians and their charities.

From their perspective, if you ask "Why?" you are a spiritual deviant.

This movement MUST have something to do with ignoring social issues and presidential lies as a trend on the right.

It's also dripped down to secular charities. I've had an interesting "discussion" with a career training and coaching charity for women wherein "women" does not include lesbians. And if I'd just be positve (and not ask why), I'd be "happier and more successful."

Posted by EM | December 14, 2007 1:13 PM
9

Satan? Preposterous.

I suspect Mr. Poe.

Posted by RonK, Seattle | December 14, 2007 1:30 PM
10

It's one thing to forgive the shooter. (Although, I personally feel that forgiveness is highly overrated.) It's another thing to feel prideful and joyous about it. What the fuck?

Posted by keshmeshi | December 14, 2007 1:35 PM
11

I don't recall you being so much of an asshole when the Amish community forgave the shooter that killed all those little children because he had some grudge against the amish?

Hmmm... it wasn't as if the Amish blamed Satan and then basked in their own self-righteousness, though!

Posted by bma | December 14, 2007 2:17 PM
12

One of the functions of religion is to numb the pain of life. It seems like a good thing to have this sort of defense against horrors like this shooting, but it makes me wonder if this mechanism isn't also what religions use to enlist suicide attackers.

Posted by elenchos | December 14, 2007 2:49 PM
13

Funny that when bad things happen to evangelicals it's Satan testing their faith. When bad things happen to non-evangelicals it's the wrath of a vengeful God.

As for the Amish, what @11 said. I should also add that the Amish aren't trying to convert everyone else to their way of life, either by handing out tracts or by forcing it on us by changing public policy. Nor to the best of my knowledge do they believe that God will send people to spend eternity in a subterranean blast furnace because of who they voted for. The Amish are much more Christian than any evangelical I have ever met.

Posted by RainMan | December 14, 2007 8:13 PM
14

It's hard for the retarded to feel complex emotions.

Posted by retarded is as retarded does.... | December 15, 2007 12:58 AM
15

"Why should I ask questions? Those might make me wonder if there is something my group is doing that might have encouraged that attack? Its better to be free of thought, because then I don't have to wonder if I am supporting an organization that is so emotionally abusive that people attack us with weapons. Wait, no, I almost started questioning there. Silly me, God is just testing my faith by killing two innocent people, for no damned reason."

Ugh.

Posted by Just Some Guy | December 17, 2007 2:04 PM

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