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Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship

This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.

Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.

Friday, June 19, 2015

Opus 2015-179: Should-a-Beens: The Snake and the Frog

First, lets admit that recent church shooting was a case of violent, ugly murder.  It was not a hate crime, it was murder, pure and simple.  The fact that hate was involved is like saying that car keys cause DUI.  If they have arrested the right man, and I have no reason to believe they have not, he should face the death penalty even if the professionals claim he was insane.  Of course he was insane.  If he is treated and pronounced “cured” he will go out and do it again.

Now lets look at the hard part:  Where do we go from here and how do we keep this from happening again.  The fools in society are going to call for more gun control.  Wake up and smell the roses friends.  It is already illegal to walk into a church and murder nine people.  Keep in mind that the Columbine murderers used guns as a back up when their bombs didn’t work.  Killers will find a way to kill.

How do we protect ourselves from the garbage around us?  The recent shooting reinforces the two things we have seen before.  First, my guess is that this church was a “gun free zone”.  They might have even had a sign up pronouncing that solemn decision.  The truth also needs to be declared that if any one of the people in that church had been carrying a firearm this would have worked out entirely different.  Guns in the hands of the saints can stop the gun totting sinners.

Second, and this is the hardest to wrap our arms around, why do large groups of people sit and let someone shoot at them?  I have not read how many were in the prayer meeting.  I know he shot nine people.  All it would have taken to stop this fool would be for the eight still untouched when he shot the first victim, to stop being victims and attack the man with the gun.  He is going to shoot you anyway.  Jump him.  Beat him to death with hymnals and Bibles. 

Most people who are horrified at my suggestion have never fired a hand gun.  They don’t realize how often the shooter misses.  Only in the movies do crazy 21 year olds whip out a piece and pick off nine people one after another.  This morning I read he reloaded several times in his shooting spree.  What did these people do while he was reloading?

In high school I took biology in summer school to get it out of the way.  The teacher had a snake in the room that needed to eat.  I rode my bike across town to a place that had lots of frogs, collected a bunch and brought them back for dinner, the snakes, not mine.  It was fascinating to watch the process of consumption.  The snake stared at the frog.  The frog froze.  The snake slowly approached and casually put its mouth around the frog.  The frog sat there and let itself be swallowed whole. 

The only reason the frog died was because it wouldn’t move.  Are killers snakes?  With apologies to the snakes, yes.  Are we frogs?  I would hope not.  God forbid that this should ever happen to any of us but if it does, remember those frogs.  Remember the lesson airline passengers learned on 9/11.  Don’t let the bad guys win.  If you are going to die at least take a few with you.

I know it is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback, backseat driver and livingroom warrior.  If I am ever faced with this horror I hope I rise to the occasion.  I hope if you are there you will back my play.

homo unius libri

4 comments:

  1. Agreed. If school students would just pick up their chairs and throw them at the shooters, school shootings would change, too!

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    1. Actually, that is what I suggest to students when we have this discussion in class. I point out that huddling in the corner will just make them easy targets.

      Grace in peace.

      Delete
  2. Thank you for saying what needed to be said. It has been bothering me. He was outnumbered. Why didn't someone stop him. I am old. Not all of my parts work well any more. But even with that, I can not imagine allowing a thug to shoot me without giving the best fight for my life that I possibly could. Have we turned into a nation of frogs?

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    1. I also wonder. I must confess I have never had to face this but I do know how I respond in earthquakes. I don't go screaming through the house, I tend to be calm. I know how I responded when I saw a white bigot getting in the face of a young black man. I hope I never need to prove my nettle but it helps to think the possibilities through

      Grace and peace.

      Delete

Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.