Mass shootings-how to cope with it?

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Lo3o3o

Junior Member
May 6, 2013
18
0
0
#1
Hi,

so for the last two days I've been wondering how to cope with tragedies like the Texas shooting. It really made me think and honestly I feel it's so difficult for me not to loose trust in God.
Even though, I know he is grieving with all the people who lost somebody and is not happy about what happened. And surely, there is evil in this world and the man had his freedom to choose his actions but still, I feel, God could have done something, just a small intervention and things could be different. Is this really going to teach people something about God? Because my thinking is, people must ask "how can this happen in a church, where God is present and protects the people?"

I don't know, it's just difficult for me to deal with this. What are your thoughts? And please be honest, are you really OK with that? Are you really thinking, God is great, he had a bigger reason for letting it go that far?
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
6,623
1,381
113
#2
I don't believe God "meddles" in the affairs of man. I believe what happens here on earth is the direct result of man's disobedience to God, and we are basically reaping what Adam and Eve sowed...

Think about it... if God did actually start or stop evil, then where would the line be drawn? "ok, I'll let Hitler murder 6 million Jews, but no more than that".....

Evil exists because mankind LET it exist.

What God has done is give us a way to survive it when it happens.
 

Lo3o3o

Junior Member
May 6, 2013
18
0
0
#3
Yeah, I agree with you evil is here because people let it exist. But on the other hand we can get closer to God and let him to influence our life, so the evil can get more distant from us. And often you here testimonies of people being saved by God, he saves lives of people. But this time he didn't or maybe only a few people. That makes me angry and speechless...
 
Feb 5, 2017
1,118
36
0
#4
Evil exists because take for example this situation, people see the killer as evil, rather than a child of God. And it is not empathising with the person, they push God out and put evil in its place. But it is through love we can come to understand better. Not JUST through the easiest thing in the world, and that is sympathy for those left behind. A bit like seeing people starving in 3rd world countries and going aww that's sad wish I could help them, and yet not becoming a missionary. It's the easy version of empathy, which is not empathy. Sympathy is not empathy. But those who practise this disconnection, will suddenly become charitable and kind hearted when tragedy occurs. But sure, they will have empathy for 'the heroes'.

It is through lack of love in the world, that such things occur, and everyone is responsible.

But out of such things that come from a lack of love in the world, what happens? People then practice hate and judgement using that person as a scapegoat, and so the cycle of a lack of love in the world continues. Who is likely to practise hate and judgement? The very same people who have a lack of love, yet will consider themselves loving, or perhaps even consider themselves God loving.

Do people create killers? Or should I say, does a killer create themselves, and was never influenced by people along their path, one unkind action leading to a chain reaction of other unkindness, etc. Every killer was once a child like any of us. Things go round and round, although, so does love but to a lesser degree because there is a lack of it. But I would like to think if people truly follow Jesus, rather than become an intellectual scripture memoriser, then such things can be affected.

How do we know we haven't completely changed the events of a persons life, when we take the time to stop and make someone smile who appears distressed. Such simple actions can change the future, when we choose to see God in everything.

Most often perpetrators who created victims, were a victim themselves. Even those who do evil in the Middle East, were children who grew up in a war torn place, who maybe had parents who were killed and then became hate and malice.

If you choose to have empathy, have empathy for everyone. Unconditional love, is not conditional love. But so many of us place conditions on every bit of love we have and then we are part of the worldwide problem that goes round and round.

Yeah, I agree with you evil is here because people let it exist. But on the other hand we can get closer to God and let him to influence our life, so the evil can get more distant from us. And often you here testimonies of people being saved by God, he saves lives of people. But this time he didn't or maybe only a few people. That makes me angry and speechless...
 

Lo3o3o

Junior Member
May 6, 2013
18
0
0
#5
Of course, the killer is not evil, I understand your point and I consider him as a child of God, whom God loves very much but he did some bad choices maybe based on his childhood or other experience from life, but he did..and God could stop it..
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
6,623
1,381
113
#6
Of course, the killer is not evil, I understand your point and I consider him as a child of God, whom God loves very much but he did some bad choices maybe based on his childhood or other experience from life, but he did..and God could stop it..
You still seem to be set on blaming God for this.... Why is that?

It has been shown to you that evil happens because of what mankind has done, not because "God allows it"...

If God did not allow evil in this world, there would have been no need for a savior, and there would be no death, no sin....

That is not the world we live in.... and it is not "God's fault"... it is man's fault.
 

Lo3o3o

Junior Member
May 6, 2013
18
0
0
#7
I know it's not God's fault, but he could do something. Just take the everyday example from many Christian's lives as they pray for safety on the road, for being healthy, parents praying for their child who is travelling alone in foreign country. We know God is not indifferent to us, he cares. He can lead us through darkness, help us from depression, from evil..
But if we believe in this, how can we cope with situations where God is "just watching".
And I'm aware of the fact, that we cannot see things that God did for this world and is doing and maybe he saved us from something much worse, but I just find it difficult to be OK with it.
If I imagine my friends who don't believe in God asking me "How is this possible?" to say to them "Well, ther is evil in this world, God could stop it but he doesn't want it, so he let it happen, but otherwise he's great, I feel him loving me everyday." Say it to parents who just lost their child, what would they think?
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,247
25,714
113
#8
Of course, the killer is not evil, I understand your point and I consider him as a child of God, whom God loves very much but he did some bad choices maybe based on his childhood or other experience from life, but he did..and God could stop it..
Nobody has the right to call themselves a child of God unless they believe on Jesus Christ. As to how bad it was and your hypothesis that God did not intervene, that is an assumption you make, for however bad it was, it could have been much worse.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
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#9
every premeditated 'KILLER' is not a child of Jesus, quite the contrary,
they are a child of satan...
 
Feb 5, 2017
1,118
36
0
#10
As I was saying, the lacking in love scapegoat the devoid of love.

every premeditated 'KILLER' is not a child of Jesus, quite the contrary,
they are a child of satan...
 
Feb 5, 2017
1,118
36
0
#11
Yes I forgot it's a elite group, being a Christian. Better than everyone else. It's not that everyone is born a child of God, in God's image, man has overwritten this and claimed BS in their judgement, 'I decide who is a child of God'.

Nobody has the right to call themselves a child of God unless they believe on Jesus Christ. As to how bad it was and your hypothesis that God did not intervene, that is an assumption you make, for however bad it was, it could have been much worse.
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
6,623
1,381
113
#12
I know it's not God's fault, but he could do something. Just take the everyday example from many Christian's lives as they pray for safety on the road, for being healthy, parents praying for their child who is travelling alone in foreign country. We know God is not indifferent to us, he cares. He can lead us through darkness, help us from depression, from evil..
But if we believe in this, how can we cope with situations where God is "just watching".
And I'm aware of the fact, that we cannot see things that God did for this world and is doing and maybe he saved us from something much worse, but I just find it difficult to be OK with it.
If I imagine my friends who don't believe in God asking me "How is this possible?" to say to them "Well, ther is evil in this world, God could stop it but he doesn't want it, so he let it happen, but otherwise he's great, I feel him loving me everyday." Say it to parents who just lost their child, what would they think?
I don't think I said that very well.... I firmly believe that God watches over us, but I think it's more on an individual level.... I was trying to say that I don't think God "manages" every situation on this earth. Otherwise, we would have never had Hitler, or Pol Pot, or the genocide in Rwanda, etc....

This world has evil in it, and bad things are going to happen. I do not believe that God "choreographs" life.... I think He lets life happen. If we pray specifically for protection and guidance, I believe He answers those prayers. He tells us that He will answer... I believe Him.
 

Lo3o3o

Junior Member
May 6, 2013
18
0
0
#13
Yes, that's what I believe in too.. He gives us freedom, that's his gift of love for us and it has consequences..
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
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69
Tennessee
#14
God allows certain things to happen and prevents certain things from happening. The reasons for such may seem unclear at the time but it is for God's glory and the ultimate benefit for those that know and love Him. A parent that lost their child would probably be angry at God for allowing it to happen. This is understandable but over time God will comfort those that hurt and give them the courage and the strength to go on with life.
 

Huckleberry

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
1,698
96
48
#15
Hi,

so for the last two days I've been wondering how to cope with tragedies like the Texas shooting. It really made me think and honestly I feel it's so difficult for me not to loose trust in God.
Even though, I know he is grieving with all the people who lost somebody and is not happy about what happened. And surely, there is evil in this world and the man had his freedom to choose his actions but still, I feel, God could have done something, just a small intervention and things could be different. Is this really going to teach people something about God? Because my thinking is, people must ask "how can this happen in a church, where God is present and protects the people?"

I don't know, it's just difficult for me to deal with this. What are your thoughts? And please be honest, are you really OK with that? Are you really thinking, God is great, he had a bigger reason for letting it go that far?
Of course it's horrible and wasn't God's will,
but there is obviously a Grander Scheme.
Tragedies such as this should remind us of Proverbs 27 verse 1:
"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou
knowest not what a day may bring forth."
We all have an appointment with death,
and how or where we die isn't important.
What's important is when we die.
Hopefully it's after we've made peace with God.
 

notuptome

Senior Member
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
113
#16
We cope with it by trusting our Lord. We are not called to question but to minister to those who have suffered loss. What greater opportunity to witness of the goodness of God in times of great tragedy. Where sin did abound grace did much more abound.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 

maxwel

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2013
9,261
2,386
113
#17
I don't believe God "meddles" in the affairs of man. I believe what happens here on earth is the direct result of man's disobedience to God, and we are basically reaping what Adam and Eve sowed...

Think about it... if God did actually start or stop evil, then where would the line be drawn? "ok, I'll let Hitler murder 6 million Jews, but no more than that".....

Evil exists because mankind LET it exist.

What God has done is give us a way to survive it when it happens.


I pray daily that God will meddle in my affairs,
and thankfully he often does.

: )

Hornetguy,
I have a little different view on sovereignty than most of my comrades in the Arminian camp, but I always appreciate your posts, and your good common sense about everything.


God Bless.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
113
#18
Evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse....Paul said very perilous times will come because of the nature and consistent evil nature of man......as graphic as this is...and as graphic as ISIS is and all of the murders, rapes, abuse, etc.....it is nothing compared to what is coming.....if JESUS himself does not step in when he does there will be NO FLESH LEFT ALIVE......think about that for a moment....and no flesh is indicative of NO FLESH....not just human flesh, but ALL FLESH.......humanity is spiraling out of control with no brakes.....and it will continue to get worse and worse and we have reached or are close to reaching a point of no return....yea....no matter, what will come will come.....all we can do is trust JESUS, keep our eyes on him and be very diligent concerning what is happening around us.....
 
Feb 7, 2015
22,418
413
0
#19
Good grief, Girl! First, get the bleeding stopped, then get yourself to a hospital to have the wounds taken care of.
 
Jul 23, 2017
52
8
0
#20
Hi,

so for the last two days I've been wondering how to cope with tragedies like the Texas shooting. It really made me think and honestly I feel it's so difficult for me not to loose trust in God.
I think with any human tragedy and suffering, I concluded that it's a matter of that this life is temporary and isn't a drop in the sea compared to the eternity of heaven. With that in mind, I realized that what happens here isn't really that important, even if we are so consumed in the moment in our lives on earth.

Also, whatever there is to be gained by a soul in suffering we frequently do not see immediately, either, and we may never perceive it.