I have a cousin who is a fundamentalist Christian and her comments on the latest mass shooting...

[worstexever]

...mystify me.

She said, "It seems as if there are so many more shootings in churches now. Satan is doing his best to destroy God's people. But do not be discouraged, God is still on the throne, and someday every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess He is Lord.

Praying for those who have lost loved ones and friends to this evil, that God will give them peace and comfort and strength for the days ahead."

My question is, if Satan is behind the shootings in churches, what explanation is there for the Pulse nightclub shootings? Or the mass shootings last month in Las Vegas? Or even Sandy Hook?

It would be insensitive of me to argue with her about this in a public forum, but I don't understand the thinking here. Anyone have an explanation?

[Cary]

1. You know the answer.

Sorry, but I have nothing good to say about this person.

[msongs]

2. god permitted this killing and jesus sat there doing nothing. nt

[lindysalsagal]

20. I'd recommend she find a better god. This one SUCKS!

[Drahthaardogs]

3. I would assume she would tell you all were influenced by Satan

Unless she was a real nutter. Then she might say some if them, especially the gay nightclub we're God's vengeance

[elleng]

4. Fundamentally foolish,

MUCH too much of this around these days.

The UNDERLYING reasons should be explored, by serious individuals.

[Nevernose]

5. Ironically, the church pastor explained the Vegas shooting

In last week’s sermon. “Wickedness in the hearts of men” or something to that effect.

No mention that Jesus was a pacifist who probably wouldn’t want people running around with AR15s playing Army Man like they were 7 year-olds (much less shooting anyone).

[Initech]

6. I know the answer.

Pulse = homosexual sodomite sinners
Sandy Hook = public school doesn't allow prayer
Vegas = Sin capital of the world
Aurora = Heathen, ungodly movie

They're so predictable.

[ProudLib72]

27. Aurora is a major sanctuary city

If you want to go back to the Chuck E Cheese incident, then their pizza is atrocious.

Thornton, on the other hand. Maybe Walmart is the devil?

I'm concentrating on the shootings that happen within 20 miles of where I live. There are so many, I figure I can only focus on local murders or I'll go insane.

[Initech]

30. I was thinking of all the mass shootings.

Aurora was the Dark Knight Rises midnight showing. I don't know how they'll justify the Wal-Mart one - those are their people!

[ProudLib72]

31. I had a student who worked the concessions stand at the theater

She was there for the shooting. She got a Batman tattoo on her wrist.

I think about how that shooting sent Aurora over the edge for months afterward. How then does one deal with mass shootings every week? We are becoming numb as a nation.

[Initech]

32. Yeah that's why I think it's time to make the NRA irrelevant.

We need to find every single member on their "A+ list" and vote them out. Campaign hard against them. Put this as their record - they own this. As long as those things are on our soil, this is their problem.

[ProudLib72]

33. I definitely, 100% agree with that suggestion! nt

[RhodeIslandOne]

7. She suffers from mental illness

Believing otherworldly and non-existent forces have anything to do with this is a sign of that.

[ismnotwasm]

8. In the Bible god allowed infants to be slaughtered

I don’t know WTF those people are talking about.

[alphafemale]

35. "god" has no problem in any of the Abrahamic faiths with slaughtering infants.

Water, Furnaces, Cast from Cliffs, Bears, Raped to Death.

If they're not in your tribe?

Have at it!

[SweetieD]

9. You can't reason with these types.

[Alice11111]

17. That's the answer.

[The Blue Flower]

10. Shouldn't God's will be in there somewhere?

There's not even internal logic in this system of thought.

[Squinch]

11. She's batshit. And has no real Christian empathy. Like all of them. Sorry. I have

Republican family too.

[Alice11111]

18. !!!

[worstexever]

12. As you probably guessed, she's a Trump supporter

And she just LOVES Mike Pence.

There's no logic to her statements. Guess I'll just let it go. Thanks for listening.

[TexasBushwhacker]

13. Ask her if God is more powerful than Satan

My guess is that she will say yes. Then ask why did God allow his followers to be slaughtered. She can't blame it on Satan if God is more powerful. If God is less powerful and cannot protect his followers, even an 18 month old child, why does he deserve worship?

And if this is all part of "God's Plan", maybe this is his way of telling us we need more effective gun control.

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?"

Epicurus

[bluestarone]

14. good thoughts

[RhodeIslandOne]

19. They'll probably answer something like Yoda does when asked if the Dark Side is stronger. n/m

[elfin]

15. For some reason "Christians" like to feel they are under siege

Victimhood energizing them to evangelize, organize voting, push $ at charlatans and bemoan their status. All the while now virtually in control of the most powerful nation on earth, but still raising havoc with "pro life" etc.

See it in some of my neighbors, who are very nice, but deluded. They seem to NEED feeling threatened for some reason. And run in denial to their "faith." It serves them well - and also serves the truly evil ones who take their money to line their pockets.

They struggle to explain the world's ills and ignore any reality-based explanation by using any scrap of scripture that can be stretched to the limits to rationalize their religious view.

Their preachers lead the way and their pocketbooks reward the preachers and hypocritical politicians.

Victimhood is a very useful organizing and money raising tool for them.

They will not change. It is that important to their identity, once they have been hooked.

Best to nod and say "While I do not agree, It seems many agree with you."

They usually gaze at me with a sad smile and tell me that they will pray for me. I smile in return and give them a hug.

They know I am a lost cause, but still seem to like me nevertheless. I know they may eventually have a crisis of faith, but still like them.

[defacto7]

22. They very well may feel under siege,

but the attack is not from the outside, it's from within themselves. I think many times their delusion is challenged by their minds natural need to turn chaos into symmetry. It may have felt like their belief was symmetrical with their world, but when they realize their symmetry is falling apart they face life without the delusion their mind has been dependent upon. They have to repair their delusion with another delusion originating from the outside since they have no logical way to defend it.

Their mind is laying siege on itself.

[Corgigal]

16. Human beings are so damn scared of death,

They want to believe in a world part 2. Better way to live, enjoy the day the best that you can and try to be nice to each other.

You really don't know about world part 2, but you're aware of this one. Enjoy that simple knowledge.

[defacto7]

23. An ancient false conception about

their place in the universe makes death more fearful than it is. It could be out of the fight for survival, survival myth, clan control, who knows. But it's as old as humanity. I don't think it's hard to change though. It's the social training that makes it difficult or easy.

Example: "Mommy, where do we go when we die?"

Answer 1: "If your a good person you go to heaven. If your bad, you burn with the heat of a thousand suns, in hell for eternity."

Answer 2: "Your body returns to where all life begins, the earth. Then finally we all become the stuff of the stars."

I kind of like #2.

[StevieM]

21. Didn't Omarosa say that everyone would have to bow down to Donald Trump?

I wonder how Republicans reconcile that statement with their other values?

[Xolodno]

24. There is nothing Christian about fundamentalists....

...sad to say.

These are people who believe in hell fire and God's ultimate revenge. They love the idea everyone that disagrees with them will burn for eternity.

Compassion, forgiveness, etc. is something they don't want to see. Note your quote, "every knee shall bow", implies eventual forgiveness and compassion...but to a fundamentalist, it means humiliation of the sinner.

They preach a hands on God in control of everything. Despite the fact the Bible shows a hands off God. Even the story of the Garden of Eden shows this. I note this, once someone told me when he was a fundamentalist, "why would God punish these people when they did no wrong?". He was chastised by another and stated, "God didn't do anything, but he is watching the compassion by others around them and deciding if he should admit an asshole". He ceased being a fundamentalist.

[TeamPooka]

25. Can I be the one to tell her there is no God? Pretty please? You won't have to get me anything for

Christmas...

[RKP5637]

26. Inability to comprehend events combined with delusional thinking. Very common among hard

core religious people and is thought to emanate from an overactive primitive portion of ones brain akin to fear and hard core belief systems inadaptable to change.

[C_U_L8R]

28. Soooo..... The NRA is Satan ??

[SHRED]

29. They frame it this way I think because

It boosts their egos.
That they are the righteous and good people.

[worstexever]

34. Appreciate your comments

Thank you.