What happened in Newtown was a tragedy and horrific. It was sudden, violent and unlike what Americans like to think is “normal”. Similar things happen every day in the world, sometimes slower but still horrific.
Unsuprisingly, we have TrueChristians, Bryan Fischer and Mike Huckabee (we already know he’s a horrible person and not the friendly grandpa he pretends to be), among plenty of others, who are sure that if we only had a theocracy and forced people to worship Bryan and Huck’s version of their god, such things would never *ever* happen. A magical being would keep all people safe and answer all prayers if we just worshipped it in the “right” way.
Unfortunately for this delusion of the usual vocal hate-filled subset of Christianity, their claims of cause and effect never prove true no matter how religion is enforced, what religion is enforced or what prayers are said. Their claims that their god refuses to help people because it isn’t forced on others and praised non-stop in every public school and public square makes that god such an impotent petty little thing. Their claims require that prayers are only selectively answered and those who are not saved are, in the TrueChristians’ piggy little eyes, not worthy of this god’s actions. The TrueChristians require such a god because without one, they couldn’t have their fantasies about how all people who dare disagree them. They require a god that is so petty, jealous and mean that it would allow people to be killed and to have their hearts figuratively ripped out by grief and loss just to show that these TrueChristians are “right”.
Bryan Fischer, Mike Huckabee and so many many other Christians who are sitting smugly in their judgment are exactly as petty, impotent, and greedy for power as the god they create in their own image. They prey on others to spread their nonsense. It makes me very very glad that I am no longer associated with such beliefs. If I have to make up a god, I sure can make up a better one than this one.
Postscript – I wish it was possible to do something to help the folks in Newtown. In that no wishes for peace will help no matter how we might hope, only slow healing and time, I think the best way to help is to do what we can to prevent such things in the future. Contact your representatives and senators to get assault weapons banned (state and US House of Reps and Senate). Even I, who likes to shoot guns, do not need something that is only meant to murder humans quickly.
I’m not sure what they can do with money exactly, but the United Way of Western Connecticut has safe-looking way to donate.
PPS – To my Christian readers, please don’t think that you can nod sagely and tsk at those TrueChristians I mention. None of you have any laurels to stand on when it comes to your beliefs. Yours may be nicer in this 21st century context; they aren’t any more true.
and a PPPS – P.Z. Myers did the favor of gathering together a buch of TrueChristians who are all sure their god is petty, impotent and greedy, just like them AND/OR who thinking arming everyone is a good idea (hmmmm, don’t I recall something about “turn the other cheek”?) : http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/12/18/it-was-a-good-week-to-go-offline/
PPPPS (how many Ps can I use?). There’s an awful piece of glurge on the internet declaring how great it is that kids were murdered as long as Jesus wants it that way and also advocating for a theocracy because having god in school will stop such things (funny how this god can’t keep kids from being abused in his own houses of worship, so why think it could do any better at school?). The author of Rock Beyond Belief does a good take down of such crap: http://freethoughtblogs.com/rockbeyondbelief/2012/12/17/fixed-idiotic-it-was-11-days-before-christmas-at-938/
Club Schadenfreude 
I gave Fischer the Brain Fart award!
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Great post. The world can be a cruel place and this event is terribly tragic and unfair. But sadly, life and nature are often unfair and cruel. Until people stop believing in a magic man in the clouds and truly start to appreciate nature and science, people will always present ridiculous opinions like Huckabee does. It’s time that science, reason and common sense be held in deeper regard. I wish people who believe in God could finally admit that there God is an absolute sadist. I know, I know, “he works in mysterious ways.” Whatever, what a joke religion has become and what a joke the people who push it have become. Maybe one day people will finally recognize their opposable thumbs and starting thinking.
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“mysterious ways” is only an excuse by Christians who don’t wish to admit that they claim to completely understand this god any time they want to claim it agrees with them.
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These people are so clueless. Don’t they know if you want to prevent school shootings, you have to let Ishtar worship back into the schools?
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Indeed. It becomes Pascal’s Wager and then the walls are full of icons, idols and incense. 🙂
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I wonder when “mysterious ways” will work as defence for murder. Seems to get god off the hook all the time.
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