I will praise you in the storm
As a Christian who has spent the last week and a half trying to figure out why God takes people from this world I find Fred Phelps and his Topeka, KS based Westboro Baptist Church to be absolutely appaling.
Phelps and his "church" have repeatedly put themselves in situations and said things about many different world and national disasters that make God out to be a God of wrath, not of love. I admit there are many questions that come along with tragedy and death, but saying that the people at Virginia Tech were killed at the hands of a man sent to do God's work and exact punishment is absurd.
This quote comes from the daughter of Phelps: "The evidence is they were not Christian. God does not do that to his servants,” Phelps-Roper said. “You don’t need to look any further for evidence those people are in hell.”
Do you know what's even worse about that statement? Four members of Campus Crusade for Christ on Virginia Tech's campus were part of the 33 killed on Monday. I don't know them personally, but my involvement with Crusade and the fact that every person that died is a brother or sister draws me closer to the situation. Instead of lifting up this man who did this and repeatedly paying attention to him in the media we need to focus on the victims and their families. Everyone on this earth has a story to share and whether you believe it or not, God has a plan for you. As hard as it is to hear sometimes, death is part of God's plan.
I have seen this more in my life in the past week and a half than I have experienced in my entire life, and it scares me, but never have I seen more strength from me or those around me. Last Friday's funeral for Mrs. Anderson was the first time in a long time I felt completely broken down and helpless, but as I sat there and witnessed the people around me and realized the love she exposed while she was still on this earth. Yeah, I was bummed that she was gone, but I can only pray that I can love as much as some people on this earth...because in the end that's what it's all about.
My God and yours is a God of love, not wrath and vengeance, unlike what the people of the WBC may say or think.
Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech student responsible for the killings who took his own life after the shootings, was sent by God to punish those he killed, and America as a whole, for moral decline, said Phelps-Roper, while adding that she believes Cho is also in hell for violating God’s commandment to not kill.
“He is in hell,” Phelps-Roper said. “But he was also fulfilling the word of God.”
Seung-Hui referred to himself in his "multimedia manifesto" as a martyr, stating that Jesus has tormented his soul and hurt him more than anything. It's true that Christ does things in my heart and others that grieve me, but just because this murderer mentions Christ in his video doesn't make him a martyr and it definitely does not make him a messanger Phelps-Roper makes him out to be. God does not send people to this earth to punish others.
"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:13-15
This entry is not here to judge, because that as well is against what I believe and how God calls me to live. This entry is meant to make it aware there are people out there trying to skew people's image of Him. I have seen firsthand the love other people have shown in this time of need, as more than 1,500 OU students, faculty, administrators, and Athens community members came to a candlelight vigil last night on our campus's College Green. I have never seen a bigger scene of solidarity on this campus as that vigil last night.
This whole situation grieves my heart, but there isn't much about it that hurts it more than a group of self-proclaimed Christ followers presenting God in darkness. God rid the world of darkness when he sent His one and only son as a sacrifice. He lives in and guides us to the light.
Phelps and his "church" have repeatedly put themselves in situations and said things about many different world and national disasters that make God out to be a God of wrath, not of love. I admit there are many questions that come along with tragedy and death, but saying that the people at Virginia Tech were killed at the hands of a man sent to do God's work and exact punishment is absurd.
This quote comes from the daughter of Phelps: "The evidence is they were not Christian. God does not do that to his servants,” Phelps-Roper said. “You don’t need to look any further for evidence those people are in hell.”
Do you know what's even worse about that statement? Four members of Campus Crusade for Christ on Virginia Tech's campus were part of the 33 killed on Monday. I don't know them personally, but my involvement with Crusade and the fact that every person that died is a brother or sister draws me closer to the situation. Instead of lifting up this man who did this and repeatedly paying attention to him in the media we need to focus on the victims and their families. Everyone on this earth has a story to share and whether you believe it or not, God has a plan for you. As hard as it is to hear sometimes, death is part of God's plan.
I have seen this more in my life in the past week and a half than I have experienced in my entire life, and it scares me, but never have I seen more strength from me or those around me. Last Friday's funeral for Mrs. Anderson was the first time in a long time I felt completely broken down and helpless, but as I sat there and witnessed the people around me and realized the love she exposed while she was still on this earth. Yeah, I was bummed that she was gone, but I can only pray that I can love as much as some people on this earth...because in the end that's what it's all about.
My God and yours is a God of love, not wrath and vengeance, unlike what the people of the WBC may say or think.
Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech student responsible for the killings who took his own life after the shootings, was sent by God to punish those he killed, and America as a whole, for moral decline, said Phelps-Roper, while adding that she believes Cho is also in hell for violating God’s commandment to not kill.
“He is in hell,” Phelps-Roper said. “But he was also fulfilling the word of God.”
Seung-Hui referred to himself in his "multimedia manifesto" as a martyr, stating that Jesus has tormented his soul and hurt him more than anything. It's true that Christ does things in my heart and others that grieve me, but just because this murderer mentions Christ in his video doesn't make him a martyr and it definitely does not make him a messanger Phelps-Roper makes him out to be. God does not send people to this earth to punish others.
"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:13-15
This entry is not here to judge, because that as well is against what I believe and how God calls me to live. This entry is meant to make it aware there are people out there trying to skew people's image of Him. I have seen firsthand the love other people have shown in this time of need, as more than 1,500 OU students, faculty, administrators, and Athens community members came to a candlelight vigil last night on our campus's College Green. I have never seen a bigger scene of solidarity on this campus as that vigil last night.
This whole situation grieves my heart, but there isn't much about it that hurts it more than a group of self-proclaimed Christ followers presenting God in darkness. God rid the world of darkness when he sent His one and only son as a sacrifice. He lives in and guides us to the light.