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I do not believe God sends mentally deranged, murderous people to test our faith any more than I believe He flew planes into the Word Trade Center. IMHO, asserting one's faith to a madman would be more blasphemous than denying it, because it would be a form of self-righteous suicide.
I think some of you have self defense confused with revenge. Regardless, we are called to remain faithful to God, no matter the situation.
I fear some have confused standing up against evil with being a patsy for god-in-the-tiny-box because some want to believe and INSIST that this tiny-box-god wants us to suffer..
Pregnancy as a result of RAPE or INCEST? Just because it worked for Lot and his daughters, doesn't man it is a good thong today...
Are you a Christian? Do you believe God/Jesus is more powerful than Satan? Then why didn't God stop it? Why didn't Jesus send the cops sooner, jam the gun, get the shooter into an accident on the way to the school, cure his mental illness?
You folks can't have it both ways. Either everything that happens is God's will, or some things are terrible tragedies. If it's God's will, it can't be a tragedy. If God allowed it, permitted it, caused it, then it can't be a tragedy.
Simple, GOD has given us the ability to INTERVENE and so far we have REFUSED to get involved as a community.
Why did God give us the ability t understand medicine? Because evil things happen to EVERYONE and we have the ability to "cure" many things and others we can treat. Or should we just allow people to die from appendicitis? The flu? Infections??
With in the life of every believer there are tests and challenges .
These can divide the sheep from the goats as it were, and determine if some on is sincere or superficial in their faith .
Much like a math test , it tells you where you need to improve ,and in some cases people that prefer the world fall back into rebellion and sin again . The bible says those with out chastisement are bastards and not sons.1John,
Job was a man tested ,and proved his love for God and was blessed as a result ,but in the midst of the test there was no indication a reward existed , He trusted God regardless of the circumstances .
Being selfish (self governed)sinful , shallow, yet ,many folk give up right away, the moment the first sign of trouble occurs, blaming God for not intervening on their behalf , as God has done for others whom are God governed, in some aspects of their life.
When your belief goes from building your own god-faith from text and man's teaching , to honestly earnestly seeking a real relationship of God's tutelage ,you will know the difference .
I have known the power of Jesus name sense I was 5 years old, for many miracles through out my life time, over 60 years both in observation and personal participation, laying hands on the sick and injured, and seeing often times immediate recovery. I was 7 years old when I repented my sin, asked forgiveness, and invited Jesus Christ to come into my life, and be my Lord and Saviour.
God guides me through and around trouble and to people in trouble that are seeking after Him to help them, often times providing something God had already prepared me with, to that end.
At the same time God guides me into blessings as well, for things I need, or things others will need in the future.
My life my all belong to Him, not me. I am like a warehouseman or steward given charge of His stuff and this life to distribute into the lives of others God wants provided .
I'm not rich nor smart financially.
I'm not physically capable of doing a lot of things I did when I was younger, my body has been subject to a lot of tough stuff through out this life time, my pace is slower the loads I carry are lighter, jobs take longer and I need God's intervention all that much more often, and it is no surprise that help comes when I need it. Even before I have asked.
I will die some day , truth be told I didn't think I'd live this long, so having over stayed my welcome, I am humbled.
I am not a dare devil and do not deliberately tempt God with my life , I need His instruction where to go and how to get there and what I should be doing.
I can't call Him Lord, if I am not subject to His direction, Jesus provided the Holy Spirit for.
Jesus took on damage to His own body and died on the cross ,though He knew he would rise again, the fact He endured the torture and agony and still went to the cross was extraordinary.
Jesus said the servant is not greater than his Lord , we will endure physical damage.
God does intervene from time to time, but eventually that time will come to being taken Home. Graduation.
God has superseded the attempt on others to kill ,intervened on the behalf of particular individuals and extended their life a bit longer , not because they are some one special yet, but their potential exists to grow into a relationship, and others blow it off thinking the were simply lucky ,no regard for God at all, even though they are religious or not, these seal their own fate.
God is not manipulated by religion.
Lastly ,Jesus did warn that denying Him would render the same denial on His part, come judgment. Matthew 10;33 2Timothy 2;12
Simple, GOD has given us the ability to INTERVENE and so far we have REFUSED to get involved as a community.
Why did God give us the ability t understand medicine? Because evil things happen to EVERYONE and we have the ability to "cure" many things and others we can treat. Or should we just allow people to die from appendicitis? The flu? Infections??
Intervene how? What community has refused to get involved, and with whom? You're not making sense.
And medical illnesses are not "evil" things happening to people. Appendicitis isn't evil. Neither is polio, chicken pox, cancer. These are things that happen because of biology, germs, viruses, tumors. Or are you one of those people who thinks Satan causes illness? God didn't give us the "power" to understand medicine - people figured things out and medicine advanced, though many times medicine went backwards before it went forwards.
You are going far astray from what I have asked. Either God is all powerful and in charge of all things, and therefore this college shooting was his will, or it was a terrible tragedy. It cannot be both. If you believe God allows someone to die, for whatever reason, then it cannot be a tragedy.
Because mentally ill people aren't in charge of their symptoms. A schizophrenic who hears voices can no more stop the voices through sheer will than a mentally ill person who has decided he has to go shoot people cannot stop himself.
Anyone who thinks killing a bunch of innocent people is a good idea is mentally ill by definition.
No, I do not for ONE SECOND believe that the Oregon shooter was targeting Christians, asking people their religion, etc. I believe he was a mentally deranged man, period.
But, disgustingly, this has been turned into some sort of Christians-are-being-persecuted-so-let's-make-a-meme kind of thing. If you are on FB at all, I'm sure you've seen them.
So, do you, as a Christian, really believe that if someone has a gun to your head and asks if you are a Christian - knowing that if you say "No" you will live (in this fake scenario) - that you are supposed to say "Yes"? Do you truly believe you are supposed to die for your faith? That God would not prefer you to say "No" and be able to live out the rest of your life?
So all of the witnesses are lying?
I would not deny being a Christian. I'll be dead for much longer than I'll be alive.
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God didn't give us the "power" to understand medicine - people figured things out and medicine advanced, though many times medicine went backwards before it went forwards. 
