Where was God in Parkland?

[Guest shiloh357]

In the wake of the senseless tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many people are asking, “Where was God?” Our hearts are broken with the tragic loss of innocent life in Florida, and we pray daily for God’s comfort and peace for the shattered lives of the families of these victims. But still, people will ask, “Why didn’t God stop this?” That is a question that deserves an answer.

The truth may be that God was made unwelcome and left. God submits Himself to the law of faith, and will not go where He is not wanted. He will not force us to put up with Him if we don’t want Him around. It may be that His protective presence is being removed from our land and from our schools because He has been told repeatedly that His protective presence is not welcomed, needed, or wanted.

We have, as a culture, systematically booted God from our public schools for over five decades. In 1962, the Supreme Court issued a diktat stating that American schools could no longer seek His help and protection. In 1963, the Supreme Court issued a second diktat prohibiting the reading of His Word in our public schools. And in 1980, the Supreme Court issued a third diktat prohibiting the display or teaching of the Ten Commandments, God’s abiding and transcendent moral standard for human conduct.

When the Supreme Court ordered the removal of the Ten Commandments from schools – even though the Decalogue can be seen in four different places in and on the Supreme Court’s very own building – they complained that the Commandments had no “secular purpose.”

William Rehnquist quite properly dissented, pointing out that “the Ten Commandments have had a significant impact on the development of secular legal codes of the Western World.” So much for not having a secular purpose or effect.

But the 1980 Court, in all its benighted wisdom, removed God’s standard of morality with this utterly absurd explanation: “If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments. However desirable this might be as a matter of private devotion, it is not a permissible state objective under the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.”

Well, if you’re looking for a “secular purpose” or a “permissible state objective,” how about stopping mass shootings in schools? The 6th Commandment says quite bluntly, “You shalt not murder.” What in the world could possibly be wrong with schools having students “read, meditate, venerate, and obey” that commandment?

How about school districts, for a time, post just those words, “You shalt not murder,” on the message boards in front of every school in their district, all across America? After all, it supports every criminal code in America, all of which contain the same prohibition.

Perhaps if students were exposed to that message every day and reminded of it frequently, it would increase the value they place on human life and reduce their inclination to terminate it. It’s certainly worth a try. After all, how has preventing students from being exposed to this message been working for us?

So God is no longer prayed to, His counsel is no longer sought, and His standards are no longer respected. Is it any wonder that He might not be around when we need Him? If we have spent 50 years telling Him to get lost, it should not come as a surprise that we eventually begin to feel the absence of His powerful presence.

Read more at: 

https://www.afa.net/the-stand/culture/2018/02/where-was-god/

[enoob57]

I believe there is also a presence of a Father teaching in love the why of sin's prohibition and it's total uselessness to the practitioner and the ones being practiced upon...

[Retrobyter]

3 hours ago, shiloh357 said:

In the wake of the senseless tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many people are asking, “Where was God?” Our hearts are broken with the tragic loss of innocent life in Florida, and we pray daily for God’s comfort and peace for the shattered lives of the families of these victims. But still, people will ask, “Why didn’t God stop this?” That is a question that deserves an answer.

The truth may be that God was made unwelcome and left. God submits Himself to the law of faith, and will not go where He is not wanted. He will not force us to put up with Him if we don’t want Him around. It may be that His protective presence is being removed from our land and from our schools because He has been told repeatedly that His protective presence is not welcomed, needed, or wanted.

We have, as a culture, systematically booted God from our public schools for over five decades. In 1962, the Supreme Court issued a diktat stating that American schools could no longer seek His help and protection. In 1963, the Supreme Court issued a second diktat prohibiting the reading of His Word in our public schools. And in 1980, the Supreme Court issued a third diktat prohibiting the display or teaching of the Ten Commandments, God’s abiding and transcendent moral standard for human conduct.

When the Supreme Court ordered the removal of the Ten Commandments from schools – even though the Decalogue can be seen in four different places in and on the Supreme Court’s very own building – they complained that the Commandments had no “secular purpose.”

William Rehnquist quite properly dissented, pointing out that “the Ten Commandments have had a significant impact on the development of secular legal codes of the Western World.” So much for not having a secular purpose or effect.

But the 1980 Court, in all its benighted wisdom, removed God’s standard of morality with this utterly absurd explanation: “If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments. However desirable this might be as a matter of private devotion, it is not a permissible state objective under the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.”

Well, if you’re looking for a “secular purpose” or a “permissible state objective,” how about stopping mass shootings in schools? The 6th Commandment says quite bluntly, “You shalt not murder.” What in the world could possibly be wrong with schools having students “read, meditate, venerate, and obey” that commandment?

How about school districts, for a time, post just those words, “You shalt not murder,” on the message boards in front of every school in their district, all across America? After all, it supports every criminal code in America, all of which contain the same prohibition.

Perhaps if students were exposed to that message every day and reminded of it frequently, it would increase the value they place on human life and reduce their inclination to terminate it. It’s certainly worth a try. After all, how has preventing students from being exposed to this message been working for us?

So God is no longer prayed to, His counsel is no longer sought, and His standards are no longer respected. Is it any wonder that He might not be around when we need Him? If we have spent 50 years telling Him to get lost, it should not come as a surprise that we eventually begin to feel the absence of His powerful presence.

Read more at: 

https://www.afa.net/the-stand/culture/2018/02/where-was-god/

Shalom, shiloh357.

Teaching the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" (singular) or "You shall not kill" (plural), isn't enough. What's actually missing is KNOWING that there is indeed a God who said, "Vengeance is MINE!" AND, they need to be taught that death is NOT the end! They need to know that "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, the JUDGMENT!"

They need to KNOW that, if they break God's commandment, they SHALL face Him in judgment!

We've recently lost a great friend and preacher, Billy Graham, but what made him great was his CONSISTENCY to reveal to the crowds that they would face God in JUDGMENT!

[OneLight]

1 hour ago, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, shiloh357.

Teaching the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" (singular) or "You shall not kill" (plural), isn't enough. What's actually missing is KNOWING that there is indeed a God who said, "Vengeance is MINE!" AND, they need to be taught that death is NOT the end! They need to know that "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, the JUDGMENT!"

They need to KNOW that, if they break God's commandment, they SHALL face Him in judgment!

We've recently lost a great friend and preacher, Billy Graham, but what made him great was his CONSISTENCY to reveal to the crowds that they would face God in JUDGMENT!

Not to sidetrack this thread, but kill is not the proper word or God Himself would be guilty of violating His own law.  The word is murder, which is different than kill.

[Retrobyter]

1 hour ago, OneLight said:

Not to sidetrack this thread, but kill is not the proper word or God Himself would be guilty of violating His own law.  The word is murder, which is different than kill.

Shalom, OneLight.

Yes, we make that distinction today, but it was not the case in the KJV written over 400 years ago. "Murder" if you prefer. The problem is that we fail to understand that the King's English also had a singular form for the second person as well as the adopted plural form that we use for both today. The Commandments were given INDIVIDUALLY to each person! "THOU SHALT not...." Today, we simply say "YOU SHALL not...," which is technically the plural form as presented in 1611 A.D., although we use that phrase for the singular, as well, today.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Retrobyter

[Dennis1209]

And the secular world is so perplexed why all these bad things are happening in America. None of it can be God's judgment, we kicked Him out long ago. The problem is Trump, guns, intolerance, pollution, conservatives, Christians and climate change. The country I grew up in no longer exists, it's sick and diseased and desperately needs the Lord back over our nation.

Sadly, just as a woman's birth pangs, I believe these disasters and tragedies will continue to increase in frequency and intensity. I believe as a nation, the Lord has turned His face away from America and has gave up our country to our own wicked devices. I further believe, unless there's a serious national revival back to God and sincere repentance of our hearts, our national judgment is not too far into the future.  

I just can't comprehend the logic, laws and actions of the American people and our government. Well I take that back, I can and do understand. 

[BeyondET]

On February 25, 2018 at 5:05 AM, shiloh357 said:

In the wake of the senseless tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many people are asking, “Where was God?” Our hearts are broken with the tragic loss of innocent life in Florida, and we pray daily for God’s comfort and peace for the shattered lives of the families of these victims. But still, people will ask, “Why didn’t God stop this?” That is a question that deserves an answer.

The truth may be that God was made unwelcome and left. God submits Himself to the law of faith, and will not go where He is not wanted. He will not force us to put up with Him if we don’t want Him around. It may be that His protective presence is being removed from our land and from our schools because He has been told repeatedly that His protective presence is not welcomed, needed, or wanted.

We have, as a culture, systematically booted God from our public schools for over five decades. In 1962, the Supreme Court issued a diktat stating that American schools could no longer seek His help and protection. In 1963, the Supreme Court issued a second diktat prohibiting the reading of His Word in our public schools. And in 1980, the Supreme Court issued a third diktat prohibiting the display or teaching of the Ten Commandments, God’s abiding and transcendent moral standard for human conduct.

When the Supreme Court ordered the removal of the Ten Commandments from schools – even though the Decalogue can be seen in four different places in and on the Supreme Court’s very own building – they complained that the Commandments had no “secular purpose.”

William Rehnquist quite properly dissented, pointing out that “the Ten Commandments have had a significant impact on the development of secular legal codes of the Western World.” So much for not having a secular purpose or effect.

But the 1980 Court, in all its benighted wisdom, removed God’s standard of morality with this utterly absurd explanation: “If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments. However desirable this might be as a matter of private devotion, it is not a permissible state objective under the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.”

Well, if you’re looking for a “secular purpose” or a “permissible state objective,” how about stopping mass shootings in schools? The 6th Commandment says quite bluntly, “You shalt not murder.” What in the world could possibly be wrong with schools having students “read, meditate, venerate, and obey” that commandment?

How about school districts, for a time, post just those words, “You shalt not murder,” on the message boards in front of every school in their district, all across America? After all, it supports every criminal code in America, all of which contain the same prohibition.

Perhaps if students were exposed to that message every day and reminded of it frequently, it would increase the value they place on human life and reduce their inclination to terminate it. It’s certainly worth a try. After all, how has preventing students from being exposed to this message been working for us?

So God is no longer prayed to, His counsel is no longer sought, and His standards are no longer respected. Is it any wonder that He might not be around when we need Him? If we have spent 50 years telling Him to get lost, it should not come as a surprise that we eventually begin to feel the absence of His powerful presence.

Read more at: 

https://www.afa.net/the-stand/culture/2018/02/where-was-god/

You making a claim that God has backed off because the government changed the laws, groce example to the extreme. I don't believe you can even fathom why things happen nor do you have the ability to know such things. Hearts breaking, my hearts breaks for many things. does it takes a news flash to get people's attention about the atrocities around the world or is it only when something happens in our back yard is when eyes open. Sad but true.

 

 

[BeyondET]

Here's a site that speaks about the victims and who they were, for those who know God didn't abandoned them.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/parkland-school-shooting-victims/?utm_term=.1b3221a5a253

[Littlelambseativy]

I agree that God had not abandoned those who know/knew Him. We have to remember a few things..

sin came when Adam gave in to Eve and ate the fruit he was not to touch. ..and Cain killed Abel because of that sin that has brought us to this day...almost.

young boys are missing fathers in their homes. No role models.check out the missing fathers in the mass shootings.

in schools we are indoctrinating them to be kinder, gentler...they are being emasculated and indoctrinated. Girls are becoming the chiefs.

We are all for lifting women up and putting men down in every facet of life. More women now head men than ever before. There is no wage disparity as there used to be. Every job has to be 50/50...did it work for the blacks? (Not sure anymore what the correct word is)

When was the last time you has a young girl shoot up anything?

we are turning everything God set in place on it’s head. No longer are men made to feel worthy, especially in school. And you ask if God was there.. yes...in tears.