Source: Crosstalk 2007-04-17: Virginia Tech Massacre

From WhyNotWiki

Heard on Crosstalk 2007-04-17

Host: Ingrid Schlueter
Guest: Steve Camp

http://www.crosstalkamerica.com/ ([looking for (category)])

Steve Camp appeared on Crosstalk to help listeners sort through their observations and thoughts concerning the mass murder that took place yesterday at Virginia Tech.

Steve began by pointing out that at the Virginia Tech convocation, a speaker communicated that people are inherently good. As much as humanity wants to exalt the human spirit, as believers in the Lord, we need to remind ourselves that we are not inherently good, a point that the Bible makes very clear. (Jeremiah 17:9)

When individuals exalt self to the place of preeminence, as criminals do; when they aren't happy with their lot in life and feel that it's the fault of everyone else, that is utter idolatry.

Even though some secular voices are claiming that religion will only divide people to a greater degree after such a tragedy, Steve noted that what is really needed is the communication of a reasonable faith through the clarity of the gospel.

Talked about the recent school shooting at Virginia Tech, what might have caused the killer to do that, and how we might be able to help prevent people from getting to that state.

[edit] The law of God stamped on our hearts

One caller commented that the killer was probably taught evolution in school, taught that we humans are here today due entirely to naturalistic processes only and that we evolved from animals.

He went on to say that, if you believe in evolution as the origin of humans then who's to say that murder is "wrong"?

In other words, although he didn't take it this far, how can anyone who believes in evolutionary origins talk about right and wrong? Where do we actually get our sense of morals/morality from? (A sense which is rapidly vanishing from pagan America, but which most people still have some innate sense of!)

Evolution teaches "survival of the fittest". So who can blame this kid for simply acting like one of the animals from which he is descended? Who can blame him for trying to be the "fittest" in his class, trying to be the "last man standing"? Seems like he did survive at least a little bit longer than those he killed... but then he put the gun to his own head.

(So what is the evolutionary origin of suicide and depression then? Those don't seem like genes that would tend to survive in the gene pool very well, if they really did come into the gene pool at all by mutation and natural selection.)

they realize inside that there is such a thing as right and wrong, they [see the fingerprints of their Creator], but act like they don't see it emperor borrowing the clothes

animals why not arrest a dog for doing something wrong??

This is one of the consequences of America straying away from our nation's Christian/God-centered origins original quote ([looking for (category)]) . And yes, our country was founded on Christian values and principles! Yet our legislators and leaders are trying to move us as far away from that as possible.

[edit] Reach out to people

No doubt people will again wonder if tighter gun control laws would prevent tragedies of violence like this.

But I don't think laws have any control over people's hearts. It's our self-centered, hopeless, violent culture and education that leads people to do these things, something that laws or a lack of laws can neither help nor hamper.

The guest -- who has experience with counseling, etc. -- shared how it only takes a couple minutes of talking with someone, reaching out to them, and you might give them a ray of hope, the knowledge that someone cares about them, and thus make them a lot less likely to follow their sinful temptations and commit a murder.