I was kinda ignoring it until my husband brought up that the shooter had issues with the church. So I went investigating. I found the following, and I will tell you what I found BEFORE you click on this link, because it is the stuff of nightmares, ESPECIALLY for us.
I weep for his victims, I weep for him and the creature he became.
Yes, for sure "the stuff of nightmares" Amy! What can be learned, who is to blame, and is it something we can really relate to as former Assembly members?
Likewise, did Crowley's Plymouth Brethren raising turn him into "the most evil man in Europe"? How much of this kind of hateful rejection of the "Christian God," and the embracing of an "Anti-Christ god," can be blamed on hypocrisy in the church?
Both of the above persons hated Christianity, but they also flew to the opposite extreme of actively seeking to destroy the faith they once accepted as true. This points to a kind of irrationality that could be understood as mental illness, the devil, or a combination of both.
I know of one person from the Assm. who after leaving decided to become an atheist. Upon realizing that the group was a fraud he came to the conclusion that the whole "Christian thing" was just a bunch of baloney. He, when I talked to him about it, seemed quite calm----- in other words, he wasn't filled with hate, anger, and a desire for revenge like this Colorado shooter was.
Did the Assm. turn this former member into an atheist? How much of what we are is based on environment vs. our own self determinations? I think only God can answer these questions and judge correctly, but I don't think the answer is entirely one or the other.
The bible does warn believers that we can do real spiritual damage to others (one example: Jesus' warning to the disciples not to harm his little ones who believe in him). The biggest complaint that Matthew and Crowley had was the hypocrisy they noticed in their churches. Could this lack of honesty be what the devil can use the most in afflicting certain people? The former pastor of this church in Colorado was Ted Haggard, who stepped down after having a drug filled affair with a male prostitute. Apparently, he was doing this kind of thing while standing before his church and claiming to be "filled with the Spirit."
There is no justification for what this murderer did. I was glad that he was shot before he could kill any more innocent people, and with Amy, I weep for these victims. Also, I pray for the comfort of the families that survived.
I also think we as Christian parents, church leaders, and as individual believers need to understand the influence we can have on other lives. May God keep us from the kind of toxic bad religion that hurts others and help us to minister the blessings of eternal life.
God Bless, Mark C.
