HOKIE NATION SPIRIT PIERCES FOG OF TRAGEDY IN BLACKSBURG

The emerald quads of Virginia Tech stood empty. The swimming pool at McComas Hall was still, the basketball courts silent. Signs were taped on buildings across campus: "CLOSED DUE TO TRAGEDY."

But the 10,000-seat Cassell Coliseum was jampacked midday Tuesday with mourners, young ones wearing spirited garb unusual for a memorial: orange and maroon T-shirts, school colors in honor of their lost fellow students, the sense of peace lost from this idyllic valley.

Citing the biblical Job and his struggle to understand suffering, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) told the crowd that violence-weary people around the world are watching Blacksburg.

"As you wrestle with despair, do not lose hold of that spirit of community you have," he said, asking mourners to help the victims' families and react in a way that will benefit people watching. "The world needs you to."

PLAYING THE BLAME GAME - WHO IS TO BLAME FOR BLACKSBURG

Playing the Blame Game -- Who Is to Blame for Blacksburg?
Just observe much of the media coverage surrounding the Virginia Tech killer and his murderous slaughter. Some quickly moved to assign blame to the university's administration and police department. There will no doubt be a thorough review of both in the future, but they are not to blame for the killings. We must blame the killer.

Other commentators and theorists attempted to place the blame on society as a whole, on the young man's parents, or on his generation. The theorists of the therapeutic culture have rushed to argue that a stigma against mentally ill persons drives some to heinous acts of violence, and thus this stigma is to blame. Still others try to blame guns, grades, or any number of other factors -- anything and anyone but the murderer.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant

Evil Exists; Faith Endures

Virginia Tech University to the Sadriya Neighborhood

Blacksburg to Baghdad

The Christian Worldview vs. the Worldview of these events are so different.

Cal Thomas in one short article wrote:

• There is evil in the world.

• It has existed since the fall of Man. Some argue that a tragedy such as Virginia Tech proves there is no God.
  
• If that were true, what does selflessness prove? If we learn that some students sacrificed their lives to protect others (as occurred at Columbine High School where some also gave their lives after testifying to their faith in God), would that prove God exists?

• The important point is that God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, has overcome evil. While we all must die -- some by tragedy such as the Virginia Tech shootings and others after living long lives -- the important question is not how many years we live on the earth, but where we shall spend eternity.

This article was on newsweek.washingtonpost.com Here you will have a comments from people from all walks of life.

Here are a few of those comments: from a Worldview idea:

• "Does Cal Thomas really believe that, of all the dead at VTech, those who accepted christ are now sitting happily with the lord, and those who happened to be muslim, buddhist, jewish, agnostic, etc. are getting tortured by satan?" (just as printed on post)

• This stubborn persistence in positing an entity called "evil," and then assigning causal power to it, merely results in continued ignorance as to the actual causal factors for real events.
  The brain tumor in Charles Whitmans hypothalamic region was not "evil," it just "was." And it played a primary causal role in the killing of 16 other people. Of course, if everyone throughout time had been satisfied with assigning "evil" as the cause for every painful event, we would never have known what a brain tumor was, or how behavior is affected in those who have them. If one really wants to understand how natural events occur, one must study the natural world itself. The rest is merely fiction.

• As per the contemporary Christian theologian, Father Edward Schillebeeckx, (from his book, Church, the History of God,Crossroad, 1993, p.91 (softcover)"Christians must give up a perverse, unhealthy and inhuman doctrine of predestination without in so doing making God the great scapegoat of history" . "Nothing is determined in advance: in nature there is chance and determinism; in the world of human activity there is possibility of free choices. Therefore the historical future is not known even to God; otherwise we and our history would be merely a puppet show in which God holds the strings. For God, too, history is an adventure, an open history for and of men and women."And with this profound observation, Schillebeeckx rendered all prophets, i.e. Isaiah, Jesus, Mohammed, Smith et al, and prophecies moot!!!!!

Here are two quotes from two fellow believers I know:

1. I too share in the shock andsadness at VT. I watched some of the convocation yesterday and was filled withdespair. Not just regarding the murders, but also VT's (and ourworld's) view of the place for religion in today society. Muslim,Jewish, Hindu, and Christian leaders all spoke offering their words ofcomfort and solace. All faiths on an equal plain and yet all equallymeaningless. There were no words of true hope, only a hope that one ofthe gods would comfort and make sense and meaning of it all. Somehowthat we would overcome by strength of self. So this is our emerging America. In times of tragedy, we call out togod/God. We ask for comfort and solace and for Him/her/impersonal forceto help us make sense of it all. Eventually, America will also rejectthis mix for it is nonsensical. We will in 25 years, be a nation whohas rejected God and replaced Him with other gods who are no gods atall. True Christianity is being marginalized, will be ostracized, andthen rejected... eventually becoming illegal. This could all happen, I believe in the next 50 years. Bruce

1. It seems with no lack of churches in town, the the resources are in place for the flow of God's love and care into a hurting world sufficient so that no person in our community, or in our pews, should ever be left behind or unsupported. Which means our work is more than to offer a Bible class to study facts or learn rules for nice behavior, or to create programs for busyness to increase attendance and offerings, or even to expand outreach around the world in the name of missions. Not while people all about (everyone really) are suffering from loneliness and rejection, wandering, lost, making foolish, failed decisions to deal with their unhappiness, and growing in anger and disappointment and desperation.
   
   The answer to violence in a community is an engaged church living out its passion and commitment to invest in support ministry for the recovery and renewal of the boy next door and his family. Don Whisnant, GracePoint

What is the definition of "evil?"

The actions of those who kill and kill themselves in Baghdad is evil.

One person writes this able Cal's point of view about evil"

• " Phaedrus is absolutely correct that Cal's world view leads to a personification of evil, and represents an abdication of responsibility to seek out its real-world causes and remedies. "

Evil does exist, but so does good. We can't live in fear of evil, but live by faith in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Drafted by Charles E. Whisnant

MOM, THOMAS ROAD BAPTIST, FALLWELL'S AND VIRGINIA TECH

April 14- April 16 2007

• My emotions have been deeply effected today. The event at Virginia Tech yesterday and today have been close to home. I had planned to go to VT before going to Seminary. I have followed VT for years. And since we were in Lynchburg over the week end we were present when the killings took place in Lynchburg a short distance from Blacksburg. Its been such a sad day for sure.
• Charity and I had a wonderful time in Lynchburg. My mother was 85 years old on Sunday. And mom’s request was to go to Lynchburg, Virginia. My sister Ellen and her son Stephen took her. And mom wanted to visit with Jerry and Macel Falwell. And they were so gracious to mom and us while we were there. They took us out to eat at O’Charlie’s and then took time to visit with mom. Then Sunday Evening in the service, Jerry was gracious to honor mom. So mom was very happy that she came.
• In one day your emotions go from total joy to anger. From Thomas Road Baptist Church to Virginia Tech. Thank the Lord we have friends and the spirit of the Lord in our hearts.

More on this trip later, I want to post Al Molher's article on Virginia Tech's :

Facing the Reality of Evil

The unspeakable evil of the killings at Virginia Tech bring us once again face to face with the reality of human evil. Christianity faces this challenge honestly, and acknowledges the horror of moral evil and its consequences. The Bible never flinches from assigning responsibility for moral evil. Human beings are capable of committing horrible acts of violence, malevolence, cruelty, and killing.

The Bible locates the problem of moral evil in the human heart. As the prophet Jeremiah reflected: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"[Jeremiah 17:9]

In taking moral evil seriously, the Bible affirms that we are responsible creatures. Our Creator will hold us fully accountable for our actions. All are sinners. Some sinners embrace evil with virtual abandon -- leading to horrors such as these killings on a university campus. We dare not attempt to minimize this moral responsibility.

Then, as C. S. Lewis so powerfully reminded us, we must trust that God's perfect justice will destroy evil and reset the moral equilibrium of the universe.

A central tenet of the Christian faith is the claim that, on the cross, Jesus Christ willingly suffered the full force of evil, even unto death -- and that in raising Christ from the dead, the Father vindicated Christ's victory over sin, death, and evil.

The Virginia Tech horror reminds us all what human beings can do to each other. The cross of Christ reminds us of what Jesus did for sinners in bearing the full punishment for this evil.
Christianity does not deny the reality of evil or try to hide from its true horror. Christians dare not minimize evil nor take refuge in euphemisms. Beyond this, we cannot accept that evil will have the last word. The last word will be the perfect fulfillment of the grace and justice of God.
In the meantime, we are witnesses to the true nature of moral catastrophes such as the killings at Virginia Tech. We mourn with those who mourn, and weep with those who weep.

Who could calculate the pain and suffering of these victims and their families? Even as I pray for those who grieve and suffer such excruciating loss, I place my confidence in the assurance that God will bring all things to the perfect conclusion of his judgment. Without this confidence, how could I make sense of what surely appears to be senseless evil and violence?

Posted by R. Albert Mohler Jr. on April 17, 2007 12:01 PM
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/r_albert_mohler_jr/2007/04/facing_the_reality_of_evil.html