A reader responds to Ken’s article on the Virginia Tech tragedy

You are deluded and your treatment of the VT killings is twisted. Christianity is a Greco-Judaic philosophical cocktail transformed over the ages into a cult. Your religion sets up the paradigm of people who deserve life and those that deserve death. That concept puts individuals in the position to decide who’s who, whether judging by whether they believe the right things about your god, allah or whatever. In the mind of a mentally disturbed individual, it enables mass murder. You reap what you sow. Please stop for the good of mankind.

—J.B., Pennsylvania, U.S.

You are deluded and your treatment of the VT killings is twisted.

How would you suggest we treat what happened at Virginia Tech? With prayer? Yes, we did that—numerous times. Tears? Yes, many of us shed them. Anger? Absolutely. But at the one who pulled the trigger. Not at God.

Cho Seung-Hui himself was responsible for this reprehensible act, and we have reason to have anger at him and his sin. He quite obviously planned what he was going to do, had time to change his mind, but went ahead, pulling a trigger and extinguishing the lives of 32 other people. Since some seem to be bent on blaming everyone and everything else but the person responsible, we want to provide answers to those, in particular, who would blame God. Is it possible some of your anger is misguided—pointed at us, rather than the true cause of this tragedy—sin?

Christianity is a Greco-Judaic philosophical cocktail transformed over the ages into a cult.

Yes, Christianity shares common ground with Judaism. And yes, the writers of the New Testament lived during a time when the Greeks and the Romans ruled their area of the world. However, you need to deal with the historical fact that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from dead after three days. This is the central tenet of Christianity from which all others come. Rather than making unsubstantiated assertions, why don’t you point out which of the tenets of Christianity you disagree with? That way, we are better able to address your concerns.

Your religion sets up the paradigm of people who deserve life and those that deserve death.

Well, you’re partially correct there. We’d prefer to refer to the Bible, however, rather than religion when discussing our beliefs. Religion, generally defined, can refer to more than just our or even just Christian beliefs. Religion is prone to opinion and changes. The Bible isn’t. So, according to the Bible, yes, there are those that deserve death. But the answer as to who may surprise you. It’s all of us. The staff at AiG, you, Ken Ham, Cho Seung-Hui, everyone. Rom. 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death” and Rom. 3:23 says “all have sinned.” Your insinuation of AiG’s belief in an inequity among humankind is antibiblical (hence against our “religion”). So, if we are told by the Bible that we are no better than anyone else, why would we have any feeling of superiority? How could we judge? Especially when Scripture points out to us not to (Matthew 7:1-3).

There are those that do not claim to be religious or do not acknowledge that they sin. They may, then, have a reason to feel superior to us, because we will admit to sinning daily. But we make no claim to being any better than another human created in the image of God and fallen in the image of Adam as we are. If, in fact, our behavior is better, it is to the credit of Christ and His work of sanctification in us, where He is conforming us to His perfect image (Romans 8:29). We can take no credit for that, although we can happily say that we benefit greatly from it.

That concept puts individuals in the position to decide who’s who, whether judging by whether they believe the right things about your god, allah or whatever.

You are correct about that concept and its results. However, this is not a biblical position, and one we would in no way espouse.

We do, however, freely submit to our Creator, who is in a position to judge, and who calls Himself YHWH or I AM. He has said He will judge sin. And He has provided one way of escape from His Judgment—through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. He has determined that those who have received the free gift of eternal life through His Son will spend eternity with Him, while those that reject this free gift will spend eternity apart from Him, in hell. We can only say what He has already decreed: those who repent and believe in Jesus have eternal life; those who refuse will go to hell.

In the mind of a mentally disturbed individual, it enables mass murder

Maybe so, but the key statement here is “mentally disturbed.” Those who truly desire to follow Christ know that vengeance is the Lord’s—it is not our place to decide who lives and who dies.

We have watched the Cho Seung-Hui videos and even read his writings. In his disturbed position, he valued certain people and things above others, showing obvious disdain for the wealthy (ironically, out of what seems to be jealousy of their possessions and money). While Christians may be guilty on occasion of covetousness and disdain for others, they would have to admit that they are not following the standard of living given in the Bible, and so are being sinful.

Additionally, a Christian would not presume to compare himself to Jesus as Cho did. Cho was a sinner, just as you and all of us are. When he did such a thing he was raising himself to equality with God, which is forbidden in Christianity.

Man is capable of all sorts of evil, as evidenced in the first generation of mankind following the Fall when fratricide was committed (Genesis 4). Sin also is the ultimate cause of sickness, suffering, and death. But God will destroy all of these when He restores His Creation (Revelations 22:1-4).

You reap what you sow.

Referring to Scripture? Then we couldn’t agree more. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Please stop for the good of mankind.

What is it that we are doing that is so detrimental to mankind? Indeed, we offer a message of hope to mankind. A “very good” world became corrupted when the first man, Adam, sinned. The Creator sent a Savior to save mankind from sin. And the Creator offers us eternal life with Himself in a place where there will be no death, disease, or suffering. He commands us to love our neighbor, and do good to those who cause us grief or harm. We are to put away jealousy, disdain, malice, and hatred, and are to be kind to one another, forgiving each other, just as we have been forgiven in Christ (Ephesians 4:31-2).

What do you think we will reap when we sow the seeds of moral relativism?

On the other hand, take a good look at the tenure of the ideology that’s currently taught in the media, our schools, etc. Teaching kids that nothing is “wrong” and that we’re just “animals” is a form of sowing. What do you think we will reap when we sow the seeds of moral relativism? Even further, if we are just another animal, and our thoughts are just a collection of atoms bouncing around in our heads, what makes Cho’s behavior so reprehensible to you? What makes AiG’s behavior “wrong” in your eyes? You actually have no logical basis on which to claim one action is “right” while another is “wrong.” Those that do so are borrowing from the Judeo-Christian worldview that there is an ultimate standard of goodness by which we can judge actions and attitudes.

Now, take the message of the Bible: that we were created in the image of God to have fellowship with Him. That we rejected Him—earning for ourselves separation from our Creator and death. That He offered His only Son to purchase us back from our rejection of Him and to adopt us into His own family. That if we accept this offer, He will give us eternal life in a place where there is no death or sorrow. Is that the message you want to censor? If we sow this, what shall we reap? Mass murderers? God forbid (Rom. 6). No, “... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23).

Although we have to share bad news first before we can share the good news of salvation, we hope it is clear why. Without sin, there is no need of a Savior. Without separation there is no need for reconciliation. Please consider the entire message of the Scriptures before judging on just the bad news. We hope sharing the good news with you today encourages you to further explore the mercy and grace of our Creator and Father.

—Editors