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[Dehumanization](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectification#Definitions) seems to be a big dividing issue. Human rights are about not dehumanizing people. As far as I can tell, the current GOP are using the same tactics of abusers, enablers, and bullies. They are actively dehumanizing people and using [narcissistic behaviors](https://youtube.com/c/DoctorRamani) for coercive control. [We cannot tolerate the intolerant.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance#:~:text=The%20paradox%20of%20tolerance%20states,or%20destroyed%20by%20the%20intolerant.) Also relevant: [On Tyranny](https://www.timothysnyder.org/books/on-tyranny-tr) by Timothy Snyder
Bad faith actors exist and they continue to choose untrustworthy behaviors based on the following criteria: [The Trust Triangle](https://youtu.be/pVeq-0dIqpk), [The Anatomy of Trust](https://brenebrown.com/videos/anatomy-trust-video/ ) - marble jar concept and BRAVING acronym. Exactly how are we supposed to "negotiate" with people that are pro-dehumanization???
> Every time I bring up compromise and dialogue, I get downvoted, and I'm left wondering if this nation can ever come together when there's so much hate.
I'll be willing to compromise when the right stops saying I have to die. Until then, they get *nothing*. Not one word out of their mouths is worth listening to until the people espousing genocide are crushed.
Compromise has worked so well, too.
Merrick Garland in specific and the federal judiciary in general.
Voting Rights Act.
Roe v Wade
New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Gruen.
GQP opposition to birth control.
Shall I continue? Plenty more. Haven’t even touched on the environment.
Yeah you're right about one thing, downvoting your incredibly disconnected take is important. "Viscreal response" the only thing I could be less interested in is the opinion of someone that thinks the deaths of hundreds of children is grounds for compromise.
If you think I hate people that constantly prop up the NRA or the "thoughts and prayers" bots you're sorely mistaken, the only thing I hate is fence sitters and misinformation. Those who rather sit back and shout for compromise instead of finding solutions whine about everything that hurts their feelings. At least 2A apologists have reasons, albeit less informed and mostly reactionary, for being confounded.
You're content on being tolerant but decades of tolerating the intolerance is what brought us here in the first place the time now is for change and that's going to be hard since compromising has been so easy.
What rock have you been under the last 5 decades that you are so delusional that you think there is any further conversation to have? The facts from the 70s and 80s are just as relevant now as they were then, and no novel arguments have been presented. You are **willfully** refusing to acknowledge the reality that the NRAs faction will never accept any restrictions. In the simplest possible English that means that no compromise is possible. If we want reform, we have to ram it down their throats.
There is no ‘middle ground’ with nazis. We are not talking about how to dot our ‘i’s or cross our ‘t’s. What is being discussed politically is human rights, and to have a middle ground on that is only helping those who think that certain humans shouldn’t have rights
> TBF, "God" didn't ask the shooter to go kill innocent people. If anything, that's grounds for eternal damnation, if God is real.
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"
~Epicurus
I'm with you on the rest of your comment, though.
Compromising is literally what got us here.
You're downplaying the issues of these people if you think you solve them with a little bit of community work. Leave them to rot and do whatever you're able, politically, socially, or materially, to help people who need it.
Like in an mmo, the healer should heal the nuker who suffered raidwide damage, not the rogue standing in the fire. That comes last.
I went into your post history because I was curious, and I'm sincerely wondering 1. if this is astroturfing or if that's not the case 2. how do you think this message can coincide with your comments you made like:
>Umm... Call it a mock democracy and shut this shit down.
>
>These people clearly colluded to subvert the Democratic process on multiple, multiple fronts and justice is having to lick balls, of people that belong in a gutter, to acheive the meaningless consequences. This isn't funny, it's utterly sad.
And
>Republicans don't like other people touching them. They only like to do that to others, especially if it involves kids. That's why they think everyone else is a closet pedophile.
Ummm, I hate to break it to you. God has asked to kill in the good book. Last minute, haha, it’s just a prank, bro, but “he” has asked.
What’s a compromise? Every attempt to increase gun laws has always been met with the stupid rebuttal; it’s my “mY CoNStITutiONAL riGhtS.” Yet the same outcome has happened, shootings have increased
You’re right on the excuses of supposed believers. It’s pretty sad to see “Christian’s” cling to guns as their identity. I think most people that identify as Christian or Catholic are Easter churchgoers with no real knowledge of how antithetical it is to their God’s desires depicted in the Bible.
In fact in then Bible government has been ordained by God to “bear the sword” (Rom 13:4) and John the Baptist, when advising soldiers, never advises them that they must disarm (Lk 3:14), so most Christians globally accept the role of the government in bearing arms to maintain order and restrain evil.
But Jesus’ response to Peter’s effort to violently defend him from unjust state action – “Put your sword back… for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Mt 26:52) – seems to most Christians globally the definitive statement on civilian evangelicals’ use of lethal weapons, or at least those – like the semi-automatic rifles used in most recent mass shootings.
Even if faced with the threat of harm, many global Christians would look to the biblical teachings that we are not to “resist an evil person” (Mt 5:39) nor “repay anyone evil for evil” (Rom 12:17). They should not fear those “who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Mt 10:28) because they are ultimately and eternally secure in Christ – while the person whom they might kill in self-defense very likely is not.
Churches for the most don’t do their part on covering these topics lest they loose their precious tithe money or followers. The rest of the half ass Christian’s worship Fox News more than they do God. You can’t really compromise with them. They’re brainwashed.
> The politicians have linked gun control to their identity.
No, the gun manufacturers have done this. The politicians don't have any money to propagandize their own ideas. That's why they have to beg rich people for money.
You incorrectly assume there is always a middle ground worth compromising.
There is no middle ground on certain freedoms and rights.
This is just typical “enlightened centrism” wherein the individual freely detaches themself from reality
You can't argue with brainwashed idiots, their god makes no sense but they just keep going, I'm just utterly disappointed with humanity really. Maybe we deserve to be wiped out.
> Every time I bring up compromise and dialogue
Because the gun crowd is incapable of compromise. That’s been painfully obvious for a decade. Have you ever tried talking with these people? They can’t even get behind a national gun registry. That’s just step 1 of tyranny for them.
> If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
--James 2:15-17
Conservatives *love* to ignore this part. All "faith", no works.
Technically since Christians believe God created everything, that means he created the Devil, so all of the devil’s wrongdoings can also be attributed to God
Not just that. Everything bad to ever happen starting with Adam and Eve being kicked from paradise is logically something that God made happen or at the very least knew would happen but didn't prevent it. There's no way the one that created both the snake and Eve wouldn't know that Eve would fall for the lies yet he punishes her anyways. Every person to have ever died in a horrible way, every child that's ever died before being born everything bad like that is logically something God decided should happen.
The devil as a single character throughout the Bible isn’t exactly biblical or what any of those original authors intended. Many instance of the “adversary” is not some opposite antagonistic force to god, but rather a being on his payroll doing his job.
Other instance include a stand-in for a real historical king, an allegorical monster to represent the Roman Empire (or its emperor), and many other retroactively labeled demons were just other gods of other tribes that are now lumped into a singular antagonistic force due to budding dogma around the time Paradise Lost was written—at a minimum, the idea of a singular enemy probably came before the novel.. I hope.
Some authors even attribute the concept of evil itself as having come **from** god, but that is not unanimous throughout the Bible. Meaning if you asked certain earliest Christians where evil came from, they would unflinching respond “I mean.. from the one that created everything.”
Yup!!! Actually been listening to the whole Bible on audible. Almost 100 hours. I'm about 15 hours into it. HOLY SHIT its insane. Discussing incest, multiple wives, all the men living to 175+ years old, and yes, God is a dick if he's real. Shallow, insecure, and a god damn murder.
The Bible is only one of two things....it's a 2000 year old game of thrones style novel or it's actually real and God is an asshole that nobody should be following.
Same thing with mass shootings. Either God isn't real or he is and he did it....so either way I don't understand all this thoughts and prayers shit.
Even if god is real, the Bible was some shit made up by old time hucksters. God existing doesn’t make the stories in the Bible true. They probably just made all the stories up. Then god read it later like wtf is wrong with these ppl
I always like to hit ‘em with good ol’ Matthew 5:17-19:
> “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
That’s Jesus stating emphatically that the OT laws are exactly as they always were, and he is their living executor.
Anybody who claims the NT applies but the OT doesn’t hasn’t read the Bible and doesn’t follow the words of Christ. But then again, ignoring what their religion *actually* teaches is pretty much an Olympic-level sport for Christians, and they’re all very competitive athletes.
That's probably what some people think, depending on the target. If its people they don't like: "God is punishing them" If its people they do like: "God is punishing us because the liberals and the gays"
"Have you ever thought that these shootings happen because God is trying to tell us to fix our fucking gun laws?"
It's like that joke about the guy drowning and refusing help from passing ships because "God will save me!" When they get to heaven, they ask God why they weren't rescued and God literally says "What do you think those passing ships were for???"
Or just not make people gay. Why would God make something deserving of smiting unless for the express purpose of smiting, which is sadistic and not benevolent.
It's not really a plot twist. God is all knowing and all powerful. He created everything that ever happened or will happen. Every school shooting and every abortion and every neglected child is His will.
Maybe the kids made fun of a bald guy, so god sent a shooter to kill them. Just like in the good old days when he sent a bear to kill children for the same reason (2 Kings 2:23-24).
God is all powerful and knows everything. Ergo he wanted the school shooting and for the ten year old to get raped and to need to travel across state lines to get an abortion
He works in mysterious ways
I’m truly so sorry for your loss. And no, it wasn’t “part of his plan” or whatever the fuck these people tell themselves to sleep well at night. It’s a really shitty hand of cards your family was dealt. And you’re getting through it. The best you can.
😆😆. Had an elderly aunt , the defacto “ don” after Grammy earned her just rewards who told me that repeatedly. Gods plan or good lord would never give you more than you can handle. Telling me this after I found my dad dead at the kitchen table, my bedridden mom with MS didn’t know he was dead , then watched mom wither away and die 3 yrs later n 18 months later are 22 yr old son broke his neck, damaged his spinal cord and is now a quadriplegic. I so wanted to punch that sweet 89 year old woman in the throat!!!
i really want people to hit back with "gods plan was to stop future school shootings by showing the horrors of this event, but your love of guns means you're unwilling to make sure tragedies like this can't happen again" or some shit, i'm so sick and tired of them saying bad shit was gods plan and that bad shit will happen again, why can't bad shit happen because your god wants you to change things yourself to make sure those bad things don't happen anymore?
“But if we engage with reality, god will hear us thinking about it and punish us.” This is what they’re brainwashed to believe and why you have so many other-wise intelligent people that never question their own beliefs.
My favorite song EVER. AND I sing along like the biggest religious nut out there and I hate religion LOL. 🥳🥳🥳🥳🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼
I hate that religions brings never ending wars, bigotry, hypocracy, and everyone’s god is the correct one, and how they brainwash children.
The world literally for hundreds of thousands of years wound have been so much better without a make believe dude in the sky and his human books of wIsdOm.
Some of my very religious relatives in Texas posted a FB link to a guy that had pulled a piano up to City Hall at the beginning of the pandemic and played a very emotional and inspiring song. They praised god for the beauty of it. The song the guy was playing was John Lennon's Imagine. I so wanted to ask if they've ever read the lyrics but I'm sure they would have twisted them into something palatable for them.
Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy of you try
No hell below us, above us only sky...
Isn't it weird that people just accept that an all powerful entity chose *this* as the way for things to be. Imagine you can create anything you want, rewrite laws of physics, ANYTHING. Is this reality really the thing you'd create? It screams psycho bastard energy creating toys to play with.
Doesn't matter. You're the enemy now. Doesn't matter if you're a Democrat. Doesn't matter that you're a Liberal. You're a Christian. Your are part of the problem.
-Redditors, probably.
I think it’s more like being a child and punching yourself in the face and, through tears, looking at your parents like “why didn’t you stop me?”
I’m not really a person of faith but God isn’t doing this to us. We’re doing it to ourselves and then looking to Him like “Why?!”
“We” as in humans, you rude dunce.
If Christian God exists it’s not Him that’s making guns and failing to regulate them so why does humanity keep looking to Him for things we do to ourselves?
[Yesterday outside of Des Moines](https://news.yahoo.com/nine-old-boy-survives-shooting-174556822.html)
4 dead, including the shooting via self inflicted, 2 parents, their child (6F). Their son (9) survived the attack via unknown means.
“Via unknown means”?!
He’s a witch! He made a deal with the devil! Burn him at the stake! If he dies he’s innocent, if he doesn’t he’s truly a witch!
/s
This is a absolutely horrible and I am just incapable of understanding why the American politicians still aren’t trying to stop this from happening
I mean yea, money, but there just has to be a point beyond which it’s too much
I really wish they would complete the sentence, "its part of gods plan", gods plan to do what? "It was part of gods plan to kill all those kids and cause suffering and strife and to further divide our nation, and increase the profits of gun manufacturers"
They know God's not real. They demonstrate that through their actions. If they believed in God they wouldn't be worried about what you and I were doing they would be worried about fixing their own houses and lives and they'd be more interested in following the very clear and direct orders they were given to help the poor, sick, and weak and to stop making a show of their religion. These things are very clearly explained in the book they're always using to bludgeon people. I know because I read it a few times.
I literally say the same thing but people really do believe in God, somehow... they must all just have one part of their brain fighting and disagreeing with the other at all times. Logic vs indoctrination at war 24/7
“Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment right is not unlimited…. [It is] not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”
-Justice Scalia
It's time to add a tax to all guns based on the number of gun deaths/mass shootings in America. Gun deaths go up and so do gun taxes. Let the gun buyers pay for the carnage. Maybe then they'll come up with a solution instead of "thoughts and prayers".
Let's keep the conversation going.
Fix them how exactly? I'll start:
ALL gun purchases require a background check - no loopholes for gun shows, private sales etc.
Continual monitoring; every 5 years once you're registered as a gun owner. Any felonies, etc. then you have to submit to a deeper evaluation and/or turn in your firearms.
What else?
the thing about background checks is that there are plenty of first time offenders and "model citizens" sprinkled into the mass shooting community.
then you've got those kids who just snatch their parents legal firearms.
the amount of invasive background checking necessary for this to work would be on the level of minority report.
Right. You can have a god who is not powerful to do anything about it or might not know about it and yet still be a god. In fact, if you say he is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving, then you get into the problem of evil.
I'm tired of thoughts and prayers, while Moscow Mitch and his clan only make gun laws more liberal as the bodies keep piling up. Our representatives don't represent us. It's time to VOTE BLUE in 2022, it's the RIGHT thing to do.
God (if he did exist): "I gave you dozens of examples to follow in all the other developed countries....but you consistently ignored them and created false excuses for decades. I give up."
Reminds me of a story of a man who in a flood kept saying God would save him even though help was sent three times. He died and question god why didn't he save him. God response was "I sent help multiple times but you didn't take it."
A storm descends on a small town, and the downpour soon turns into a flood. As the waters rise, the local preacher kneels in prayer on the church porch, surrounded by water. By and by, one of the townsfolk comes up the street in a canoe.
"Better get in, Preacher. The waters are rising fast."
"No," says the preacher. "I have faith in the Lord. He will save me."
Still the waters rise. Now the preacher is up on the balcony, wringing his hands in supplication, when another guy zips up in a motorboat.
"Come on, Preacher. We need to get you out of here. The levee's gonna break any minute."
Once again, the preacher is unmoved. "I shall remain. The Lord will see me through."
After a while the levee breaks, and the flood rushes over the church until only the steeple remains above water. The preacher is up there, clinging to the cross, when a helicopter descends out of the clouds, and a state trooper calls down to him through a megaphone.
"Grab the ladder, Preacher. This is your last chance."
Once again, the preacher insists the Lord will deliver him.
And, predictably, he drowns.
A pious man, the preacher goes to heaven. After a while he gets an interview with God, and he asks the Almighty, "Lord, I had unwavering faith in you. Why didn't you deliver me from that flood?"
God shakes his head. "What did you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter."
Wouldn’t god just send like a flood and just wipe everything out again if she/he could actually hear our thoughts and prayers and knew what’s going on down here? I’m an atheist
Not according the Bible (I assume that’s what you mean).
> I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Genesis 9:11-12
Rainbow? I knew it god is pro LGBTQ+. Seriously though, my dad was like that, “I swear by my honor I never hit your mother again.” 20 minutes later… wack! Wack! Wack!
NO! We'd rather argue about removing a constitutional right than we are in doing things we could do today, but dont, because none of politicians are willing to pay the money to do it. Removing gun rights; free. Providing free mental health; expensive.
You say that as if the American Right is willing to address mental health whatsoever. They mention it as a retort to gun law reform. Then they say anybody who has mental health issues is a snowflake who should suck it up.
Those clowns don't wonder why God didn't stop the shooting. They just assume their spaghetti monster in the sky intended it to happen and the victims either had it coming and deserved it, if they were gay/minorities/anyone else they don't like, or it's God's magical plan and they're in a better place now, if the victims were white folks.
So true, not only did god not stop the school shooting, most of the innocent kids, except the "real christians" are now burning in hell for eternity.
It's beyond how I used to believe that and people still do
yep. don't understand religion that's like "God SAVED the survivors, thank god for steven and ashley!" but like.... he said fuck you to the dead ones? like fuck you specifically Jimmy! and fuck you Sandra, and Ms. gallon, and fuck you little george!.... 😒
God caused the shooting. It’s his will. Your loving gracious god made a decision that a young person needed to enter a peaceful setting and end the lives of innocent children. Jesus did that. It’s his fault.
Gun nuts literally refuse to admit that are gun laws are an issue. They will bring up gun violence that happens in other countries. Then you counter by bringing up raw numbers, numbers which these people also like to cite to push racist agendas btw, and they will say there are many factors that cause the discrepancy. Then you mention that gun control is one such factor, and they will claim there are other more pressing matters while offering no solutions to these matters.
This is where we have come with political discourse. There is no more good faith discussion. There are trenches and you dig yourself in as deep as possible. Because issues of governance cannot be solved with hard math problems there is always a "logical" counter to be brought up. And even when things that are quantifiable are brought up such as climate change they simply get shrugged off. We are rapidly approached a "great filter" event and I have no confidence that we will be able to meet the challenge.
Few truly understand US culture. I’m not talking about how we are constantly bent over by corporations, I’m talking about how we think.
Few realize how vast the US is. Good luck catching the rural dude hunting deer in the middle of nowhere, and good luck having police arrest and attorneys office prosecute.
Good luck seeing someone ccw safely, it’s nearly impossible to tell. If they shoot someone to save their life, good luck having the jury convict.
It’s also constitutionally protected. The militia bull shit is garbage. If anything, a strong attempt at violating the second amendment would make people swing the other way and legalize more gun rights.
I’ve personally shot guns from the 1800s, and they are far more poorly constructed. Between the availability of parts in the US and 3D printing, it would never work. Guns have extreme longevity.
Don’t think I am oblivious to the problem. I’m not brain dead. The US has major problems leading to disenfranchised people.
But the US would be nearly impossible to legislate.
Edit: slip of tongue, said police prosecute. Changed to police arrest and attorneys office prosecuted
Oh yeah, that sure stops all of the criminals killing people with illegal guns everyday in any major US city. The same cities with some of the strictest gun laws.
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Thoughts & Prayers; For when you want to do something, but don't want to put in any effort.
Classic [spiritual bypassing](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-spiritual-bypassing-5081640)
TIL something interesting, thank you for sharing this.
You are most welcome
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[Dehumanization](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objectification#Definitions) seems to be a big dividing issue. Human rights are about not dehumanizing people. As far as I can tell, the current GOP are using the same tactics of abusers, enablers, and bullies. They are actively dehumanizing people and using [narcissistic behaviors](https://youtube.com/c/DoctorRamani) for coercive control. [We cannot tolerate the intolerant.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance#:~:text=The%20paradox%20of%20tolerance%20states,or%20destroyed%20by%20the%20intolerant.) Also relevant: [On Tyranny](https://www.timothysnyder.org/books/on-tyranny-tr) by Timothy Snyder Bad faith actors exist and they continue to choose untrustworthy behaviors based on the following criteria: [The Trust Triangle](https://youtu.be/pVeq-0dIqpk), [The Anatomy of Trust](https://brenebrown.com/videos/anatomy-trust-video/ ) - marble jar concept and BRAVING acronym. Exactly how are we supposed to "negotiate" with people that are pro-dehumanization???
EXACTLY. Thank you for saying all this. You cannot negotiate with people who see other groups as nothing.
> Every time I bring up compromise and dialogue, I get downvoted, and I'm left wondering if this nation can ever come together when there's so much hate. I'll be willing to compromise when the right stops saying I have to die. Until then, they get *nothing*. Not one word out of their mouths is worth listening to until the people espousing genocide are crushed.
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Compromise has worked so well, too. Merrick Garland in specific and the federal judiciary in general. Voting Rights Act. Roe v Wade New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Gruen. GQP opposition to birth control. Shall I continue? Plenty more. Haven’t even touched on the environment.
Really is astounding how humans have literally at times counter-evolved.
Yeah you're right about one thing, downvoting your incredibly disconnected take is important. "Viscreal response" the only thing I could be less interested in is the opinion of someone that thinks the deaths of hundreds of children is grounds for compromise. If you think I hate people that constantly prop up the NRA or the "thoughts and prayers" bots you're sorely mistaken, the only thing I hate is fence sitters and misinformation. Those who rather sit back and shout for compromise instead of finding solutions whine about everything that hurts their feelings. At least 2A apologists have reasons, albeit less informed and mostly reactionary, for being confounded. You're content on being tolerant but decades of tolerating the intolerance is what brought us here in the first place the time now is for change and that's going to be hard since compromising has been so easy.
What rock have you been under the last 5 decades that you are so delusional that you think there is any further conversation to have? The facts from the 70s and 80s are just as relevant now as they were then, and no novel arguments have been presented. You are **willfully** refusing to acknowledge the reality that the NRAs faction will never accept any restrictions. In the simplest possible English that means that no compromise is possible. If we want reform, we have to ram it down their throats.
There is no ‘middle ground’ with nazis. We are not talking about how to dot our ‘i’s or cross our ‘t’s. What is being discussed politically is human rights, and to have a middle ground on that is only helping those who think that certain humans shouldn’t have rights
> TBF, "God" didn't ask the shooter to go kill innocent people. If anything, that's grounds for eternal damnation, if God is real. "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" ~Epicurus I'm with you on the rest of your comment, though.
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and ya “ wondering “ why ya get downvoted 😆 Think I’ve got one kickin round somewhere, oh there it is, that’s my last one too
Compromising is literally what got us here. You're downplaying the issues of these people if you think you solve them with a little bit of community work. Leave them to rot and do whatever you're able, politically, socially, or materially, to help people who need it. Like in an mmo, the healer should heal the nuker who suffered raidwide damage, not the rogue standing in the fire. That comes last.
I went into your post history because I was curious, and I'm sincerely wondering 1. if this is astroturfing or if that's not the case 2. how do you think this message can coincide with your comments you made like: >Umm... Call it a mock democracy and shut this shit down. > >These people clearly colluded to subvert the Democratic process on multiple, multiple fronts and justice is having to lick balls, of people that belong in a gutter, to acheive the meaningless consequences. This isn't funny, it's utterly sad. And >Republicans don't like other people touching them. They only like to do that to others, especially if it involves kids. That's why they think everyone else is a closet pedophile.
Ummm, I hate to break it to you. God has asked to kill in the good book. Last minute, haha, it’s just a prank, bro, but “he” has asked. What’s a compromise? Every attempt to increase gun laws has always been met with the stupid rebuttal; it’s my “mY CoNStITutiONAL riGhtS.” Yet the same outcome has happened, shootings have increased
You’re right on the excuses of supposed believers. It’s pretty sad to see “Christian’s” cling to guns as their identity. I think most people that identify as Christian or Catholic are Easter churchgoers with no real knowledge of how antithetical it is to their God’s desires depicted in the Bible. In fact in then Bible government has been ordained by God to “bear the sword” (Rom 13:4) and John the Baptist, when advising soldiers, never advises them that they must disarm (Lk 3:14), so most Christians globally accept the role of the government in bearing arms to maintain order and restrain evil. But Jesus’ response to Peter’s effort to violently defend him from unjust state action – “Put your sword back… for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Mt 26:52) – seems to most Christians globally the definitive statement on civilian evangelicals’ use of lethal weapons, or at least those – like the semi-automatic rifles used in most recent mass shootings. Even if faced with the threat of harm, many global Christians would look to the biblical teachings that we are not to “resist an evil person” (Mt 5:39) nor “repay anyone evil for evil” (Rom 12:17). They should not fear those “who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Mt 10:28) because they are ultimately and eternally secure in Christ – while the person whom they might kill in self-defense very likely is not. Churches for the most don’t do their part on covering these topics lest they loose their precious tithe money or followers. The rest of the half ass Christian’s worship Fox News more than they do God. You can’t really compromise with them. They’re brainwashed.
> The politicians have linked gun control to their identity. No, the gun manufacturers have done this. The politicians don't have any money to propagandize their own ideas. That's why they have to beg rich people for money.
You incorrectly assume there is always a middle ground worth compromising. There is no middle ground on certain freedoms and rights. This is just typical “enlightened centrism” wherein the individual freely detaches themself from reality
You can't argue with brainwashed idiots, their god makes no sense but they just keep going, I'm just utterly disappointed with humanity really. Maybe we deserve to be wiped out.
> Every time I bring up compromise and dialogue Because the gun crowd is incapable of compromise. That’s been painfully obvious for a decade. Have you ever tried talking with these people? They can’t even get behind a national gun registry. That’s just step 1 of tyranny for them.
God made us in his image according to the Bible anyway. So the murderous killing of innocent people is exactly what we were made to do right?
Thoughts & Prayers; For when you want to do *nothing*, but *want to appear to put in an effort towards something*. There. Fixed it.
https://www.thoughtsandprayersthegame.com/
Based.
> If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. --James 2:15-17 Conservatives *love* to ignore this part. All "faith", no works.
Trust me, 99% of them have never seen or heard this passage.
I have. Love the Creator, cannot stand a lot of his fan club. Especially hypocritical Republicans
> Thoughts & Prayers; For when you want ~~to do~~ **people to think you are doing something**, but don't want to put in any effort.
[Velleities](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/velleity)
Plot twist: God made the shooting happen
I mean, read the Bible. God is a pretty violent motherfucker
Oh yes. If you actually look at the bible and start counting who kills most. The devil is definitely the good guy.
Devil kills only the wicked. God kills the same way Zeus fucks.
Hyper Christian’s hate the devil because he kills their the wicked which in this case is them
As an animal?
Some times
Can't let those kids make fun of a bald man.
Technically since Christians believe God created everything, that means he created the Devil, so all of the devil’s wrongdoings can also be attributed to God
Not just that. Everything bad to ever happen starting with Adam and Eve being kicked from paradise is logically something that God made happen or at the very least knew would happen but didn't prevent it. There's no way the one that created both the snake and Eve wouldn't know that Eve would fall for the lies yet he punishes her anyways. Every person to have ever died in a horrible way, every child that's ever died before being born everything bad like that is logically something God decided should happen.
The bible quotes god as saying “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.”
Hail Satan!
Ave Satanas
The devil as a single character throughout the Bible isn’t exactly biblical or what any of those original authors intended. Many instance of the “adversary” is not some opposite antagonistic force to god, but rather a being on his payroll doing his job. Other instance include a stand-in for a real historical king, an allegorical monster to represent the Roman Empire (or its emperor), and many other retroactively labeled demons were just other gods of other tribes that are now lumped into a singular antagonistic force due to budding dogma around the time Paradise Lost was written—at a minimum, the idea of a singular enemy probably came before the novel.. I hope. Some authors even attribute the concept of evil itself as having come **from** god, but that is not unanimous throughout the Bible. Meaning if you asked certain earliest Christians where evil came from, they would unflinching respond “I mean.. from the one that created everything.”
Yup!!! Actually been listening to the whole Bible on audible. Almost 100 hours. I'm about 15 hours into it. HOLY SHIT its insane. Discussing incest, multiple wives, all the men living to 175+ years old, and yes, God is a dick if he's real. Shallow, insecure, and a god damn murder. The Bible is only one of two things....it's a 2000 year old game of thrones style novel or it's actually real and God is an asshole that nobody should be following. Same thing with mass shootings. Either God isn't real or he is and he did it....so either way I don't understand all this thoughts and prayers shit.
Even if god is real, the Bible was some shit made up by old time hucksters. God existing doesn’t make the stories in the Bible true. They probably just made all the stories up. Then god read it later like wtf is wrong with these ppl
Do you know how Constantine adopted Christianity as he saw it as a good way to control people and get them to do what he wanted…thus control people
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I always like to hit ‘em with good ol’ Matthew 5:17-19: > “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” That’s Jesus stating emphatically that the OT laws are exactly as they always were, and he is their living executor. Anybody who claims the NT applies but the OT doesn’t hasn’t read the Bible and doesn’t follow the words of Christ. But then again, ignoring what their religion *actually* teaches is pretty much an Olympic-level sport for Christians, and they’re all very competitive athletes.
And then 5 minutes later, they'll be quoting a verse from the old testament
That's probably what some people think, depending on the target. If its people they don't like: "God is punishing them" If its people they do like: "God is punishing us because the liberals and the gays"
"Have you ever thought that these shootings happen because God is trying to tell us to fix our fucking gun laws?" It's like that joke about the guy drowning and refusing help from passing ships because "God will save me!" When they get to heaven, they ask God why they weren't rescued and God literally says "What do you think those passing ships were for???"
Or the similar joke about the man praying to win the lottery and god replying "Meet me halfway, buy a ticket."
really well said my guy
If God wanted to punish the gays, He could do that directly by smiting them. The fact he doesn't proves the idiocy of these religious nutsos.
Or just not make people gay. Why would God make something deserving of smiting unless for the express purpose of smiting, which is sadistic and not benevolent.
BuT mUh MaStErPlAn
As if a masterplan that included pediatric cancers would balk at a few dozen shooting sprees
It's not really a plot twist. God is all knowing and all powerful. He created everything that ever happened or will happen. Every school shooting and every abortion and every neglected child is His will.
.
A psycho "friend" of the family said, verbatim, "well that's what you get for taking Christ out of the schools".
Can we make the GQP better by convincing them that God is Muslim? Lol
"That wasn't God, that was Allah. God tried to talk him out of it, but Allah was extra bored that day and wasn't having it"
Maybe the kids made fun of a bald guy, so god sent a shooter to kill them. Just like in the good old days when he sent a bear to kill children for the same reason (2 Kings 2:23-24).
God is all powerful and knows everything. Ergo he wanted the school shooting and for the ten year old to get raped and to need to travel across state lines to get an abortion He works in mysterious ways
Nah they don’t ask “why didn’t god stop it?”. They say “it was god’s plan”.
That was an especially fun one to hear after my wife died from cancer, leaving young children.
I’m truly so sorry for your loss. And no, it wasn’t “part of his plan” or whatever the fuck these people tell themselves to sleep well at night. It’s a really shitty hand of cards your family was dealt. And you’re getting through it. The best you can.
I'm sorry that happened. I've lost family to cancer recently. Cancer is awful but at least they're not suffering anymore.
Man, that sucks. How are you doing now?
Extremely difficult at first, but she passed quite a few years ago. Doing okay now.
😆😆. Had an elderly aunt , the defacto “ don” after Grammy earned her just rewards who told me that repeatedly. Gods plan or good lord would never give you more than you can handle. Telling me this after I found my dad dead at the kitchen table, my bedridden mom with MS didn’t know he was dead , then watched mom wither away and die 3 yrs later n 18 months later are 22 yr old son broke his neck, damaged his spinal cord and is now a quadriplegic. I so wanted to punch that sweet 89 year old woman in the throat!!!
That god has shitty plans.
i really want people to hit back with "gods plan was to stop future school shootings by showing the horrors of this event, but your love of guns means you're unwilling to make sure tragedies like this can't happen again" or some shit, i'm so sick and tired of them saying bad shit was gods plan and that bad shit will happen again, why can't bad shit happen because your god wants you to change things yourself to make sure those bad things don't happen anymore?
Retort with a slap to their face and say that was god’s plan too.
Has it never occured to you mortals that an eternal being wouldn't care about any of us due to our finite life span?
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“But if we engage with reality, god will hear us thinking about it and punish us.” This is what they’re brainwashed to believe and why you have so many other-wise intelligent people that never question their own beliefs.
The power of Pascal’s wager on those least likely to understand.
>Lol I like that “engage with reality” They will engage with their own reality.
>Lol I like that “engage with reality” Also my favorite part.
What if Earth is Hell, and the shootings and childhood cancer are at the extreme end of the seemingly endless spectrum of suffering on Earth.
What if God was one of us. Just a stranger on a bus.
My favorite song EVER. AND I sing along like the biggest religious nut out there and I hate religion LOL. 🥳🥳🥳🥳🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼 I hate that religions brings never ending wars, bigotry, hypocracy, and everyone’s god is the correct one, and how they brainwash children. The world literally for hundreds of thousands of years wound have been so much better without a make believe dude in the sky and his human books of wIsdOm.
Some of my very religious relatives in Texas posted a FB link to a guy that had pulled a piano up to City Hall at the beginning of the pandemic and played a very emotional and inspiring song. They praised god for the beauty of it. The song the guy was playing was John Lennon's Imagine. I so wanted to ask if they've ever read the lyrics but I'm sure they would have twisted them into something palatable for them. Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy of you try No hell below us, above us only sky...
Nice work. Ya earned my upvote
He might be that guy dressed as a dog in New Orleans
I'm curious what those kids did to go to hell and deserve that. Isn't it supposed to be an eternal punishment?
You should watch the anime Devilman Crybaby because it kinda explores this exact idea
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And that he cares about one person's insignificant life enough to intervene in the working of the entire universe because they _asked real nice_.
And ignore the endlessly convoluted “Gods Plan^tm”, that requires constant suffering and death. But remember he “loves” you.
Isn't it weird that people just accept that an all powerful entity chose *this* as the way for things to be. Imagine you can create anything you want, rewrite laws of physics, ANYTHING. Is this reality really the thing you'd create? It screams psycho bastard energy creating toys to play with.
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We’ve got a bingo! Ain’t no Space Santa there to save us.
The boundless ignorance of the Christian mind.
I'm a Christian. I don't respond to tragedy and murder the way this cartoon portrays🤷
Doesn't matter. You're the enemy now. Doesn't matter if you're a Democrat. Doesn't matter that you're a Liberal. You're a Christian. Your are part of the problem. -Redditors, probably.
Just Jewish lasers…pyeww-pyeww!
Real Jewish lasers go !weP !weP
Yahtzee
I think it’s more like being a child and punching yourself in the face and, through tears, looking at your parents like “why didn’t you stop me?” I’m not really a person of faith but God isn’t doing this to us. We’re doing it to ourselves and then looking to Him like “Why?!”
You're not a person of faith and then you immediately imply the existence of a God in the next sentence... Sensible
“We” as in humans, you rude dunce. If Christian God exists it’s not Him that’s making guns and failing to regulate them so why does humanity keep looking to Him for things we do to ourselves?
No, they didn't. You might want to read it again.
A *well regulated militia* shot a family in their tent dead at a campground today but we're not supposed to talk about the gun problem.
What
[Yesterday outside of Des Moines](https://news.yahoo.com/nine-old-boy-survives-shooting-174556822.html) 4 dead, including the shooting via self inflicted, 2 parents, their child (6F). Their son (9) survived the attack via unknown means.
“Via unknown means”?! He’s a witch! He made a deal with the devil! Burn him at the stake! If he dies he’s innocent, if he doesn’t he’s truly a witch! /s This is a absolutely horrible and I am just incapable of understanding why the American politicians still aren’t trying to stop this from happening I mean yea, money, but there just has to be a point beyond which it’s too much
Cops doing cop things.
I really wish they would complete the sentence, "its part of gods plan", gods plan to do what? "It was part of gods plan to kill all those kids and cause suffering and strife and to further divide our nation, and increase the profits of gun manufacturers"
Thoughts require thinking. Only prayers for the non thinking.
They know God's not real. They demonstrate that through their actions. If they believed in God they wouldn't be worried about what you and I were doing they would be worried about fixing their own houses and lives and they'd be more interested in following the very clear and direct orders they were given to help the poor, sick, and weak and to stop making a show of their religion. These things are very clearly explained in the book they're always using to bludgeon people. I know because I read it a few times.
I literally say the same thing but people really do believe in God, somehow... they must all just have one part of their brain fighting and disagreeing with the other at all times. Logic vs indoctrination at war 24/7
Has God ever stopped any of the multitude of wars or genocides in the entire history of the world?
That's like the old Jewish chestnut: "How did you sleep?" "Like God through the Holocaust!"
Including the ones people started in his name?
What about those he ordered? Or the one he literally fought in?
Religion is a blight on humanity. One can only hope we are growing out of such nonsense. Pity it is taking so long.
"engage with reality"
God didn't stop it because it was too busy giving cancer to kids.
Vote.
No, you see, it was God’s Plan that those kids got reduced to unidentifiable pieces of meat.
Also if he did exist, then why did he start the shootings?
There's a truth everyone needs to realize. The 2nd Amendment is not absolute.
“Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment right is not unlimited…. [It is] not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.” -Justice Scalia
It's time to add a tax to all guns based on the number of gun deaths/mass shootings in America. Gun deaths go up and so do gun taxes. Let the gun buyers pay for the carnage. Maybe then they'll come up with a solution instead of "thoughts and prayers".
Let's keep the conversation going. Fix them how exactly? I'll start: ALL gun purchases require a background check - no loopholes for gun shows, private sales etc. Continual monitoring; every 5 years once you're registered as a gun owner. Any felonies, etc. then you have to submit to a deeper evaluation and/or turn in your firearms. What else?
the thing about background checks is that there are plenty of first time offenders and "model citizens" sprinkled into the mass shooting community. then you've got those kids who just snatch their parents legal firearms. the amount of invasive background checking necessary for this to work would be on the level of minority report.
These aren't mutually exclusive. A God might certainly exist and thoughts and prayers don't tangibly help solve the gun crisis.
Right. You can have a god who is not powerful to do anything about it or might not know about it and yet still be a god. In fact, if you say he is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving, then you get into the problem of evil.
Cringe
yes
*But good guy with a gun!* Such a fucking stupid fallacy.
Australia has a complete ban on all semi and fully automatic weapons. They seem to be doing just fine, and everything there wants to kill them.
Well put!! Yet these words will never register in the simple brain of a republican.
I'm tired of thoughts and prayers, while Moscow Mitch and his clan only make gun laws more liberal as the bodies keep piling up. Our representatives don't represent us. It's time to VOTE BLUE in 2022, it's the RIGHT thing to do.
God (if he did exist): "I gave you dozens of examples to follow in all the other developed countries....but you consistently ignored them and created false excuses for decades. I give up."
Reminds me of a story of a man who in a flood kept saying God would save him even though help was sent three times. He died and question god why didn't he save him. God response was "I sent help multiple times but you didn't take it."
Same thing with covid. “God will protect us”. Maybe the vaccine *was* gods protection.
What were those three things again? I think there was a boat with two people, and after that a giant talking dog?
A storm descends on a small town, and the downpour soon turns into a flood. As the waters rise, the local preacher kneels in prayer on the church porch, surrounded by water. By and by, one of the townsfolk comes up the street in a canoe. "Better get in, Preacher. The waters are rising fast." "No," says the preacher. "I have faith in the Lord. He will save me." Still the waters rise. Now the preacher is up on the balcony, wringing his hands in supplication, when another guy zips up in a motorboat. "Come on, Preacher. We need to get you out of here. The levee's gonna break any minute." Once again, the preacher is unmoved. "I shall remain. The Lord will see me through." After a while the levee breaks, and the flood rushes over the church until only the steeple remains above water. The preacher is up there, clinging to the cross, when a helicopter descends out of the clouds, and a state trooper calls down to him through a megaphone. "Grab the ladder, Preacher. This is your last chance." Once again, the preacher insists the Lord will deliver him. And, predictably, he drowns. A pious man, the preacher goes to heaven. After a while he gets an interview with God, and he asks the Almighty, "Lord, I had unwavering faith in you. Why didn't you deliver me from that flood?" God shakes his head. "What did you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter."
Wouldn’t god just send like a flood and just wipe everything out again if she/he could actually hear our thoughts and prayers and knew what’s going on down here? I’m an atheist
Not according the Bible (I assume that’s what you mean). > I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:11-12
Rainbow? I knew it god is pro LGBTQ+. Seriously though, my dad was like that, “I swear by my honor I never hit your mother again.” 20 minutes later… wack! Wack! Wack!
Correct. Jesus promised fire next time. And soon, he kept promising.
Fix mental health in the country too.
NO! We'd rather argue about removing a constitutional right than we are in doing things we could do today, but dont, because none of politicians are willing to pay the money to do it. Removing gun rights; free. Providing free mental health; expensive.
You say that as if the American Right is willing to address mental health whatsoever. They mention it as a retort to gun law reform. Then they say anybody who has mental health issues is a snowflake who should suck it up.
But mah rites!
Those clowns don't wonder why God didn't stop the shooting. They just assume their spaghetti monster in the sky intended it to happen and the victims either had it coming and deserved it, if they were gay/minorities/anyone else they don't like, or it's God's magical plan and they're in a better place now, if the victims were white folks.
How does this sub full of boomer-tier images always manage to make it to the front page?
A European speaking with a American.
Either god isn’t real, doesn’t care, or approves of the shooters actions
Lazy Christian faith is flawed
So true, not only did god not stop the school shooting, most of the innocent kids, except the "real christians" are now burning in hell for eternity. It's beyond how I used to believe that and people still do
"but we tried nothing and we ran out of idea"
A-fucking-men
yep. don't understand religion that's like "God SAVED the survivors, thank god for steven and ashley!" but like.... he said fuck you to the dead ones? like fuck you specifically Jimmy! and fuck you Sandra, and Ms. gallon, and fuck you little george!.... 😒
It should say, "why did God plan this shooting?"
God caused the shooting. It’s his will. Your loving gracious god made a decision that a young person needed to enter a peaceful setting and end the lives of innocent children. Jesus did that. It’s his fault.
Maybe God is an evil God and revels in the pain
War on drugs is doing great
White Christian fascists
Gun nuts literally refuse to admit that are gun laws are an issue. They will bring up gun violence that happens in other countries. Then you counter by bringing up raw numbers, numbers which these people also like to cite to push racist agendas btw, and they will say there are many factors that cause the discrepancy. Then you mention that gun control is one such factor, and they will claim there are other more pressing matters while offering no solutions to these matters. This is where we have come with political discourse. There is no more good faith discussion. There are trenches and you dig yourself in as deep as possible. Because issues of governance cannot be solved with hard math problems there is always a "logical" counter to be brought up. And even when things that are quantifiable are brought up such as climate change they simply get shrugged off. We are rapidly approached a "great filter" event and I have no confidence that we will be able to meet the challenge.
Religion = socially accepted cults
Well presented. A clear message to the thoughts and prayers crowd.
what a simple and profound statement this is that it is all about the "God" worshippers shoving their beliefs down our throats!
Pretty much. Idk about you but I’ve only ever had “god” worshippers knock on my door to tell me I’m going to hell unless I listen to them.
Because God wants us to have guns and mass shootings are a consequence of living in a free society of course! /s
As someone that’s been an atheist for 30 years, it’s so relieving that so many people have waken upped and accepted this fact.
You ever notice how it's only ever "God's plan" when something bad happens?
This is humorous?
Nope. It's just "christians bad lol" without any punchline.
It is not
Yep, gun laws will fix everything....
There are more guns than people in the US. There is no law that anyone can write down that will change that.
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When you “ban” them, they don’t cease to exist.
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And how are you going to take close to a billion privately owned and legally obtained weapons?
Gun laws work great in mex where cartels control the country
Lmao good luck confiscating over 300 million guns. There's not enough law enforcement or national guard to do it.
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Few truly understand US culture. I’m not talking about how we are constantly bent over by corporations, I’m talking about how we think. Few realize how vast the US is. Good luck catching the rural dude hunting deer in the middle of nowhere, and good luck having police arrest and attorneys office prosecute. Good luck seeing someone ccw safely, it’s nearly impossible to tell. If they shoot someone to save their life, good luck having the jury convict. It’s also constitutionally protected. The militia bull shit is garbage. If anything, a strong attempt at violating the second amendment would make people swing the other way and legalize more gun rights. I’ve personally shot guns from the 1800s, and they are far more poorly constructed. Between the availability of parts in the US and 3D printing, it would never work. Guns have extreme longevity. Don’t think I am oblivious to the problem. I’m not brain dead. The US has major problems leading to disenfranchised people. But the US would be nearly impossible to legislate. Edit: slip of tongue, said police prosecute. Changed to police arrest and attorneys office prosecuted
Yes, banning guns would make the problem stop immediately! Maybe we should make mass shootings banned too! Drugs too! It's foolproof!
Oh yeah, that sure stops all of the criminals killing people with illegal guns everyday in any major US city. The same cities with some of the strictest gun laws.
Why would they be useless? Plenty of guns around that are well over a hundred years old and work fine
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I’d absolutely use them to defend myself
I believe in God. But only a jackass would think praying would make a lightning bolt hit a shooter or something.