Since this is a 'religious buffoon' -thread more than about the tragedy itself, I can't help but take a cheap shot (the quote is not about this tragedy, but it's the mindset I'm after):

William Lane Craig wrote:Moreover, if we believe, as I do, that God’s grace is extended to those who die in infancy or as small children, the death of these children was actually their salvation. We are so wedded to an earthly, naturalistic perspective that we forget that those who die are happy to quit this earth for heaven’s incomparable joy. Therefore, God does these children no wrong in taking their lives.
[...]
Ironically, I think the most difficult part of this whole debate is the apparent wrong done to the Israeli soldiers themselves. Can you imagine what it would be like to have to break into some house and kill a terrified woman and her children? The brutalizing effect on these Israeli soldiers is disturbing.

Read more: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/slaughte ... z2F75Juxtz

John P. M. wrote:Since this is a 'religious buffoon' -thread more than about the tragedy itself

Absolutely, John. That's why I thought it should go in a separate thread.

And Lane Craig's quote?

Yet another asshole using tragedy to advertize his magic man
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXQ-uo8UVws[/youtube]

DoctorE wrote:Yet another asshole using tragedy to advertize his magic man

Yeah, and looky here! This god thing which did nothing to prevent the tragedy because people have been horrid to it is gonna show up after all the deaths to console and comfort the bereaved!

Yipeee!

These religious people are so sickening it takes my breath away.

Yeah, the more 'sensible' religious folks go for a 'slippery slope' instead; 'Why if God prevented such tragedies, what would be next? In the end, he would have to make sure we didn't get ingrown toenails too!'.

Or they go for the 'World is utterly depraved and God being pure good cannot interact with sinful beings directly' approach, which I suppose precludes any and all miracles (but surprisingly, not!).

Or they go for the similar 'God gave mankind free will, so he cannot interfere directly', which means no one in biblical history was directly interfered with either (but surprisingly, yes they were!).

People like this make me sick.
These people clearly have a severe lack, if not total absence of empathy.

"AND YOU KNOW, THESE TRAGIC OCCURRENCES REMIND US THAT WE HAVE TOLD GOD TO BUTT OUT OF OUR LIVES, OUR HOMES, OUR SCHOOLS, AND IF WE EVER WANT TO SEE AN END TO THESE TRAGEDIES WE NEED TO GET GOD BACK INTO OUR LIVES, OUR HOMES, OUR SCHOOLS. DEAR FRIENDS, WE ARE APPROACHING THE END OF THE YEAR AND THIS MINISTRY IS FACING A SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR SHORTFALL IN FUNDING, SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP US GET GOD BACK INTO OUR LIVES, OUR HOMES, OUR SCHOOLS, WHY NOT CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH US IN THIS EFFORT. YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE DONATE LINK AND WE'VE MADE IT VERY SIMPLE AND VERY EASY FOR YOU TO DO WHATEVER THE LORD LAYS ON YOUR HEART TO HELP THIS MINISTRY GET GOD BACK INTO OUR LIVES, OUR HOMES, OUR..."

My brother who is still a strong evangelical Christian (although pro-gay marriage, and pro-science) posted this:

Who says God is not allowed in schools? Oh you mean he is not mandatory and forced onto students? Different thing, but in the eyes of wacko fundamentalists who do nothing but diminish the church, fellow Christians such as myself, and the love of God, they are the same. Students have the right to pray, the right to read the Bible, the right to gather in Jesus' name before and after school. They have those freedoms. In fact, in high school I led a men's bible study before classes every Tuesday and Thursday morning before classes. What the state cannot do is force all students to pray, all students to read the Bible, all students to gather in Jesus' name before and after school. These fundamentalist nut cases out there who insist that natural disasters, or human tragedy such as the Newton shooting yesterday, are caused by God or not prevented by God to teach the gay community a lesson, to teach the materialistic community a lesson, or to teach the school community a lesson is faulty theology and breaks my heart that people can spread such a perverse lie about my God.

I am something proud that my brother also calls bullshit on things like this.

Satan did it, says this primitive man
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L03m7D7XGV4[/youtube]

You know, my morning bowl of Cheerios predicted this tragedy. If only they let children in schools pray to my morning bowl of Cheerios, let my morning bowl of Cheerios into their hearts, maybe even elect it to public office, these sorts of things wouldn't happen.