Different Christian leaders voiced their reflections as to what change America should do in the wake of the tragic Uvalde shooting incident, offering prayers to the grieving community.
Multiple lives were taken down in the hands of the 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos, including the lives of 19 children and two teachers. Before the mass shooting, he killed his grandmother and shot two people while on the street. People are mourning over the incident and extended their regards to the ailing community.
Now that mass shootings became rampant for the past months, Christian leaders aired their sentiments and learnings from the past tragedy.
Pray For The Bereaved
Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham expressed how heartbreaking it was in his Facebook post. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association President said the BGEA had sent chaplains to minister to the bereaved loved ones. He also urged people on his platform to continuously pray for the grieving community.
Founding Pastor of Saddleback Church Rick Warren extended his empathy to the bereaved parents. He urged people to pray for the parents of those affected by the Uvalde shooting. As a parent who lost his child to gun violence, he said they will "carry the grief for the rest of their lives."
Focus on the Family President Jim Daly said he's "sickened and saddened" by the news and as a father, he said he was "enraged." He also prayed that the Lord may bring comfort to the families of those affected.
Encourage Intentional Parenting
Anthony Bradley, professor of religious studies and director of the Center for the Study of Human Flourishing at King's College, emphasized the effects of neglectful parenting on kids. He mentioned that every major school shooter since the Columbine High School Massacre had suffered from "dad deprivation."
Daily Mail reported that the shooter has been bullied at school and because his family was poor. Eventually, Ramos dropped out of school, according to his friend who remained to be unidentified. On his 18th birthday, Ramos shared with his friend pictures of his guns and magazines just days before the shootout.
Bradley explained that hurt boys hurt people.
Also Read: Faith Community Providing Mental Health Support Amid Texas School Shooting
Change What Needs To Be Changed
Michael Wear, a senior fellow of Trinity Forum, appreciated Senator Chris Murphy on his move to push major gun reforms. However, the chances are slim according to NPR News. Wear emphasized that a bill could end the shootings and blasted the political culture that remained silent despite all the shootings. He urged that there must be a "substantive legislative response" that people could evaluate.
President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Albert Mohler said that at least there must be safety precautions that would prevent gunmen to enter the school. Looking forward, entering school premises might become hard but he explained that prioritizing safety and security has become a necessity due to this kind of attack. He said that people should find out what needs to be done in light of the things that happened..
"One of the hardest questions for the United States of America at this point is trying to figure out what has changed and what we can do about it," he said.
In his recent post, Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago urged people to weigh what's more important - guns or protecting children. He said that right to bear arms will never be more important than human life. He also appealed to elected officials to have a moral duty to protect the people.
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