So what IS the problem?

Another shooting has occurred, a tragic cutting off of lives by someone who had no right to do so.

They seem to be happening more and more frequently, and always afterward, as we watch the news in fear and anger, one of the main thoughts that goes through people's heads is, "Why?"

There are many who are quick to blame guns.  If only we could control the use of firearms, things like this wouldn't happen.  I absolutely, completely disagree with this theory.  As the old saying goes, "if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."  Crime will most likely INCREASE rather than decrease, because a law like this would basically just affect those who would never use their guns any way except defensively.  Those who would use them offensively, such as the shooter in this incident, are not going to suddenly decide they need to follow the law and turn in their guns.

So what IS the problem?  I can pinpoint several things that are going on in our society that I believe are leading to the increasing number of incidents like this.

1) The teaching of evolution.  Rather than teaching our children that man is a unique being, created in the image of God and distinctly set apart from the animals, we teach them that we are merely a slightly more highly evolved form of life, really no different from the spiders we step on because we don't want them in our house, or the dogs we euthanize because they don't have a home.  This has also led to freely and legally taking the human lives of "unwanted" unborn children.  Why not?  If one believes in evolution, is it really any different from swatting a fly?  So why shouldn't we be surprised when someone decides to rid the world of a few people of his choosing?

2) No standard of right and wrong.  We teach our children that killing is wrong, but many of us are missing an important point.  How can we teach them that something is wrong if we don't tell them why?  If there is no consequence if they disobey?  By taking God out of our schools and trying to force our society to pretend He doesn't exist, we are losing another important factor: His word, the word which tells us, "thou shalt not kill."  The word which tells us that, without salvation through Christ, the consequence of sin is hell.  If we are taught that after life comes nothingness, then why not just do whatever we feel like doing, regardless of how it may affect someone else?

I would also cite the media as a problem, which plays up stories like this and gives them lots of press coverage, likely making this man feel very important and, even worse, giving ideas to other people.

This is a horrible, tragic thing that has happened.  And it will likely happen again.  We can tighten security in movie theaters, schools and more.  We can attempt to keep guns out of people's hands, but the truth is, neither of these things is going to solve the problem.  We can never completely rid the world of evil, but unless we turn back to God as a country, I firmly believe these incidents will continue to increase.