Audio Welcome Why Do Good People Die Tragically? January 16, 2011 Share | Note: Now there is a sequel to this article available!



Many questions are asked in the wake of events such as the Tucson shootings. Many center around the fact that good people were killed. The Los Angeles Times (January 9, 2011) describes the six who died as a 63-year-old federal judge known for his calm demeanor and deep knowledge of the law. a smart, quiet and gentle, 9-year-old, a retired construction worker and gas station owner who got into people's lives and didn't sit on the pew and do nothing (a member of the Mountain View Church of Christ in Tucson, LJB), a kind and caring neighbor, the wife of a retired airline pilot who was easy to get along with, and a congressional staff member who loved helping constituents solve problems and was unfailingly patient with people. Why do people such as these often become victims of tragic deaths? The opening paragraph of the Times article says it well: "The bullets did not discriminate. Sprayed ... by a man whose actions may never make sense, they killed six people and wounded 14 more." We must first note that God did not do this. And, God does not "take" people, as is commonly believed. The one behind all murders is the devil. Jesus says, "he was a murderer from the beginning,John 8:44. We also know that, in this case, the shooter has mental problems, and such people sometimes resort to senseless violence. Paul writes, Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." We all die sooner or later. We do not know when, or how, our death will occur. Death comes as a result of circumstances, natural or otherwise, which sometimes come unexpectedly. None of us has a "time" when it is time for us to go. Circumstances determine when we die. In the case of the Tucson shooting deaths, the circumstances were the decision of a mentally ill person to open fire on a crowd of people and a congress woman. The victims, tragically, just happened to be in his sights, or, by chance, in the bullets' paths. Had the victims been "bad" people, the results would have been the same. Continued > Page 1 2 *New articles are posted each Sunday* Remember to go to the Archives section to check out past articles! Please Sign our Guestbook!

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