Want to End the Gun Violence?  Then Turn to God & Respect Life!

The recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas has once again plunged the country into deep mourning and sadness, stoking the flames of anger in this all-too-well-known scenario.  Yet each time such a tragic event occurs, frustration and division heighten, and no real solutions are implemented.  Hours after the events in Texas unfolded, we were already knee-deep in finger pointing and in assigning blame.

Our increasingly dependent culture looks to big government to intervene and solve the problem, but it did not create it (at least not directly), and it cannot solve it.  The best that we can hope for is that new policies and laws might make a dent in it without eventually being abused to control and manipulate.

The usual demands for gun reform have once again taken center stage, but there is little structure on which to base a solution.   We still lack logical, reasoned approaches to a complex problem.  We hear the usual arguments from both sides but embedded in the discussion is misinformation and confusion.  Too often we accuse anyone with a different opinion as not caring or even worse, without any acknowledgement that they may simply want to try a different solution.  Everyone speaks in general terms, often just parroting and with little to no knowledge. 

Any real solution will involve a multifaceted approach with considerable nuance and strategy, but our society seems incapable of being mature or rational enough to even begin.  Our leadership is self-serving, useless, and overall defunct.  Not just in terms of legislation but void of maturity and without sincerity, sacrifice, and character.  In Biblical days, kings and leaders would rip their garments and sit in ashes as a display of sorrow and repentance when faced with calamity, and the population would follow their example.  Now we follow their example of moral decay, pride, and deflection.

The health of a society is best measured by how well those who are struggling the most are faring.  American culture has been descending consistently away from God for decades, and we are now reaping the harvest.  We have all but removed God from all aspects of society, except for inside our churches at weekly services, and even this is under attack.  And yet we wonder why evil is increasingly manifesting itself among the most troubled among us.

In the past few decades, society has degraded in the following ways, to name a few:

• Failure of & attacks on all institutions – schools, police, church, the supreme court, voting procedures, immigration, and the rule of law.
• Decay of the traditional family – A nuclear family based on Godly Matrimony is still the best way to go.  This is not to say that other family structures cannot be successful, but the traditional structure should be acknowledged for its strength in raising children.
• Gender Ambiguity – Traditional male and female roles have been under attack.  Masculinity has become seen as toxic and the role of the strong father has been diminished, especially in the inner city.  Some as of late refuse to define what a woman is because doing so might bring on the full force of cancel culture.
• Entertainment – Violence, especially gun violence, continues to be extremely popular in movies and video games.  Bad in real life, but awesome for fun, it seems.
• Pornography – easily accessible by everyone, including children, culturally acceptable and mainstream.  Degradation of human sexuality and relationships is accelerating.
• News Media – distrusted by virtually everyone, biased and agenda driven.
• Social Media – Overimportant, abusive and addictive.  It is too often fake, attention-seeking and cruel.  We took a great new technology and found a way to make it as toxic as possible.
• Shunning of traditional values – chastity, purity, respect, hard work, self-reflection, sacrifice, humility, gentleness, kindness.  Basically, everything esteemed within the Bible.
• Mental illness – record levels, widespread with increased severity
• Substance abuse, legal pot, opioids, alcohol abuse – everywhere you look.

This has been influenced by, and correlated with, a lack of respect for life that continues to get worse.  This is at the core of every societal problem and political issue that we face today.  For example:

• Abortion – not just rare & measured but celebrated and entitled.  Sacramental to some.
• Disdain and outright hatred of opposing opinions.  The days of tolerance are over – conformity or else!
• Inner city violence – so common that it is white noise to mainstream culture
• Cancel Culture – There can be no forgiveness or redemption for those that the collective deems wrong.  Destruction of the unworthy!
• Gossip / celebrity worship – might as well sprinkle some idolization in there.
• Pornography – worth mentioning again in this context.  Viewing others as soulless objects for our own sexual satisfaction
• Elderly abuse

All this stems from the steady distancing of our culture from God, his love, commandments and natural law.  In turn, the God-shaped hole in society continues to expand as we attempt in vain to fill it in various ways.  We look for instant gratification, fame and accolades while disdaining discomfort and hard work.  We are becoming a selfish civilization.  Then we wonder why it is not working.

If we truly want to stop gun violence, we need to change the overall culture, but this will take decades.  We can start now by first looking at ourselves, and then by holding those in our communities accountable.  The time to repent and turn back to God and His ways is long overdue.  Only God can save us at this point.  Looks like we might need those “thoughts and prayers” after all.