PORTRAIT OF ANOTHER SCHOOL SHOOTING

The Colorado shooting took place at STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) School Highlands Ranch and left one student dead and eight injured. Their school’s website reads:

·       “Welcome to STEM School Highlands Ranch. We are an innovative, free, public, charter learning community that exists to innovate K-12 education in order to prepare every student to lead change, solve problems and succeed in an exponentially changing world.” https://heavy.com/news/2019/05/alec-maya-mckinney/

Sounds like the kind of specialized school that would be responsive to the needs of their students.

·       The suspects have been identified as 16-year-old Maya [“Alec”] McKinney and 18-year-old Devon Erickson, two STEM students who were reportedly friends. McKinney was “in the midst of transitioning from female to male,” https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/colorado-shooting-suspects-are-gender-confused-girl-and-boy-who-hated-christians-trump?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com&utm_campaign=e0566f1be9-ProLife_5_9_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12387f0e3e-e0566f1be9-404307557

Why did they shoot up the school? Devon Erickson had written:

·       “You know what I hate? All these Christians who hate gays, yet in the bible, it says in Deuteronomy 17:12-13, if someone doesn’t do what their priest tells them to do, they are supposed to die,” https://nypost.com/2019/05/08/colorado-shooting-suspect-shared-anti-trump-post-on-facebook/

This raises the important question, “Why did he hate Christians?” Erickson didn’t justify his hatred based upon being bullied or even rejected by Christians. However, it is clear that he objected to their ideas, at least the ideas expressed in the Bible about sexuality, but why the hatred?

People don’t always agree, especially when it comes to politics and religion. However, it seems that there had previously been a greater level of tolerance of such differences. Why today’s intolerance and polarization? It seems that the more society has veered away from traditional Christian values, the greater the hatred, but why the hatred and the violence?

When, as a college student, I smoked “weed,” I hated the cops, because they were a threat to me. I would often imagine them breaking in and finding my little bag of marijuana. I decided I’d flush it quickly if I had the time, but what if I didn’t?

However, Christians are not likely to break in to arrest sexual “deviants.” They are also unlikely to use any physical force against them. Instead, Christians tend to be obsessed with remorse that they failed to love enough.

Why then are they hated? Projection! A friend had stated about McKinney:

·       “Had people supported him in the way that he needed and deserved, he would not have struggled so much that he got pushed over the edge… Please recognize that mental health awareness is important. Supporting LGBT youth is important. They didn’t get the help they needed, and they NEEDED it,” https://nypost.com/2019/05/09/inside-the-online-posts-of-colorado-shooting-suspect-maya-mckinney/

Others had also commented about the shooters’ mental issues. In fact, a study coming out of Scotland last year found that 96% of the transgendered practice some form of self-harm and have an alarmingly high rate of suicide attempts. Is it possible that the lifestyle has intensified their problems?

When I was doing shameful things, I felt shame and projected my self-contempt upon others who I felt regarded me in the same way. Self-hatred quickly breeds hatred towards others. Which others? Of course, those who might have reason to hate us for the same reason we hate ourselves.

Why Christians? People who practice other forms of sexuality, whether adultery or pedophilia, are going to hate those who do not agree with their practices! Christians have become the most persecuted people in the world. However, they don’t practice self-harm or exhibit a high suicide rate. Why not? Because they do not feel ashamed of what they believe and act out!

As a Christian, I therefore assure my gay friends that even though I cannot affirm homosexual practice, I can affirm them. In fact, I sincerely admire many things about my friends. I often see in them traits that I would love to have. I also express the fact that I have many sins against which I struggle.

There are still characteristics that I do not like about myself, but I have grown to accept myself because of the love and acceptance of God in Christ Jesus. And yes, I also share this with my gay friends.