Monday, December 17, 2012

Why did God make those kids die?



This was the question I was greeted with when I woke my 7-year-old daughter this morning.

“What makes you say that?” I asked, trying to disguise my irritation at whatever or whoever placed that idea in her head. I fully expected her to tell me that she heard it on TV, and that the perpetrator would be Mike Huckabee or Pat Robertson, or perhaps someone from the Westboro Baptist Church claiming it was God's retribution on the people of Connecticut for allowing gay marriage.

“Obama said so,” was her answer.

What?

“Honey, I'm pretty sure that whatever he said, he didn't mean that God wanted them to die.” I decided that this may be a good learning moment, and that we could research online exactly what Obama said and figure out what he meant.

When we found details from the speech he gave at the Newtown prayer vigil, I was speechless. After reading the names of the murdered children, Obama clearly stated:

“God has called them all home.”

Really? The horrifying slaughter of 20 young children by a disturbed individual is the will of God?

I struggled for words... suppressed my nausea (and an urge to unleash a string of expletives)... and searched for an explanation that would not cause further fear and confusion.

I'm still searching.

Thank you President Obama. Thank you for perpetuating and reinforcing the same pathological ideas espoused by those who blame disasters on “fags” and long for a theocracy.

And thank you, sincerely, for providing me with another learning opportunity - as soon as I figure out the best way to explain to a 7-year-old that our President is a self-serving panderer, and that she doesn't need to live in fear that God may “call her home” the next time she goes to school.