This was absolutely devistating news. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire country of Norway. What would drive someone to commit such horrendous acts is beyond me.
I don’t know what makes me more mad. That someone would take so many human lives, or that they would do so for the sole purpose of making Islam look bad. 
I read this in the News Sentinel the other day, and I seriously became very depressed and upset. I mean, personally, my blood boils when someone takes someone else’s life for any reason. It’s just not their right. But, really? To shower bad public opinion on another religion? People are ridiculous.
Anyway, I won’t say anymore here, because I will just become more upset, and I can’t help them. Which makes it worse. I’ll pray for Norway every day and night. I wish I could somehow…help them. The families of the lost ones, I mean. 
This is utterly horrible and devastating, my heart goes out to all the victims and their friends and families. The most terrible part is that most of the victims were 15-16, my age. They were normal teenagers, and each life taken was an individual life. Some of them might have had girlfriends/boyfriends, and they probably went out with friends on Friday nights. Some of them might have just been learning how to drive. Why anyone would choose to heartlessly slaughter teens trying to enjoy their summer vacation disgusts me and is beyond my further comprehension.
For a horrifying firsthand account of what happened, I found this post from a forum from a teem who was there: [url]Norwegian Teen Shares Harrowing First-Hand Account of Shooting at the Camp
And in the light of all this tragedy, at least here is a good story about a tourist who saved over 20 teens from the island: [url]Norway massacre: Marcel Gleffe saved 20 teenagers from Anders Behring Breivik | Daily Mail Online
What really pisses me off is the response of the republican media figures to this horrible event. Glenn Beck compared the camp on the island to Hitler Youth and went on saying that the mindless killing of Breivik was the natural result of multiculturalism and political correctness. And O’Reilly said that the guy wasn’t really Christian, despite having called himself Christian several times.
Staggers the mind
Ugh, I feel your anger! It frustrates me, who is Bill O’Reilly to say who is and isn’t Christian. Sure, one of the 10 Commandements and fundemental Christian beliefs is to not murder. The guy obviously skimmed over that part, but defintely was affiliated with Christianity.
I saw something online, or on TV. I can’t remember.
But bascially it was saying that after 9/11 Airports would frisk or call out Muslim passangers who were wearing necklaces, and burkas for 'suspision of being a terrorist.
But NOBODY will do that to someone wearing a cross. Even though this guy was a Christian and did his acts in the name of God. Just shows how backward and racist our society is sometimes.
Although 3 people already said this, May he rest in peace and heaven and such. To think, of all the stupid things he’s done, you’d think he survive that?
I guess if it’s a stunt with people looking out for his safety, then he would survive. but it was in a situation beyond anyone’s control but his.
The Westboro Baptist Church are also saying that the guy was sent by god because Norway let homosexuality be legal in the 70s and gay marriage in 2008 and that god formed the killer just for this purpose. And they want to go to Norway and picket the funerals of the victims.
…
WHAT.
Oh just you try WBC. Norway is awesome so you’ll get a fair trial and all. They’re not big usually on the spilling blood for revenge- not since the Vikings anyway. Honestly I generally see violence as something that should be a last resort and a part of me pities them and their extreme delusions (they DO believe they are actually right after all) but this sort of thing just makes a part of me want to buy a plane ticket and punch certain members in the face sometimes.
Thought that would be stupid and wouldn’t solve anything. All that would happen would that they’d gain a rediculous marytr complex and I’d be rightfully punished for my actions by the law. I mean they are allowed to voice their opinions as horrible as they are and as much as they infuriate people. But likewise people are allowed to call them out on how rediculous their opinions are- that’s freedom of speech all around for everyone. (Of course people criticising them is apparently a call for maryrdom too and a sign of how corrupt society is. Please. The very first christians would like a word with you about what being persecuted is really like.)
Norway has one of the lowest crime rates and the highest standard of living in the Western world as well as smallest gap between rich and poor. Yeah, I’m sure ‘god’ really hates them then WBC. Honestly everything a part from their weather is thought to be pretty awesome.
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But on the idea of better people: this lesbian couple saved 40 teenagers. They went back to the island four times on their small boat and saved them!
norwaynews.com/en/~view.php? … O988asJb38
The other hero who was saving 20 people has already been mentioned above.
I’m sure there are probably more heroes out there too.
In situations like this and the aftermath you can sometimes find not only the bad examples but the better examples of humanity too.
THIS. I have absolutely no respect for hypocrites. While racial/religious profiling might have good intentions (saving innocent lives from another possible terrorist attack), you can’t avoid the fact that it sends the message a very ‘Animal Farm’ sort of message (‘Some are more equal than others’, or in this case ‘Some may be more of a terrorist than others’).
Ugh. Political affiliations aside, I dislike these guys on the sole basis that they’re horrible interviewers and practically shout down any opinion that is contrary to theirs (even when it is offered by the person they’re interviewing!). And they call themselves ‘journalists.’ 
…
Anyway, I’ve ruminated about the event and the motivations of this killer. Personally, I think he’s using Christianity as a scapegoat to further his xenophobic cause. Anyone who thinks certain groups of people are better or worse than others is a coward and a lunatic. My heart goes out to all those who have perished or suffered in this unnecessary tragedy.
We Must Not Let Racism & Religious Extremism Prevail
NOTE: I wish to clarify that what I mean by ‘religious extremism’ is the crazy kind where you lynch people and bomb buildings. I understand that there are people who are utterly and unconditionally devoted to their religion, and I fully respect that. From my personal point of view, I believe in moderation (I am a Moderator after all, haha), but if people put their whole heart and soul into something, I admire that level of dedication. Just so long as it doesn’t hurt, destroy, or kill anything.
Oh, the irony!
Well, even though I hate the Jack*ss movies with a vengeance, may you RIP, Ryan Dunn.
What is West Park Baptist Church? Is that a religion, or just one church?
It’s technically Westboro Baptist Church IGV but in any case it’s just one church rather than a religion. They mainly contain members of just one family- the leaders. I definitly remember reading though that at least two of the leaders sons managed to escape it as soon as they were 18.
They’re more or less a hate group which call themselves a christian church (or as they would probably say it the only ‘True Christians’, with the rest being ‘fake’ or ‘wrong’), though they do really and honestly seem to believe they’re right in their god’s eyes. They’re basically well known for waving signs like ‘God hates america’ and ‘God hates [insert homophobic slur here]’. They tend to picket the funerals of soldiers and homosexuals or the victims of acts of violence they think god planned to die or was a good thing. Also general protests. I think they even tried to protest Comic-con thinking that people were worshipping fictional characters or something rediculous like that.
They’re not ones to use logic and be consistent though. I mean they’re incredibly islamophobic too but think 9/11 was right, and was god’s way of showing how much he hates America and all. And also with the shootings in Ohio- well that guy was atheist but same deal- just another tool of god according to them!
It probably wouldn’t matter much that this guy says he’s christian- the fact that he hates the same kinds of people they do is enough really. The whole ‘the shooter says he’s christian’ thing would just be a bonus.
Even if he’d be a satanist they’d possibly have been cheering him on calling him some necessary tool for ‘god’s desires’ anyway.
Oh, okay. That’s crazy. 
I’ve never heard of them before. Ugh. What state are they in? Sounds like a Florida thing to do.
I agree entirely. I didn’t find him funny, just incredibly stupid. But still, I wish him luck in his afterlife(if he believed in those).
Poor guy RIP
Everytime i watch his movies again, i’m reminded how he made me laugh, smile, and ocasionally bust a gut.
Hahah, what? What’s a ‘Flordia’ thing to do?
And they’re stationed in Kansas, but have support in many states.
I think the Westboro Baptist Church needs to reread their Bible. Jesus accepted everyone. Prostatutes, Lepors, Tax Collectors. Anyone society looked down on. Why wouldn’t he accept Homosexuals?
I could go on, and on about how disgusting WBC is, but they don’t deserve any more attention than they’re getting.
Well technically people get the whole homosexual thing from mainly three places- there was the instance in Leviticus… where they list it along with not eating shellfish and other rules which possibly made some sort of sense at the time. There was also the instance where angels were in Sodom and Gomoorah and men wanted them (… to rape, which is kind of different really, plus Lot wanted to give the mob his DAUGHTERS instead- it kind of baffles me that people think he was a stand up guy. His whole family was pretty messed up though, including his daughters).
Then in the NT there was Paul- but biblical scolars believe he may have been more referring to slave boys and their masters (which is a different kettle of fish entirely to two consenting adults of the same gender). Plus of course Paul’s letters could by some be considered as an interesting look into how the first church functioned but considering the fact he even contradicted himself among them there are certain things which have to be taken with a grain of salt as he gave different advice to different people at different times.
Granted I will agree with him in that context- that having slave boys and treating them like that is disgusting. I think everyone would.
It would make almost anyones skin crawl just thinking of treating ANY person like that regardless of gender though.
The WBC itself is listed as Independent Baptist- so techncially it’s not affiliated with the main Baptist churches even in America, let alone across the world. It’s more or less one of those typical things that resulted- someone isn’t happy how their original church is run or interpretations, so they perhaps set up a new one. This has resulted in a HUGE number of denominations especially in America. But even individuals within churches don’t ten to agree with one another like the WBC does, it’s rather bizzare- often individuals within chruches have individuals who debate certain things among themselves, but this doesn’t seem to happen in their church at all. They’re all united in their aim as it were- which is to in their own (paraphrased words) to show there is ‘another side’ to their god- that he’s one of hate too, but at the same time still morally perfect in their eyes.
The bible itself has literally hundereds of different interpretations as to what should be taken literally and that is merely an allegory among other things. Also what still applies and what doesn’t today as well is also hotly debated. What is merely symbolic- and what is 100% truth is something which is still an area of controversey in christianity and likely always will be within it.
Everyone has different opinions on this within Christianity, however those groups which seem to shout the loudest sometimes? They seem to be the ones which really show their own ignorance on the very text they claim to follow as well as the history behind it.
They cherry pick (perhaps without even realising it at points. Its just assumed perhaps that their leader knows best on this, which isn’t surprising- he or she SHOULD know better if they’ve studied this text longer, but unfortunatly this is not always the case nor is their own education/experience always as good as it should be).
And when claiming moral or knowledgeable superiority of the text they claim to follow this is a really bad idea. Context is also required in quoting verses. Not only in the chapter, book or story it is actually in but also the time it is set in, the time it was actually written in (which wasn’t necessarily the same) and who by- as well as heck, even how they chose to put the order of certain books and chapters which was actually decided later. Also of course current translations are translations of translations. The english versions shown today are far from perfect translations of the original Hebrew and Greek.
Overall though there are parodies of WBC though- like God hates shrimp (because of the whole shellfish thing after all). Also ‘God hates Figs’ because Jesus once was angry a fig tree wouldn’t give him fruit and so he cursed it. It’s one of the… weirder stories of the NT.
Getting back to the shootings the guy has technically been declared as ‘sane’ which is pretty disturbing but given how… calm his statements are about it afterwards (like realising it was henious, but in his eyes it was necessary) perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising. With regards religion in general he did state he thought that certain protestant churches were far too soft and leniant, and he then joined the catholic church- however I’m unaware if he eventually felt disillusioned with them as well. I mean the Catholic church for instance officially accepts evolution among other things. It’s not always been completely strict, as well as the fact different Catholic churches within it have different ideas and opinions- just like I said individuals probably would have in just one church.
Overall he seems to have called it a crusade in of itself and he wished however to form an extreme right wing group- though from what I remember the group in question wasn’t merely christian based. The idea of the group was extremist right wing overall really and not just for christians I’m guessing. Unless I’ve missed something there.
Ugh, the Book of Leviticus. Why people sill stand by a book that’s basically a book of laws for ancient Jews thousands of years ago makes no sense. It is so outdated.
I still see the Gospals as very different things then other books in the Bible (peticularly Leviticus, which dates back to the time of Moses. Times change, even between Moses’ and Jesus.
I just see a lot of the Bible as contradictory. I don’t view homosexuality as a sin. But for arguments sake, it’s defined as a sin in Leviticus. Jesus DIED for our sins. So why would any decent Christians still choose to persacute against homosexuals, if by their logic Jesus forgives sinners? It makes no sense to me, and isn’t relative to most people, even a wide grouping of Christians.
This all shows good reason why Church and State is separate. But there are still people out there who disagree, even here in the United States, a country founded without a State religion which was Revolutionary during the time of its founding.
Ugh… weren’t these the loonies who burn the Quran and the American flag last year on the September 11 anniversary? Other than the fact that it is an outright Islamaphobic act, it is an extremely stupid and irresponsible thing to do when you have your soldiers operating in Middle Eastern countries (there were in fact riots that killed a few servicemen because of this).
Looking at the Wiki on them is like reading a bizzare ‘To-Do List’ for trolls:
Of course, you shouldn’t believe everything on Wikipedia, but I wouldn’t be surprised if half these statements were true. I honestly don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
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Hurr. Hurr. That’s funny right thurr. 
Interestingly, it was a Florida church who instigated the Quran-burning controversy, but it (thankfully) backed down. Westboro was the only one who went ahead and did it (and it had in fact, done it before in 2008).
I’m reading Dan Brown’s ‘The Lost Symbol’ (which I think might enjoy, EJE, it has some interesting ‘founding father’ American history and architecture trivia) and there was a great bit from Chapter 111 on this matter:
Of course, this is one of Dan Brown’s characters here, but these are the forefathers of America that I would like to believe in.
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Anyway, with regards to the shooting, I mentioned in an earlier post that it is likely that Breivik was merely ‘framing’ religion as his motive. Besides, whether he truly believed in the version of Christianity he believes in (if we can fathom it as ‘Christianity’), I think most of us would agree to disagree with him.
The greatest tragedy is that innocent lives were lost simply because of one man’s opinion.