Ramon Arias | June 22, 2015
Since we learned of the horrible slaughter of nine people last Wednesday, June 17, in Charleston, South Carolina, much media coverage has been done. We are hearing many conflicting perspectives about the why of this horrific crime. My intention in recapping this incident is to bring into focus the reality of the problem.
On Wednesday night, Dylann Roof, 21, walked into the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC and sat for nearly an hour in the Bible study group where he received acceptance and love from the participants, including Clementa Pinckney, the Pastor of the church and state senator. Then Roof decided to carry on with his evil plan of mass killing. In the end, nine were dead and the killer told one other person she would live as a witness to tell what had happened. Another woman, Felicia Sanders played dead laying on top of her granddaughter to protected her.
By the testimonies that have been gathered, it is clear this killer acted in pure hatred against black people. This keeps fueling the flames of racism at full speed by those who make their living at exploiting it, also the politically (in)correct machinery uses these situations to keep the nation divided and in a frenzy. No doubt there are pockets of those who are racist, but don’t be misled, it’s not only against blacks, there is prejudice against other races as well. However, it shouldn’t be generalized by stating that white supremacists are on the rise, this is far from the truth.
Yes, we should grieve and pray for those who suffered the loss of their loved ones. We should be angry for such murderous actions every time they happen. The law should come down hard and swift against those who commit such evil acts. But also, we should learn from the Charleston community who instead of rioting, destroying and robbing businesses, like it happened in the most recent incidents in Ferguson and Baltimore, the Christian community in Charleston and many citizens of all races immediately began to unite in prayer in many places. They came together to pray, worship and comfort one another, witnessing to the nation and the world how horrifying actions against one race should be handled to defeat the plans of murderers.
We are listening to the heartbreaking testimonies of those who lost loved ones in this senseless crime and how their Christian biblical understanding is being manifested by extending forgiveness to the murderer of their loved ones. I have been there and I know what they are going through because a fugitive criminal murdered my youngest brother. Yes, we can forgive because we understand the forgiveness of God toward us in Christ.
Beware of those who use the race card for their own ends, whether for political, economic, or ideological reasons. Their intentions are not only misguided but also evil, they know what they are doing when they see a crisis, but their own interests are too strong and they don’t want to let a crisis that can benefit them go to waste. Shame on them, they are a disgrace to humanity.
Beware of those who immediately cry out for “gun control now.” I understand that there are those who naïvely think gun control is the answer without understanding the broader picture. I also understand those who want to disarm society for their own political agenda and not so much because they are compassionate and want to stop human tragedy. There is plenty of historical evidence why it’s in the interest of those in power to disarm society. An unarmed society is much easier to control, subjugate and enslave. The United States is a well-armed civil society in the world. It is hard to arrive at the exact amount of arms in the hands of law-abiding citizens; some estimate a range from 270 to 320 million weapons of all varieties. Only evil minds use them for their ends and they are a miniscule minority.
Beware of the world reacting negatively to the violence in the United States. Don’t fall for the lies that nations where citizens have no right to arm themselves are better off and that crime is “almost” zero. Those are outright lies designed to captivate the minds of the uninformed. Obama plays with false statistics when he stated: “But let’s be clear: At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries. It doesn’t happen in other places with this kind of frequency.”
Keep in mind who is saying this, the man whose agenda is to “fundamentally transform the U.S.A.” After 6.5 years of his administration, we have become familiar with his lying. After all, his motto seems to be “the end justifies the means.” Obama’s statement is misleading if we compare sources, other than his. There is one that compares the top nations in the world with mass shootings and the United States with close to 320 million population falls from number one due to its frequency of 38 mass shootings from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013 to number seven. The world is engulfed with mass murder that goes beyond guns.
It is time that we look at these racial killings for what they truly are. It is also time to stop ignoring other mass murders where whites kill whites and race has nothing to do with it. We don’t have a racial problem, but we do have a profound evil problem dominating our culture and the world.
The well-known Bill O’Reilly in his talking points memo of June 19, 2015 in analyzing the Charleston Terror Attack, he said: “Summing up, Talking Points urges all decent Americans to understand that there is evil among us and there is no solution to that evil.”
O’Reilly professes to be a historian and has written several books about killings; with that kind of tunnel vision it is easy to not see the historical solution. I’m glad O’Reilly at least recognizes that evil is among us, but he’s so wrong in making his audience that numbers in the millions believe that “there is no solution for evil.” If he truly believes his statement why does he tell people about his perspective of solutions to the problems society faces five days a week? His position is clearly contradictory.
It is not enough to know that evil exists; we must also understand the root cause of all that evil and the solution, especially as we look at 2,000 years since Christ visited Earth. Christ came to liberate humanity from the slavery of sin, which is the reason for evil in the heart and the actions of every human being.
Consider the following:
“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? ‘I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.’” Jeremiah 17:9-10
“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.” Mark 7:21-22
“The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” Mathew 12:35
Evil comes in different shades, not only in a gross and repugnant way, but all evil has a solution. God provided in Christ a way for individuals to restore their lives and become productive citizens for the good of all. In order to eradicate evil from our inward life we must accept the offer extended to us in Christ to be born-again in Him as we acknowledge and repent from our wicked ways and habitual sinful life. We must grow in the knowledge of the fullness of God in us (Ephesians 3:19). We accomplish this by transforming our lives in the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:1-2).
God establishes the civil authorities under His jurisdiction and justice to restrain and punish those who are inclined to do evil in order to protect the citizenry to have a peaceful and prosperous society (Romans 13:1-7).
The church that Jesus Christ is building upon His revealed truth has the responsibility to be the conscience of a nation, but if she fails to fulfill her commission then lawlessness is the outcome.
God created the human race. However, sin was a human choice and in the process created evil in the world. God provided the solution in Christ so that sin could be eradicated, and that is the answer to America’s real problem.