In all the hysteria over the recent school shooting, pleas for a smattering of different political causes have been tossed around both from the mouths of politicians and in the realm of social media. There are those that feel that "guns" are to blame, and that "Republicans" who oppose "gun control" are the real culprits "behind" it. I witnessed a slew of congressmen and women, as well as the President express their frustration or woe that "mental illness" is the culprit, and that the shooter Nicholas Cruz had clear warning signs in advance of being mentally ill or emotionally disturbed.
Truly, all the remarks of politicians about mentally illness in regards the shooting just amount to demagoguery, hysteria, knee-jerk reactions, and vain attempts to make the shooter fit into some previously understood template or profile where a kook or "lone nutter" goes somewhere with a gun and shoots everyone up. None of their assertions actually place blame on the real person who committed the crime...nothing other than the charges as listed has that implication (premeditated murder, in which premeditation legally requires sanity for knowing, witting behavior and conscionable intent). To say that mental illness was involved requires a previous mental health history- some kind of diagnosis or medical history where actual symptoms were reported to a doctor. Instead, the fact involved where a medical diagnosis can be ascertained is that one of his neighbors believed he had been diagnosed "autistic," which is a developmental disorder, not an actual mental illness. From all the reporting surrounding the case, there were certainly reports of events that would cause any person a great deal of grief and emotional strain- both the death of this foster mother and birth father, as well as the bullying, beatings, and expulsion he experienced at school. Events that cause grief or fear are not the same thing as an actual diagnosed mental illness. Even if Nicholas Cruz had an undiagnosed "chemical imbalance" akin to what is called "schizophrenia" or "bi-polar disorder," that would require the investigators, attorneys, and reporters involved here to compile the symptoms involved which are tantamount to that disorder. Instead there is just simply discussion of life events that would a trigger for such a mental illness. His defense attorney would need a highly imaginative expert witness in insanity to ever use insanity (mental incapacity, insane delusion, etc) as a defense in court. They could actually use the "autistic" label as part of some defense centered on his disability, but it is a really a moot point at this point, since it is now being reported (at time of my edit here) that he is planning on pleading "guilty."
In my humble opinion, just from the reporting that I've read and seen thus far, what we have here is an autistic student who was frequently and pervasively bullied and then expelled from school. From that appraisal, motive for murder can be rationally derived (and in no way is a mass shooting patently "sane" conduct). The clear dichotomy or distinction involved here is a patently insane action vs. a true "chemical imbalance" or diagnosed "mental illness" by secular standards. There were reports that the shooter had a previous "temper problem," but a temper or anger could be rather normal human reaction to the outrageous conduct of others. There were reports that he owned and hid a gun, but actually owning a weapon could be a sane response to a situation involving constant fear for safety.
Don't misunderstand what I say. I'm not against gun control or legislation making it difficult to purchase a gun. A position demanding that all citizens have free access to guns is extremism. Most Republicans admit that gun legislation is necessary for the safety of civilians in society. This is an issue where I am even willing to side with those across the aisle from me if they make sense and are not just spouting hysteria. The remarks of Democrat Kamela Harris on Fox News yesterday, for example, were extremely well-put, sensible, and proper. Also, we cannot be blaming an inanimate object for a heinous crime. It is men who pull the trigger in murder cases, and it is the ones who do that who have to be held to answer for their crimes.
I did not want this to be an article on gun control, so I'm not going to jot down my entire neoconservative rant about gun laws and crime. The essence of what I am trying to communicate right now is that neither tighter gun legislation nor psychiatric medication can save the souls of men. Those efforts are things that could possibly curtail evil and crime, but neither does curtailing the evil of a person save their eternal soul, either. Only in Jesus Christ are we saved, because by the works of the law we are not saved, either. Galatians 2:6 says "...nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; since by the works of the law no flesh will be justified." I know this might seem kind of uncouth to suddenly bring religion into the discussion, but does anyone here really think that Nicholas Cruz has a saved worldview? He was reportedly tied to a white nationalist group "The Real Republic of Florida" who are flat-earthers and apologists for Adolf Hitler. Cruz had also reportedly posted the definition for "Allahu Akbar" on Twitter- the phrase commonly used by Muslims before committing acts of violence justified in their religious worldview. What was needed was a better way, not a worse one. All the psychiatric industry has to offer is more lies, because the thought system that its practitioners operate from is one with presuppositions that are incorrect in regards to the constitution of man, life's purpose, and the doctrines of God. Sure, they could have administered psych meds sooner to Nicholas Cruz, but all that would have done is sent him closer to his grave more quickly, or worse, dealt him a plethora of negative side-effects equivalent to literal insanity. In Christ alone and in the Scriptures alone is our salvation, not in the doctrines of secular medicine, psychiatry, or anything else. Jesus Christ is "the way the truth and the life." In John 14:6, He explains that "no one comes to the Father but through me" (Jesus). In Christ is life everlasting, not in false religion, pills or anything else.
All the comments about "mental health" and guns control in regards to this school shooting are vain (witting or unwitting) attempts to avoid embracing any kind of sound doctrine...or New Testament understanding for that matter. It's like a subconscious stretching to reach out and blame anything but the actual person who committed the crime. In that capacity they might avoid realizing the truth of the doctrine of total depravity. Ecclesiastes 9:3 says, "the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards, they go to the dead." The teaching that all men have evil in all of their human components, that there is "none righteous not even one" (Romans 3:10) is indeed a different idea indeed than the ideas promoted by our secular leaders who would have us think that there are just some bad apples in the bunch that need "intervention." Excuse me for saying so, but if we don't agree on what the fundamental problem is, then how can we agree on the solution to the problem? It was Jesus who said in Matthew 9:12 that "it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick."
It does not escape my attention that politicians use events like this as a platform to propagate they issues they would like to forward and promote. That is simply reactionary politics, when what is needed sound doctrine (as well as good sense). Overreacting to far-blown events rather than staying grounded and reasonable takes us up the stairway to tyranny.
Those who blame guns, Republicans, or mental illness for the shooting, might just as easily blame "religion," since Cruz was reported as posting something about the Muslim phrase "Allahu Akbar." It is from Christ that we learn to love one another. In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another." In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus explains the two greatest commandments, the second of which is to "love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." So how will we know to love one another, and where is it taught with authority other than by Jesus and in God's Word?
I would like to send my condolences out to the families of the victims. The events are very saddening to many people, and I do not know anyone who wanted this.
Truly, all the remarks of politicians about mentally illness in regards the shooting just amount to demagoguery, hysteria, knee-jerk reactions, and vain attempts to make the shooter fit into some previously understood template or profile where a kook or "lone nutter" goes somewhere with a gun and shoots everyone up. None of their assertions actually place blame on the real person who committed the crime...nothing other than the charges as listed has that implication (premeditated murder, in which premeditation legally requires sanity for knowing, witting behavior and conscionable intent). To say that mental illness was involved requires a previous mental health history- some kind of diagnosis or medical history where actual symptoms were reported to a doctor. Instead, the fact involved where a medical diagnosis can be ascertained is that one of his neighbors believed he had been diagnosed "autistic," which is a developmental disorder, not an actual mental illness. From all the reporting surrounding the case, there were certainly reports of events that would cause any person a great deal of grief and emotional strain- both the death of this foster mother and birth father, as well as the bullying, beatings, and expulsion he experienced at school. Events that cause grief or fear are not the same thing as an actual diagnosed mental illness. Even if Nicholas Cruz had an undiagnosed "chemical imbalance" akin to what is called "schizophrenia" or "bi-polar disorder," that would require the investigators, attorneys, and reporters involved here to compile the symptoms involved which are tantamount to that disorder. Instead there is just simply discussion of life events that would a trigger for such a mental illness. His defense attorney would need a highly imaginative expert witness in insanity to ever use insanity (mental incapacity, insane delusion, etc) as a defense in court. They could actually use the "autistic" label as part of some defense centered on his disability, but it is a really a moot point at this point, since it is now being reported (at time of my edit here) that he is planning on pleading "guilty."
In my humble opinion, just from the reporting that I've read and seen thus far, what we have here is an autistic student who was frequently and pervasively bullied and then expelled from school. From that appraisal, motive for murder can be rationally derived (and in no way is a mass shooting patently "sane" conduct). The clear dichotomy or distinction involved here is a patently insane action vs. a true "chemical imbalance" or diagnosed "mental illness" by secular standards. There were reports that the shooter had a previous "temper problem," but a temper or anger could be rather normal human reaction to the outrageous conduct of others. There were reports that he owned and hid a gun, but actually owning a weapon could be a sane response to a situation involving constant fear for safety.
Don't misunderstand what I say. I'm not against gun control or legislation making it difficult to purchase a gun. A position demanding that all citizens have free access to guns is extremism. Most Republicans admit that gun legislation is necessary for the safety of civilians in society. This is an issue where I am even willing to side with those across the aisle from me if they make sense and are not just spouting hysteria. The remarks of Democrat Kamela Harris on Fox News yesterday, for example, were extremely well-put, sensible, and proper. Also, we cannot be blaming an inanimate object for a heinous crime. It is men who pull the trigger in murder cases, and it is the ones who do that who have to be held to answer for their crimes.
I did not want this to be an article on gun control, so I'm not going to jot down my entire neoconservative rant about gun laws and crime. The essence of what I am trying to communicate right now is that neither tighter gun legislation nor psychiatric medication can save the souls of men. Those efforts are things that could possibly curtail evil and crime, but neither does curtailing the evil of a person save their eternal soul, either. Only in Jesus Christ are we saved, because by the works of the law we are not saved, either. Galatians 2:6 says "...nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; since by the works of the law no flesh will be justified." I know this might seem kind of uncouth to suddenly bring religion into the discussion, but does anyone here really think that Nicholas Cruz has a saved worldview? He was reportedly tied to a white nationalist group "The Real Republic of Florida" who are flat-earthers and apologists for Adolf Hitler. Cruz had also reportedly posted the definition for "Allahu Akbar" on Twitter- the phrase commonly used by Muslims before committing acts of violence justified in their religious worldview. What was needed was a better way, not a worse one. All the psychiatric industry has to offer is more lies, because the thought system that its practitioners operate from is one with presuppositions that are incorrect in regards to the constitution of man, life's purpose, and the doctrines of God. Sure, they could have administered psych meds sooner to Nicholas Cruz, but all that would have done is sent him closer to his grave more quickly, or worse, dealt him a plethora of negative side-effects equivalent to literal insanity. In Christ alone and in the Scriptures alone is our salvation, not in the doctrines of secular medicine, psychiatry, or anything else. Jesus Christ is "the way the truth and the life." In John 14:6, He explains that "no one comes to the Father but through me" (Jesus). In Christ is life everlasting, not in false religion, pills or anything else.
All the comments about "mental health" and guns control in regards to this school shooting are vain (witting or unwitting) attempts to avoid embracing any kind of sound doctrine...or New Testament understanding for that matter. It's like a subconscious stretching to reach out and blame anything but the actual person who committed the crime. In that capacity they might avoid realizing the truth of the doctrine of total depravity. Ecclesiastes 9:3 says, "the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards, they go to the dead." The teaching that all men have evil in all of their human components, that there is "none righteous not even one" (Romans 3:10) is indeed a different idea indeed than the ideas promoted by our secular leaders who would have us think that there are just some bad apples in the bunch that need "intervention." Excuse me for saying so, but if we don't agree on what the fundamental problem is, then how can we agree on the solution to the problem? It was Jesus who said in Matthew 9:12 that "it is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick."
It does not escape my attention that politicians use events like this as a platform to propagate they issues they would like to forward and promote. That is simply reactionary politics, when what is needed sound doctrine (as well as good sense). Overreacting to far-blown events rather than staying grounded and reasonable takes us up the stairway to tyranny.
Those who blame guns, Republicans, or mental illness for the shooting, might just as easily blame "religion," since Cruz was reported as posting something about the Muslim phrase "Allahu Akbar." It is from Christ that we learn to love one another. In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another." In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus explains the two greatest commandments, the second of which is to "love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." So how will we know to love one another, and where is it taught with authority other than by Jesus and in God's Word?
I would like to send my condolences out to the families of the victims. The events are very saddening to many people, and I do not know anyone who wanted this.
I heard this morning on Fox News they are reporting that guidance counselors from his school are saying that Nicholas Cruz previously reported being "depressed." They are reporting that in addition to autism, he also had ADHD, also. What I wrote in this post still stands, though. The counselors thought his depression was normal I heard and released him back to class as though it did not need serious treatment. I was quick to write this blog post, but there's no way that I should not have. If Cruz was a serious mental health concern to those around him, like at a "mental patient" level, that would have been immediately said in specific detail. Instead, all we heard about was his special ed. classifications and tendency towards emotional disturbances. I'm going to add a couple things to the post, but it won't change the essence and heart of what I already put down. The heart of the matter is worldviews, not mental health or behavioral health. There's no way around it, and there's no way I should not have written this right away.
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