For the Children
By Tom Gilbreath
Last week we saw another mass shooting at another school in the United States — this one in Minneapolis. As with other mass casualty events, as soon as officials locked down the scene and verified that the shooter was down and had been acting alone, they reassured the public that there was “no further danger to the community.” Officials always say that, but, so far, it has never proven true… because more monsters are always out there, and in ever growing numbers.
School shootings are not new. But we have clearly entered a new era of violence. Eight of the ten deadliest school shootings in US history have taken place in just this century. The exceptions are the University of Texas tower shooting in 1966 and the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. If you were around then, you can probably still remember the shock and horror you felt when you heard about Columbine. We still feel those things, but now it also feels commonplace.
After a school shooting, people always ask, “Why?” Politicians and TV talking heads like to blame guns. But even the most ardent gun control advocates must admit that it does not address the real question — “What’s wrong with people’s thinking?”
Study after study shows a steep decline in mental health across all ages, but especially among the young. America’s largest labor union, the National Education Association, lamented the problem in a 2023 article. “Rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation on college campuses have never been higher.” They could have said the same about every other educational level.
Here lies a terrible irony. Their policies push children toward sexual perversion — even extremely young children. Their policies are at war with masculinity in males and femininity in females. This is like putting fish on dry land and asking them to function normally. It’s a good way to make them crazy, but not happy or healthy.
Modern education’s most egregious sin may be that of intentionally driving a wedge between children and their parents. They do this in hundreds of ways. It makes teachers more powerful, but it messes up kids. The educational establishment seems intent on destroying families and churches. And they are reaping what they have sown.
Christian morality facilitates raising healthy children — mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially (Luke 2:52). Casting aside our Maker’s instructions in favor of human whims and lusts, harms families. For instance, God put up certain guardrails around sex. This was necessary because it is extremely powerful, for good or ill. Those guardrails have been systematically dismantled. They were there to save families and thereby protect both society and children.
Western society has always emphasized what detractors now call “organized religion.” One reason is that “unorganized religion” (faith without fellowship and worship in seclusion) leaves families isolated in their attempt to raise healthy children. Church provides many benefits, not the least of which is a way of circling the wagons around the kids. Yet, many within the educational system denigrate Christian faith, and sadly, even Christian families see consistent church involvement as something to take or leave.
A few days ago, Dr. James Dobson passed into the realms of heaven, and at the same time, passed on to us the cause of family to which he had dedicated his life. But despite his work and that of so many others, the institution of the family continues to suffer. That harms everyone, especially children. They are not responsible for the sins of their elders, but they are uniquely vulnerable to the whirlwind that society and their parents have bestowed on them.
The Old Testament gives a record of God's blessings and judgments on a specific nation — Israel. More than that, it pulls back the veil on His thoughts and feelings. He puts up with an awful lot before unleashing judgment. Repeatedly, when judgment finally arrived, He explained that it has been triggered by Israel’s ill treatment of its “little ones.” They are vulnerable, and it is our job to protect them — not ignore them, exploit them, or injure them.
