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Some Thoughts On The Aurora Shooting



I absolutely hate it when I hear in the news about a mass shooting. My heart grieves for those that lost love ones. As the details emerged from this latest mass murder, I find myself imagining what it must have been like inside that theater. I wonder what I would have done had I been in there. I also find myself wondering, like many others, what would cause someone to do something like this. At this point, I would not presume to guess, because I do not have enough facts, but I do have some thoughts as to what could possibly motivate someone to do this. 
Romans 1:20 -21 & 28-31
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful


So according to this passage, there are people that reject the God, whose divinity can plainly be perceived through the evidence of creation, and because of that God "gives them over" to a depraved mind. This phase is key to helping us understand what happens when someone "snaps" and goes on a murderous rampage. What does it mean for God to "give someone over to a depraved mind?" There is a concept in theology that's called "common grace ." It generally states that even though the universe is cursed because of sin, God acts to restrain evil and showers a certain amount of blessing to all creatures.
When God chooses to, He can withdraw that restraining (common) grace, and sin runs it's full course which leads to death. This can lead us into another troubling issue, and that is "Why would God permit the slaughter of innocents?" That's another discussion. 
There is only one way to prevent these terrible tragedies from happening. It's not more laws...it is for all people to repent and believe on the only one that can save them. Jesus
Acts 17

30  The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed (Jesus); and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

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