Calling Christians of Good Will

[catsittingstill]

I just read a horrible post in Pharyngula.

Those of you who follow the news may recall hearing about the crash of a small plane carrying 14 people in Montana; all aboard were killed. This was obviously a tragedy, made more poignant by the fact that seven of them were children. To make the tragedy particularly bitter, nine of them were from a single family, two children, two spouses-of-children, and five grandchildren of one Irving Feldkamp, who lost a shocking swath of his family in a single appalling event.

Irving Feldkamp owns a chain of clincs called Family Planning Associates. They do real Family Planning, meaning they provide both birth control, and abortions for when birth control fails.

I bet you can see this coming. I bet some of you are cringing, seeing this coming. It is, I'm afraid, just as bad as you think.

One "Gingi Edmonds" wrote a story on Christian Newswire, gloating over his loss.

We warned him, for his children's sake, to wash his hands of the innocent blood he assisted in spilling because, as Scripture warns, if "you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you". (Ezekiel 35:6)

A news source states that Bud Feldkamp visited the site of the crash with his wife and their two surviving children on Monday. As they stood near the twisted and charred debris talking with investigators, light snow fell on the tarps that covered the remains of their children.

I don't want to turn this tragic event into some creepy spiritual 'I told you so' moment, but I think of the time spent outside of Feldkamp's - Pam Feldkamp laughing at the fetal development signs, Bud Feldkamp trying not to make eye contact as he got into his car with a small child in tow - and I think of the haunting words, 'Think of your children.' I wonder if those words were haunting Feldkamp as well as he stood in the snow among the remains of loved ones, just feet from the 'Tomb of the Unborn'?

I particularly like the "I don't want to turn this tragic event into some creepy spiritual "I told you so" moment. Because, of course, that's precisely what she wants to do.

So now is the time for Christians of good will, Christians who don't think a good God would even contemplate an evil act like murdering five children for the "sins" of their grandfather, Christians who are revolted by anyone gloating over someone else's pain, Christans who are appalled by the idea that anyone would deliberately try to make a grieving old man's suffering even worse, to speak up!

Don't tell me; I have it on good authority you exist, and I believe it. Tell Gingi. Her e-mail is gingi@gingiedmonds.com. Tell the world: write your local paper; write your state paper; put a post on your blog. Speak out against this evil; do it boldly and unashamed and without apology.  Even if you disagree with abortion you can still make the point that you are revolted by Gingi's heartless attempt to profit from  Feldkamp's tragedy.

Go forth and show the world that Christians are not intolerant evil jerks who increase suffering.  And pass it on.

Comments

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

I've sent her this:

Dear Ms Edmonds,

I was appalled to read your piece on Christian Newswire. I found it deeply upsetting that a Christian could entertain the idea that such a terrible tragedy could--let alone should--be viewed as God's vengeance. Anything more totally foreign to the message that Jesus delivered to the world would be hard to imagine. I also found it hypocritical in the extreme that you claimed not to be trying to say "I told you so" when that is the entire subtext of your piece. "We warned you, and now God has taken your family: let that be a lesson to you." Did you really mean to say that, Ms Edmonds? Do you think God would look kindly on you for saying that to someone who has just suffered a horrible bereavement? Who is your God, that he would countenance gloating over someone in misery?

God does not deliver revenge in this life, Ms Edmonds. That is not the way of Christianity, but of some dark and primitive cult from the dawn of time. Re-read your Bible, please, and re-learn the true message of Christ, for your own sake and for your readers who may well see you as some kind of authority.

Love your enemy. Do good to them that wish ill to you. Forgive those who trespass against you, and commiserate with them whole-heartedly in their sorrow, and leave no room in your heart for meanness and smugness, for they are hateful to God. And do not use someone else's grief to make points for your cause, because then you are truly turning away from Christ and towards the darkness.

I hope I will be one of many who write to you to say this...one of many who see the cause of Christ misused and perverted to serve all too human ends. I hope you will find it in your heart to listen.
____________________________________

I'm not a Christian, of course, but I hope I can be counted as someone of good will...

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

It is a powerful and moving letter, and I certainly count you as someone of good will. :-)

and when you

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

get an answer, put it here?

Re: and when you

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

It bounced. The recipient's mail folder is apparently full, which may be good news in itself. I shall have to resend it at some point tomorrow.