“Pure Evil”

October 1^st, 2017:  a new “low” of “Pure Evil” in the high number of casualties in American Mass Shootings, with the Las Vegas Massacre (59 dead, including the perpetrator, and some 851 injured).  This horrific event surpassed what had become the new “worst shooting massacre” of June 12^th, 2016 (The Orlando Pulse Nightclub Massacre, where 50 died, including the perpetrator, along with 58 injured; see my response there in the blog: The “Pulse” of our Nation!).  Barely a month past that new “low” of what the President called “Pure Evil,” was that Evil in the more “Pure” place of a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, when on November 5^th, 2017, 26 worshippers were gunned down and 20 others injured before the perpetrator was killed.  The April 16, 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre remains the “deadliest mass school shooting” (33 dead, including the perpetrator, and 17 injured) and the one personally changing my own life.  Sadly, many Americans (if not ignoring or continuing to entertain themselves to death) are now reeling from yet another act of what is again being called “Pure Evil,” in the February 14^th, 2018 “Mass School Shooting” that has devastated Parkland, Florida.  This “Pure Evil“ has again claimed 17 lives (and physically injured at least 15 others) from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.  What is going on in our Country?  Is this tragedy yet another example of “Pure Evil,” if there even is such a thing?

Now, due to this latest tragedy deemed “Pure Evil,” there are many calling for more purity in gun or mental health laws.  Most certainly, some people failed to act appropriately or purely, which would have likely prevented this tragic, evil shooting.  The FBI was notified at least 2 times about the danger (last September and as recent as January 5^th) and failed to act properly and report this to the local office for specific follow up!  Officials have reported there were more than 20 occasions where the increasingly evil actions of Nikolas Cruz were brought to their attention.  Just like with the sinking of the Titanic and with so many of these tragedies, warning signs were missed or ignored!  Certainly, this tragedy cries for us to learn more!

“Pure Evil” is really an oxymoron.  It is a self-contradictory or paradoxical, rhetorical device of language, which can sometimes blur the meanings of the individual words.  “Pure Evil” is a great illustration of this.  Purity involves an absence of evil and evil, by definition, is not pure!  Indiscriminately destroying life is evil!  Mass shootings or other life destroying methods are the extreme actions of highly self-centered people.  They are humored when destroying any life.  Mass shootings involve people who are self-motivated through increasingly evil thinking (most often with Evil Spiritual support) to kill and destroy other human life, until the reality hits them that they might suffer too much, so they often take their own life as well. ☹ These are NOT Pure actions; they are Evil!  Most may use the term “Pure Evil” to mean “absolute evil,” but Evil is NOT Pure!

Shooting people up and destroying lives and families is NOT a right we have and is EVIL!  It is a more obvious evil!  Life, particularly human life created in the image of God, is PRECIOUS and PURE!  In the scope of this earth and the grand enormity of the universe, self-centeredness is EVIL and it is absurd!  Despite what the ego (or pride) may say, any individual is NOT the center of the universe!  In the way so many people live, as this and so many other things in pop culture illustrate, this self-absorbed, hedonistic thinking is common and certainly EVIL!  Unless done in defense to ultimately protect life, any action of abuse or injuring another is evil!  Most people accept this yet have not thought through this enough to better understand purity.

Our society (though not every individual) is already sick, far worse than any flu epidemic!  Each of us is infected by an evil disease, gradually destroying our thinking and the purity of life.  Unless you accept the Pure remedy of what GOD HIMSELF provided in the PURE sacrifice of The PERSON of JESUS CHRIST, evil will at some point ultimately overcome you!  Pray for these families who have been so traumatized!  Pray for our Country to truly be pure in its understanding of evil and how to overcome it!  Seek to better understand PURITY and righteousness through HIS Holy Word and work to overcome the EVIL in and around you!