Crosses

Email number one:

If I may offer a very slight critique of your comments about Dunphy and Christian crosses: In my reading of the paragraph you cited, what Dunphy was objecting to is the placing of crosses that memorialize a murderer’s victims alongside those of the murderer. As far as I can tell, Dunphy wouldn’t object to the placing of crosses simply to commemorate a Christian who has passed on, even a Christian who had committed murder. All of that said, I admit that I have no idea what Christian tradition has to say about the placing of crosses.

Email number two:

I’m a Christian and I agree with Jack Dunphy.

And I’m a big fan of yours. However, I too found those crosses for the Columbine murderers to be erected by those who were morally confused. Dennis Prager was also angered by the crosses for the murderers then – but was more eloquent on this subject than I can possibly be.As for being a Christian, as for your declaration..”The notion that we are called upon to forgive others, even those guilty of heinous acts, even the unrepentant, is well within the mainstream of Christian thought.” I don’t know where that is specifically said, it has not necessarily been a part of my own teaching. However, perhaps you have a specific quote in the New Testament that backs that up. If so educate me. However, I am a Christian and I understand that the one thief on the cross next to Jesus…did ask Christ for forgiveness. Jesus then told him that he would be with him that day in Paradise. Yet, there was no such declaration made to the other criminal being crucified, who sneeringly asked Jesus why didn’t he save then and himself? He didn’t get Christ’s message…and forgiveness was sought. Today, I have been having a debate via email with another Christian friend, who though sincere, who depressingly seems far more concerned about the Virginia Tech killer and his family..than the victims and their families. Yes, Christ did say that even the tax collectors love their own and more was expected of Christians. Yes he cautioned that Those without sin, go and sin no more. However, I think that many Christians confuse those teachings in these kind of cases, for I do not believe that Herod or Judas or Hitler are in paradise. I see no theological evidence for that presumption in Jesus’s teachings. Who were those people to forgive Eric and Dylan? Frankly how arrogant! They were NOT the one whose lives were lost – even the loved ones of victims are not in the position to be the forgivers of the loss of life of their loved one…(of their own pain at their loss, certainly.) Only those who lost their lives can forgive the particular act..and we don’t know how they felt. Then there was the one girl who refused to deny Christ before she died at Columbine..and she didn’t forgive her about to be killer, when she faced death, she gave Glory to God. THAT sweet soul, that Christian was someone who was not morally confused!