I stumbled on some passionate discussion about the shootings last weekend in Colorado.  It helped me to think a bit more about what had happened.  I have to admit, I thought it was very surreal to hear the senior pastor of New Life Church calling the security guard who shot and killed the armed man (though an autopsy later revealed the fatal gunshot was his own) a hero.  I was also surprised that a basic premise of that church was that it was good to have an armed security guard on site, who was prepared to shoot to kill. It strikes me that it is a sad reflection on the church when the best response we have to offer to a sick and hurting world is to take out the sick and hurting people if they threaten us. I don’t have anything to add to the discussion beyond what has already been said, but I want to draw attention to Dr. Ben Witherington’s post, and a response to that post, which I am much less sympathetic to, at the methoblog.  In some ways, I can identify the most with Andrew’s post about the shooting at Thoughts of Resurrection, which mostly conveys deep sadness.