Has anyone read the “11 Days Before Christmas” poem written by Cameo Smith? If not, click on the link in the last sentence, and it will take you there. The author, no doubt, was trying to infuse comfort into a very tragic day. But her poem shows our nation’s religiocentricism: if any of those children did not believe in Jesus Christ, if any of those children were Jews, Muslims, Atheists, then they did not go to God’s house. 
I understand why people want to bring God in to help explain a tragedy, but I think it is a cowardly approach. Rather than take a difficult look at why this happened and how we can prevent it, we defer responsibility to God. We “told” God to go away; we don’t “allow” him in schools. Never mind that this imaginary person that is supposed to be almighty has allowed murders, child abuse, wars, brutal beatings, torture and millions of heinous acts to be committed throughout the history of mankind. Does. This. Make. Sense?
Sure, people should be allowed to write their poems and hold their religious beliefs, but they should not abduct common sense nor prevent us from looking at the real issues. Tragedies don’t happen because we run superstition and imaginary people out of our educational system.
We are the problem, and only we can be the solution.
