It has become increasingly popular for members of the news and entertainment industries and other gun control advocates to ridicule lawmakers for offering “thoughts and prayers” in the wake of mass shooting events.
Because nothing says you care about putting a stop to gun violence like attacking other people’s expressions of piety and empathy.
Like most fads, the trend of mocking post-tragedy prayer is evolving quickly into an even more absurd caricature of its original self.
Consider, for example, how Politico’s Matthew Nussbaum responded Friday after Vice President Mike Pence cited scripture to mark a deadly shooting near Houston, Texas.
Pence said of the deadly event, which claimed the lives of 10 high school students, “As a nation we mourn with those who mourn and grieve with those who grieve.”
The vice president, whose religiosity is well-known, was making a reference to Romans 12:15, which says simply, “Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.”
As it turns out, Pence, a Christian, often quotes the Bible, as Christians are wont to do. Shocking stuff, right? Enter Nussbaum, who said Friday of the vice president’s remarks that, “This is a go-to, boilerplate line for Pence.”
Uh, yeah. It’s kind of an old phrase — about 1,980 years old, give or take.
But to drive the point home, the Politico reporter also tweeted photographic evidence showing that Pence, a Christian, often quotes scripture:
Just check Google –> pic.twitter.com/E0gxvTQwnT
— Matthew Nussbaum (@MatthewNussbaum) May 18, 2018
When my Washington Examiner colleague Philip Wegmann helpfully noted that evangelical Christians frequently quote scripture, especially in moments of extreme human suffering, Nussbaum responded, “The point, Philip, is that these shootings are so routine that the vice president has a rote response that he trots out in response, time and again.”
Yes, there are school shootings in the U.S. each year, and yes, the Veep is often called upon to say something about them. If only Pence had more Bibles from which to quote.
