That was one brave little girl.......

[Salt City Sooner]

Obviously, I wish it'd worked out better, but talk about a heroic effort none the less. May she Rest In Peace.


"One of the girls who died in Pennsylvania's Amish schoolhouse massacre asked the killer to shoot her first in an apparent bid to save the younger girls, a woman who spoke to the victim's family said Friday.

Rita Rhoads, a nurse-midwife who delivered 13-year-old Marian Fisher as well as another victim, said Fisher appealed to Charles Carl Roberts IV to shoot her first because she thought it might allow younger girls to survive.

Rhoads said she did not know whether Fisher in fact was shot first. Roberts shot 10 girls ages 6 to 13, killing five of them and then himself in Monday's rampage.

Fisher's 11-year-old sister, Barbie, appealed to Roberts to shoot her next, Rhoads said. Barbie survived and was in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recovering from shoulder, hand and leg injuries.

"Barbie has been talking and she said Marian said, 'Shoot me first,"' Rhoads said. "Apparently what she was trying to do was to save the younger girls."

Barbie, who attended her sister's funeral Thursday before returning to the hospital, gave details of her ordeal to relatives including her grandfather, who told Rhoads, the midwife said in a telephone interview.

"It was very courageous of the girls to offer themselves," Rhoads said. "God was really present to give the girls that kind of courage."

Pennsylvania state police were not immediately available for comment.

Roberts, 32, a local non-Amish milk truck driver, attacked the one-room schoolhouse at Nickel Mines, a farming community in Lancaster County about 60 miles west of Philadelphia.

He allowed boys and adults to leave and then tied the legs of the girls before shooting them, police said.

Four of the girls including Marian Fisher were buried Thursday and a fifth funeral was being buried Friday.

The Amish, descendants of Swiss-German settlers, are a traditionalist Christian denomination who place particular importance on the Gospel message of forgiveness. They believe in nonviolence, simple living and little contact with the modern world."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/06/amish.girls.reut/index.html

[Sooner_Bob]

Wow.

[birddog]

i'd be hiding right behind her.

[PhilTLL]

"It was very courageous of the girls to offer themselves," Rhoads said. "God was really present to give the girls that kind of courage."

Well, you know, as long as they died courageously, and all that. The omnipotent God who was so obviously present didn't give them the good fortune of a jammed gun or anything, but courage abounds. This is one of the finest examples of emotionally reassuring, theologically/intellectually empty, "mysterious ways" stuff I've ever seen.

I understand the reaction, I guess, but I just don't get the mindset that allows you to conclude that the courage is God, but the execution-style killings are totally not, no way. The whole episode is senseless and inexplicable. Why bother grasping at straws?

[BoogercountySooner]

I'll pray for ya PhilTLL!

[achiro]

Well, you know, as long as they died courageously, and all that. The omnipotent God who was so obviously present didn't give them the good fortune of a jammed gun or anything, but courage abounds. This is one of the finest examples of emotionally reassuring, theologically/intellectually empty, "mysterious ways" stuff I've ever seen.

I understand the reaction, I guess, but I just don't get the mindset that allows you to conclude that the courage is God, but the execution-style killings are totally not, no way. The whole episode is senseless and inexplicable. Why bother grasping at straws?
You sir, are an ***!!!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I don't think God had anything to do with the incident. I think the courage the little girl showed was something she did because of her faith in God and the universal themes that words of Jesus Christ inspired. What she did, whether it was because of God or because of something else, shows that she understands better than most people much older and wiser understand how this world should work. If more of us worried about others as much as we worry about ourselves, this world would be a much better place. God bless the little girl for being better than most of us would have been.

[PhilTLL]

I don't think God had anything to do with the incident. I think the courage the little girl showed was something she did because of her faith in God and the universal themes that words of Jesus Christ inspired. What she did, whether it was because of God or because of something else, shows that she understands better than most people much older and wiser understand how this world should work. If more of us worried about others as much as we worry about ourselves, this world would be a much better place. God bless the little girl for being better than most of us would have been.

That makes a lot of sense, actually, but my quibble was with placing God right there on the scene and suggesting that he could give her courage, but not save her life. But, I'd be more of the deist, hands-off persuasion if I were a believer. As a tragic, extraordinarily brave act of selflessness, it's by all means a classically Christian ethical act, and a choice anyone should hope they're good enough to make, absolutely. I wouldn't suggest otherwise.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Religion has never saved anyone...Faith, however has done more amazing things than could ever be put into any book.

[SoonerBorn68]

but my quibble was with placing God right there on the scene and suggesting that he could give her courage, but not save her life.

Since you have no faith, you wouldn't know. People with Faith undestand that God has a plan for each of us & sometimes it's not the outcome you hope for.

Hopefully someone will pray for you.

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

I hope you weren't talking to me....

[crawfish]

Well, you know, as long as they died courageously, and all that. The omnipotent God who was so obviously present didn't give them the good fortune of a jammed gun or anything, but courage abounds. This is one of the finest examples of emotionally reassuring, theologically/intellectually empty, "mysterious ways" stuff I've ever seen.

I understand the reaction, I guess, but I just don't get the mindset that allows you to conclude that the courage is God, but the execution-style killings are totally not, no way. The whole episode is senseless and inexplicable. Why bother grasping at straws?

God has made the supreme "mistake" of giving us free choice. That means, a guy has the free will to walk into a school and shoot young girls if he decides to. He will give you strength, courage and comfort when you ask.

You obviously have no idea what it means to feel God working in your life, and you don't know how God works in the world, either. That brave little girl is happy in the arms of God, of this I have no doubt.

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

How do you know what kind of believer you would be if you aren't one?

[PhilTLL]

How do you know what kind of believer you would be if you aren't one?

Looking at the options and their tenets, as one could say "I'm not a Muslim, but if I were I wouldn't be a Wahhabist" or "I'm not a Democrat, but I'd probably be more in tune with Lieberman than Pelosi."

As an aside, the Amish community wanting to establish a fund for the killer's children is incredibly selfless, forgiving and inspiring.

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

I heard about that. We can learn a lesson from the Amish about forgiveness.

[sooneron]

I heard about that. We can learn a lesson from the Amish about forgiveness.
Where are you ? I saw that you quoted east coast on the FB board.

[Rhino]

Some of you sure are ****ing all over a good story about a girl sacrificing herself in hopes it would save her friends.

[handcrafted]

God has made the supreme "mistake" of giving us free choice. That means, a guy has the free will to walk into a school and shoot young girls if he decides to. He will give you strength, courage and comfort when you ask.

You obviously have no idea what it means to feel God working in your life, and you don't know how God works in the world, either. That brave little girl is happy in the arms of God, of this I have no doubt.

Uh, no. God does not make mistakes. Everything always goes as planned. Think about this: if the incident in question had not happened, would the whole world know about the girls heroism? No, they would not.

Romans 8:28 -- And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Whatever the circumstance, something about it will glorify God.

Something else, too. The guy was shooting the girls at point blank range in the back of the head. Yet, half of them lived? And the planned sexual molestation did not happen. I'd call that Divine intervention.

[handcrafted]

Well, you know, as long as they died courageously, and all that. The omnipotent God who was so obviously present didn't give them the good fortune of a jammed gun or anything, but courage abounds. This is one of the finest examples of emotionally reassuring, theologically/intellectually empty, "mysterious ways" stuff I've ever seen.

I understand the reaction, I guess, but I just don't get the mindset that allows you to conclude that the courage is God, but the execution-style killings are totally not, no way. The whole episode is senseless and inexplicable. Why bother grasping at straws?

God is in everything, the bad as well as the good. Most of American Christendom has forgotten or ignored that. Read Job and Ecclesiastes, the Psalms, etc.

[Mjcpr]

Whatever the circumstance, something about it will glorify God.

Is God like those kids that catch a first down pass and have a little celebration on the field while their team is down 47-6 in the 4th quarter?

:D

[Soonrboy]

man, what a story. I am with 680 kids every day, doubt if anyone of them have that courage, but then, again, I probably would be very surprised.

[Sooner Born Sooner Bred]

Where are you ? I saw that you quoted east coast on the FB board.I'm in Oklahoma. What do you mean?

[crawfish]

Uh, no. God does not make mistakes. Everything always goes as planned. Think about this: if the incident in question had not happened, would the whole world know about the girls heroism? No, they would not.

Dude, I was just being sarcastic. :rolleyes:

[Tailwind]

This thread makes my heart ache.:(

[Newbomb Turk]

This thread makes my heart ache.:(

yes - and for more than one reason.

[Vaevictis]

Is God like those kids that catch a first down pass and have a little celebration on the field while their team is down 47-6 in the 4th quarter?

No, God is much bigger than that.

He's more like the TAMU guy who did a little celebration after the tackle when his team was down 77-0 ;)

But all blaspheming aside... brave kid, and yeah -- everyone can learn something from the Amish. They're strange by our standards, but they definately practice what they preach.

[GottaHavePride]

That is an amazing little girl. Sad that she didn't survive.