Josh Powell ... it's not pretty

I went to a funeral sometime back where the deceased had taken his own life and it had caused a lot of dischord between family members about whose fault it was. A GA spoke and his remarks were about mental illnesses and the dangers in passing judgment on anyone.

snocythe,



I totally agree with the assessment of the GA. We really don't know what was happening behind the scenes and especially what state of mind Josh Powell was in. Again, I'm glad a Perfect Judge will sort out the details and I don't have to worry about it. This is the sort of crime that either drives people away from believing in God ("God wouldn't allow such an awful thing to occur") or bring people closer to God through faith in the atonement.



Horrific events though, no matter how you look at it.

Over on CougarBoard someone said maybe this is a case of modern day spirit possession like we read about in the New Testament (like Legion that ran a herd of swine off a cliff to their death).



What he did is truly amazing. There are now reports out that he killed small animals when he was younger (shocking) and that he told his oldest boy he had a surprise for them as the boys came up to the house.

Whatever the cause, a horrific evil happened. And while some wonder how God "let" this happen, it is my faith that it is God that takes the innocents and heals them and makes it so nothing is denied to them in terms of joy, growth, and progression. But that is with an eternal perspective. Now it is a time to mourn the loss and the evil that was thrust upon us.

Let me be clear--no one is denying that Josh Powell committed evil acts. That is beyond reasonable debate.



All I am saying is I'm going to stop short of calling him an evil person or condemning him to some certain realm in the hereafter. I'll reserve that judgment for someone who sees what I don't.