'Moment of Silence' was the way to go

President Obama showed great wisdom in having a Moment of Silence, rather than a Moment of Prayer, for the six dead and for Rep. Gabriel Giffords and 13 others wounded in the shooting rampage in Tucson.

This was in contrast with the remarks of a number of Illinois Congressmen who emphasized prayer. Rep. Jan Schakowsky said, “I'm praying for Gabby's survival and recovery.” Rep. Peter Roskam said, “My thoughts and prayers are with all those injured and their families in this senseless attack.”

These Congressmen spoke ill-advisedly because what they are telling us is that if we pray to God for Rep. Giffords and the others who survived the shooting, God may listen to us and save them and make them well — but does this mean that God had disfavored those six persons who were shot and died? How could we respect a god who acted so arbitrarily in favoring some of us but disfavoring others? Let alone the deep hurt that is felt by the families of the dead who are being told that God apparently did not look kindly upon their family members whose lives he did not see fit to protect, while at the same time he saved the lives of others.

And then we learn that Sarah Palin said, “We all pray for the victims and their families.” The problem with her comment is that we would ask why we needed to pray to God after the fact for those who were shot dead?

My own view on this kind of situation is simply to not bring God into these tragedies at all. These tragedies happen because they happen, and it is best if we agree that God simply was not acting in the picture at all. President Obama's Moment of Silence was the way to go.

Theodore M. Utchen

Wheaton