Is Video Games or Mental Illness Causing Mass Shooting in the US?

Public mass shootings, which is a once a rare event, now occur with shocking frequency in the United States. With the horrible mass shooting at Las Vegas, the US has just seen the worst mass shooting in modern history. If we count, the country has witnessed 255 mass shooting events this year. What causes mass shooting in the United States? Is there a problem in our culture? Is it social media? Is this the break down in our family or Is there something to do with entertainment? What does this meaningless violence mean?

John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Is it a Mental Illness?

Every time a mass shooting occurs, people talk about mental health. Many US politicians are quick to point to the shooter’s disturbed minds. US President Donald Trump ties mass shooting that left almost 31 dead in two cities of US over the weekend to hate, violent videos games and mental illness. According to Mental health advocates comments such as Donald Trump’s labelling mass shooters as “mentally sick monsters” can exacerbate wrong stereotypes about the mentally sick. “When you blame people with mental sickness for things like mass shootings, it’s not just untrue,” said Angela Kimball, head of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

So is mental illness to blame for United States mass shootings? Not really! It’s not “mental illness,” its demonic possession of Godless, and unsaved people. It was already predicted in the bible for the end-time scenario, and now you are seeing it being played out.

The Apostle Paul, in writing about the last days, wrote “that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving a good” (2nd Tim 3:1-3).

Is it Gun Rule?

Even as the president said “hate has no place in our country” and blamed the shootings on mental illness, investigators in EI Paso confirmed that a massacre at a Walmart superstore that left at least 21 people dead in the Texas border city had been preceded by the suspected gunman publishing an anti-immigration screed via the darker recesses of the internet.

According to Kimball,” Mental illness is not the real issue, because mental illness is something that happens across the globe. Mass shootings? Not so much. The sad truth is that in the US, it’s easy to get a gun. But, It’s very difficult to get mental health care.” According to a recent survey, America has around 400 million civilian-owned firearms, or nearly 120.5 guns per 100 residents – which means that the country has more guns than it has people. The second-closest country, Yemen, had 52.8 guns per 100 residents. Can you see the fact here? If we look back in history, before the 1960s, there were almost no mass shooting incidents in the United States, but the trend has increased ever since then. Why? A major change since the 1960s has been the rise in liberal social policies and the destruction of the time-honoured values that lead to societal success and stability.

Is it Video Games?

In a recent study, they found no association between video games and other types of screen time and gun ownership among teens. The researchers surveyed tens of thousands of teens about 55 different behaviours. Among the 5% to 10% of American teens who report regularly carrying a firearm, there is a much stronger association with substance use, engagement in physical fighting, and exposure to sexual violence over a period of 10 years.

“We definitely need to think beyond simply guns, shoot and people. We simply need to start thinking about the environment and the atmosphere that is encouraging these activities in the first place,” writes Branas, whose study also has focused on transforming abandoned housing and other signs of urban and rural blight to improve community health and safety.

Is it Media and Hollywood?

Let’s not forget to mention two other major factors in this violence : The Hollywood and media. The entertainment industry is completely filled with anti-gun activists who get paid lots of money to take on gun-toting, bullets flying, and people slaying roles.

Is it too late?

If we think that things are slowly getting better or things will be better with time as humans spirals every upward toward a tendency for less violence and humanity that unites in peace, we are fooling ourselves. Do you remember, Jesus did tell us to watch for the signs leading up to His return, saying, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, and this generation will not pass away until all these things take place”.

Those who have rejected Christ will mourn, for then they will know (too late) that Jesus Christ does exist and He is coming to judge the world in righteousness, so I plead with you who disbelieve, to repent and put your trust in Christ. Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may be too late.

Noah’s day doesn’t seem that different than the days in which we live today, but is the recent violence is evidence that the end time is here?