Monday; April 21
On this date in 1993, there were a lot of well-meaning people sitting around, scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong. Following a nearly two-month standoff, on April 19, agents from the federal government raided the Branch Davidians just outside of Waco, Texas. Before the literal smoke cleared about eighty people were dead. Since that tragic day there has been a lot of finger pointing as to who was responsible for what, but as I look back on events like this one thing stands out – the influence religion can have on people. The vast overwhelming influence of religion produces goodness and morality, but given the right circumstances it can ignite passions that can create heartache. Throughout history there have been stories of people who have used religion as a way to rally people. Again, there are times that these leaders have brought about significant positive change; however, there are other times when it has ignited tragedy. ...