The Feldkamp tragedy: horrible irony or an instance of the justice of God?

For better than two weeks I've been getting emails and forwards from people hoping I'll weigh in on what is, at minimum, an undeniably horrible irony - 14 members of abortion chain owner Irvine "Bud" Feldkamp's family dying when their small plane crashed in a Catholic cemetery directly adjacent to a memorial to the unborn. Again, at minimum, this is horrible but undeniable irony. No doubt if tragedy were to strike a prominent pro-lifer in equally ironic fashion, the left would celebrate the gods being on their side (as one Dakota War College commenter said yesterday… say "if Leslee Unruh's plane crashed into a condom factory"). The pro-life reaction to this has been quite tempered in my view, including myself, to date I've yet to comment. Though you may not be able to tell, I actually pray about what I post and although I have much to say about a lot that is going on, I sense I'm to choose my battles wisely. Anyway you look at it, this incident is a veritable minefield for heated and explosive controversy.

But I've been drawn in now, by name, and sense the go-ahead to weigh in. Yesterday Pat Powers at South Dakota War College posted on the incident. His post was titled "Is this just plain freaky?" The answer is– Yes, Pat, undeniably. Powers didn't go very far out on the limb of "judgmentalism" as he called it, and he really offered nothing more than a suggestion that– it's as if something beyond coincidence is behind the horrible incident. Here's a bit of what he said;

Call it eerie coincidence, call it a tragic form of karma, but you can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the weird circumstances surrounding that tragic plane crash. I, as was everyone in the country, was shocked in horror and sadness when I heard about it.  I’m not horrified any less over the terrible accident, but the totality of the story leaves you scratching your head and wondering.  A tragedy with a twist that makes it seems like it was written as part of a moral play.

As I expected, he immediately had to field the barrage of criticism that usually comes my way in this state on these topics.  One commenter said, "your posting this is passive aggressive moralizing, mawkish, maudlin and creepy…. maybe even profane." Another saw this as "a spasm of conservative victimology" serving only one purpose… "entertainment." One said, "Well, after reading South Dakota War College, I know I’ll never have to buy another National Inquirer again!"

It was predictable to me that it would only be a matter of hours before he'd face the serpentine venomous strike of the DakotaWomen for merely hinting that this looks, smells and seems like an instance of the justice of God. After acknowledging DakotaWomen have little in common with Pat Powers, they lament they didn't think "he'd stoop so low as to suggest that the tragic plane crash in Butte that killed seven adults and seven children was some kind of karmic abortion payback."  And then they invoke me:

It turns my stomach that anyone would try to make this tragedy into some kind of commentary about abortion politics. I mean, it's actually sick. Even Pastor DooHickey isn't horrible enough to imply that these kids and their parents died because of their grandfather's work as an abortion provider. And Hickey is literally insane. Pat Powers ought to think about that.

BTW, my name is Hickey, not DooHickey, and though junior highers in America have long laughed at my name, I was delighted to see five full pages of Hickey's in the Dublin phone book on my last trip there. And it's always interesting to me that the queens of political correctness continue to throw words at me like crazy and insane. But operating from such immaturity and ideological poverty what are we to expect? To read that something "turns their stomach" seems odd as well because these are the same heartless hedons who celebrate late-term abortionist George Tiller as a "Superhero" and smile at the thought of living children getting pulled apart limb by limb. They frequently tell women hurt by abortion to "suck it." But here is the thing, they HAVE to react so violently to a suggestion that God has an major issue with abortion because if that were true, they are in real trouble. Denial is the only way they can have any peace, albeit the false peace of self-delusion.

The reason I've decided to weigh in is because it pains me to see so many wander with such little knowledge of God. On occasion, the DakotaWomen admit they are Lutheran or whatever and but they only know Jesus as the one who wouldn't cast a stone at the woman in adultery. Only that Jesus is welcome in their world. Having never read the Bible, (or if they have it's through darkened understanding), they can't see that this same Jesus spoke of a day when he'll cast entire (goat) nations in the fires of judgment for their treatment of the least of these (unborn included?)- this is the same Jesus who told of tying a millstone around the neck and throwing overboard those who hurt children. Yes, Jesus revealed God's love and but also spoke of the coming justice of God for the oppressed and God's determination to crush the wicked. It'd take half a bottle of whiteout to remove Jesus' politically incorrect comments recorded in just the four gospels. Many today reject the notion of hell and only like to hear of a loving God.  For those who desire to continue in sin and justify same, such a belief is obviously essential. Yet, either God punishes wickedness or God isn't just. Period. It's that simple. God can't be just and not, at some point and in some way, vindicate innocent shed blood.

The question remaining is can his justice be expected to be immediate, or, are we fully in a time of grace with his justice being restrained until the very end? If people choose to believe, against the evidence of Scripture and the empirical evidences throughout history, that God doesn't in any way punish sin right now, they must also forfeit the conviction that he rewards right living right now. An "age of grace" in no way supplants God's laws of reaping and sowing. Scripture is really explicit on this - "do not be decieved (that implies some will be) God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction…" (Galatians 6:7-8)

Over at RealChoice, Christina speaks of what Bud Feldkamp's sowed in terms of his "investment"…

He gave death (invested in it actually, by buying out Fast Eddie Allred's abortion empire four years ago) — and gave [death] abundantly to the families of California. And death came back to him, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. [For those unfamiliar with Scripture, she is quoting Luke 6:38 which speaks of what we give being given back to us in greater measure.]  I realize that this isn't something that happens all the time. The Bible itself recognizes this…

…We have no idea what these two men (Fast Eddie Allred  and Bud Feldkamp) will face in the world to come. Maybe Bud Feldkamp is actually getting off light.

And Scripture is explicit, the iniquity of a father's sin still bears dark fruit up to ten generations later (unless someone repents of the sins of their fathers). That Feldkamp's obviously innocent family died so ironically and tragically, if nothing else, should give Feldkamp pause to search his heart to see if his blatent opposition to God and what God values most didn't place his family and all he loves outside the protective graces of God. Our sin effects our children and our children's children. The path we take can place those we love directly in the path of the love of God or directly in the path of the wrath of God. Jesus spoke of two roads. The road Feldkamp took doesn't lead to the place of God's favor and protection for his family.

I look for God's fingerprints in instances like this, and I try to listen for his voice. Numbers like seven are important - seven kids and seven adults died - seven speaks of completeness. Even if God didn't directly release an instance of his justice, and I'm not saying he did here, he often uses stuff that happens to speak to us. I believe there is a message from heaven here for those with ears to hear. Instances like this speak volumes about the importance of living every day in a healthy fear of the Lord knowing that God is just and his justice won't sleep for ever, and knowing that he is fully justified to vindicate the innocent at any point at his discretion. One can't be dogmatic and say - this plane crash was God's doing - but it can't be denied that God has been known in the past to step in with tastes of what is to come for the purpose of giving merciful warnings to the rest of us that sins wages are death.

Those who only tolerate the loving Jesus will fully reject all he said about the end of the age. Jesus spoke of God ultimately stepping in and removing violently everything that hinders love. And the trauma of those times will be so great (I believe we are entering those days) that many will be offended at God and fall away. The Bible says, "the Spirit clearly and explicity says that in latter times some will abandon the faith." In other words, horrible stuff will happen and people who presently consider themselves Christians (sporadically attending church, but really having no true knowledge of God or his ways) will decided walk away from him at that time. Why? Because they will have no grid for understanding how a "loving God" could allow this or that.  These are those who have nursed at the breast of the goddess' of this age like Oprah and embraced her notions of a god in her image. But these notions of God are a far cry from the God who is revealed in Scripture.

Really I could go on for hours - and I have in other places (I devoted a whole series to "The Fall Away Factor" at the end of the age and how people at that time will be offended at the releases of God's judgments in the earth.)  The bottom line is it's high time we give ourselves to pursuing the knowledge of God because the Feldkamp tragedy will be minor compared to what the Bible says is yet to come.  I also felt led to weigh in here to implore those who will listen to consider your own readiness to stand fast.