violence

Beyond Politics: The Spiritual Darkness Behind a Nurse’s Shocking Words

Lexie Lawlor, a labor and delivery nurse at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida, has been fired after declaring in a video she hoped White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt would have a traumatic and devastating childbirth this coming spring.

Karoline Leavitt, age 28, is married to Nicholas Riccio. They’re expecting their second child in May.

In December, Karoline shared the happy news on social media.

“My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother,” she wrote. “My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for the blessing of motherhood, which I truly believe is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth … I am so excited to be a girl mom!”

That good news appeared to be bad news for Lawlor, who released a vile and profanity-laden video on her own social channels. In it she wished that Leavitt would be physically harmed by the delivery.

Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer shared the post in disgust and horror but also reached out to the hospital where Lawlor reportedly worked.

This week, a spokesperson for the hospital has issued the following statement:

“The comments made in a social media video by a nurse at one of our facilities do not reflect our values or the standards we expect of health care professionals. Following a prompt review, the individual is no longer employed by our health system.”

Why would anyone, let alone an obstetrics and gynecology nurse, wish a pregnant woman harm?

In recent years, social media has provided radical activists with a platform from which to spew their often vile, hateful and even demonic diatribes. Once isolated to individuals, small groups or perhaps demonstrations, it is possible to now quickly and almost effortlessly propagandize.

Yet it’s one thing to ideologically oppose a politician or policy. Difference of opinion has long been the hallmark of American democracy. And a pluralistic nation demands tolerance lest culture devolve and spiral into chaos.

But what is driving the increase in the vile and profane reaction to the socially conservative viewpoint? Some analysts have even coined a term for certain manifestations of it: Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). 

But what if it goes beyond the political and ideological?

Despite a growing secularism in America and the world, there is a spiritual darkness that Christians must acknowledge and confront. Writes Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary:

The Bible clearly teaches that the Devil and his demons are real and that these invisible enemies are bent on destroying our spiritual lives. Yet many evangelicals rarely, if ever, meditate on our lives in light of this truth. Some Christians avoid any discussion of demonic forces because they are overreacting to fanatics who obsess over evil spirits and see the Devil in everything. Still other Christians fear that if we start to talk too much about the Devil, we will inevitably undermine personal responsibility in our sin.

Certainly the Devil and his demons are not behind every corner of our lives and responsible for every negative spiritual thing that happens. Yet at the same time, the Bible clearly warns us about demonic powers and encourages us to remain diligently opposed to their influence.

Regrettably, many Christians are blissfully complacent in matters of spiritual warfare. If Christians truly embraced biblical teaching on demonic powers, we would come to church with a tremendous sense of the fact that God has rescued us from the domain of darkness. As Søren Kierkegaard observed of the Danish church in his generation, most people sit in church, listen with their hands folded over their stomachs, and direct their sleepy eyes slightly upward. Rather than celebrating their redemption from the domain of darkness and living in light ofthis truth, they are indifferent to the fight. Jesus’ final petition reminds us that we have a daily fight against principalities and powers: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

As Christians, we can act and live with great confidence knowing that Christ has already overcome and conquered the evil in this world. But until He returns, we must grapple with forces that seek to undermine, discourage and defeat us in the fight. 

As Martin Luther wrote in the majestic hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” — “And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed, His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.”

Please join us in praying that those overcome with such hatred in their hearts will turn toward the Light — and let’s also pray for the health and safety of Karoline and Nicholas, as well as their pre-born daughter.

Our Law Enforcement and Our Priorities

It’s a common adage that history repeats itself, but just because enough people say it over and over again doesn’t make it true.

History doesn’t repeat — but human nature does.

It was King Solomon who observed, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9, ESV).

Man’s sinful nature means things will never be just right, that we will regularly struggle and strain in striving to meet the mark. Relatedly, it also means that when it comes to life, there are fundamental patterns of imperfection. They’re frustrating, destructive — and predictable, too.

One could be excused for thinking they’ve seen this week’s cultural discord before — and even in the same city before. Change the names and even change the channel, but the drama and the dysfunction remain and roll on.

Sin doesn’t happen in a vacuum, of course. It might often seem like it occurs all at once, but it’s usually the outgrowth of an accumulation of many things and sometimes some things even outside of our own control. We’re reminded in Exodus that children can be punished for the sins of their parents even out to the third and fourth generations (20:5, 34:7).

Tragic things happen when a series of terrible things unfold over time. There are consequences to sin.

Although it was officially first established in 2003, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) responsibilities didn’t begin just over two decades ago. Colonial and early America welcomed individuals from all over but emphasized from the very beginning that anyone who landed in the United States needed to assimilate and embrace the country’s ideals. In recent generations this commitment lessened and has practically been abandoned altogether.

American immigration policy has long been generous, some might even say liberal, but there have always been rules and laws. Agitators and radical activists like to try and blend or blur any distinction between legal and illegal immigration, but there is a major difference between the two. Without laws and rules there is chaos — such as what we saw earlier this week.

I.C.E. was established in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and folded under the authority of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. In essence, it was created because laws were being broken, and individuals and families were being harmed and even killed — by the thousands.

Immigration officials have been deployed to certain states and cities because for years and even decades, established laws haven’t been enforced. In fact, it could even be argued they’ve been flagrantly ignored and criminals even enabled.

At the same time, a chronic and tragic disregard for law enforcement has festered across America, especially in the nation’s largest urban areas. In some cases, our men and women in uniform have been villainized. The courageous and the brave are discounted, portrayed as part of the problem rather than a major piece of the solution. This disrespect emboldens bad actors. The disregard strikes the match.

In what universe and worldview do ordinary citizens brazenly confront law enforcement who are legally and peacefully carrying out their assigned duties?

Instead of protesting our police and immigration enforcement officials we should be praying for them.

Rather than agitating in the streets, we should be advocating for the protection and safety of our people. Our actions and policies should be geared towards peace not discord.

‘Assassination Culture’: Many Believe Killing and Destruction Are Justified   

In 1995, Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae,” which means “The Gospel of Life,” described “the struggle between the ‘culture of life’ and the ‘culture of death.’”

While the culture of death is as old as humanity, John Paul listed some issues that exacerbate it in our modern world, including “the eclipse of the sense of God,” the loss of the sense of human dignity and value, and rejection of belief in objective truth.

He wrote that these lead to “whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person.”

As John Paul explained, “A large part of contemporary society looks sadly like that humanity which Paul describes in his Letter to the Romans,” where he describes society’s downward spiral: men suppress the truth, don’t give thanks to God or acknowledge Him, become foolish, carry out evil deeds, and approve of others who do the same.

John Paul also called the church to stand against our culture of death by presenting the “Gospel of God’s love for man, the Gospel of the dignity of the person and the Gospel of life.”

Every day we hear news that illustrates our culture of death, including the destruction and violence of the BLM and Antifa riots, attacks on churches and pro-life groups, Israeli citizens murdered, kidnapped and sexually assaulted by Hamas terrorists; the destruction of millions of preborn children, as well as the mutilation and damage to children from “transgender” medical interventions,

A disturbing development in all this is the growing of support for violence and destruction from radical activists. As Paul wrote, “They not only do [evil deeds] but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:32).

One very recent example of this support for evil is a survey which found a significant percentage of respondents believe, “It would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk and President Trump.” Given that there have been four assassination attempts against the president, along with other “security incidents,” the results are alarming.

The same research also found that a considerable number of people believe destroying Tesla dealerships is “somewhat acceptable.” Already there have been more than 50 attacks on Tesla cars, dealerships and charging stations.

The National Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) partnered with Rutgers University’s Social Perception Lab (SPL) to conduct the survey, which found that higher percentages of self-identified leftists believe murder and mayhem are at least somewhat acceptable.

NCRI and SPL report (their emphasis, throughout):

  • Murder Justification: 31% and 38% of respondents stated it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk and President Trump, respectively.
  • These effects were largely driven by respondents that self-identified as left of center, with 48% and 55% at least somewhat justifying murder for Elon Musk and President Trump, respectively, indicating significantly higher justification for violence against these figures.
  • Property Destruction: Nearly 40% of respondents (39.8%) stated it is at least somewhat acceptable (or more) to destroy a Tesla dealership in protest.

NCRI and SPL also explored “Psychological/Ideological Correlations with Assassination Culture.” They found:

The strongest predictors are far-left political identity and Left-Wing Authoritarianism – suggesting this justification of violence is underpinned by politics and ideology.

The organizations identified two other important factors fueling violence:

  • Time spent on [the social media platform] BlueSky also emerged as a significant predictor suggesting a role for the cyber social domain in justification of violence.
  • External locus of control – the belief that one’s outcomes are shaped by outside forces – was linked to greater support for violence, suggesting that feelings of powerlessness may fuel justification for extreme action.

The researchers concluded.

“These findings confirm that assassination culture is not random or reactive, but structured, ideological, and amplified in specific digital environments.”

The institute and lab had previously released research about support for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by alleged killer Luigi Mangione. In “Praise for United Healthcare CEO Assassination Goes Viral,” NCRI found “a surge of highly engaged posts across social media glorifying the incident, some even calling for additional acts of violence, generating impressions in the tens of millions.”

NCRI’s report describes how social media celebrates and foments violence:

  • Out of the top ten most engaged posts on Twitter/X that mention Brian Thompson or UnitedHealthcare, six either expressed explicit or implicit support for the killing or denigrated the victim.
  • A top ten most engaged post referencing the incident on Twitter/X, stated “Are we starting now then?” likely in reference to a beginning of a larger movement, garnered over 1.8 million impressions, with highly engaged comments referencing a “Class War.”

The Daily Citizen’s Emily Washburn reported on this outpouring of support for Mangione on social media, including the “joy” expressed by some after Thompson’s murder:

“A disturbingly large group of people have adopted Mangione as a populist hero – not in spite of his charges, but because of them. An independent online fund for Mangione’s defense has raised more than $157,000 as of December 19. “

Four months later, the fund has raised almost $839,000 for the alleged murderer.

In another study of responses to Thompson’s killing, “Killing with Applause: Emergent Permission Structures for Murder in the Digital Age,” NCRI and Rutgers documented the  growing “normalization” for “targeted violence.”

The report explains,

Using social media data, AI, and social psychology survey methods, we find an evolving online “permission structure,” a framework that justifies previously unacceptable beliefs or actions with a mutually reinforcing dynamic: Social media platforms provide amplification, while psychologically susceptible individuals provide justification. Together they form an emergent system that normalizes violence.

In addition, NCRI and SPL note:

  • Targeted violence is becoming normalized online and in the real world.
  • Previously fringe rhetoric has migrated into the mainstream.
  • Our analysis confirms social media supports a digital “permission structure” for justifying murder.

The researchers explain that their most recent survey has some limitations saying, “Self-reported attitudes do not necessarily reflect actual behavior.”

They conclude, saying,

This report points to disturbingly high levels of support for political violence, particularly targeting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Across survey responses, nearly one-third of respondents – and a significantly higher share of left-leaning respondents – expressed some degree of justification for acts of lethal violence.

Unless political and cultural leadership explicitly confronts and condemns this trend, NCRI assesses a growing probability of real-world escalation.

The sizeable section of our country supporting assassinations and destruction demonstrates our desperate need for cultural renewal, spiritual revival, and a return to basic principles of law, order and justice.  

These are important issues for churches and families to talk about. Pastors can address the increasing violent nature of our public discourse and political protests, encouraging and facilitating the development of spiritual habits that transform such darkness into forgiveness and grace.  

Parents can warn their children about the widespread acceptance of violence and hateful rhetoric on many online forums. They can also teach children that they are not simply passive victims of fate or the actions of others. Instead of an external locus of control, which blames outside forces for struggles and setbacks, an “internal locus of control” helps children take responsibility for their own actions and understand that their choices and actions affect themselves and others.

Those supporting violence and death need biblical truth and grace. Christianity offers hope that our culture of death will be overcome by the Gospel of Life.

Related Articles and Resources

As Looters Plunder Stores Across the Country, Owners Apologize and Bow to the Angry Mob

Lorenz Feels ‘Joy’ at UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Execution

Luigi Mangione: Alleged Killer Apprehended with All-Too-Familiar Manifesto

MSNBC Host Defends Riots Across the Country, Instead Blames ‘White Nationalist Mobs’

Over 400 Attacks on Churches in 2023, New Report Finds

Portlanders: Send Your Little Leftist to Anarchy Camp!

Pro-Life Members of Congress Introduce Resolution Condemning Attacks on Pro-Life Organizations as Abortion Extremists Threaten More Violence

What’s With Trans Activist’s Growing Fascination with Violence and Assault Weapons?

A Year’s Slide into Antisemitism, Examined

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