On May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger killed his two housemates and a friend—then went on a shooting spree near the UC Santa Barbara campus. At the end of the day, he had wounded 14 and killed six–then himself.
In a Youtube video he recorded between killings, he said, “You denied me a happy life. And in return, I will deny all of you life. It’s only fair.”
Elliot’s complaint? He was a 22-year-old virgin. He had suffered the injustice of not being chosen.
Last month—on Valentines’ Day—Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida.
According to Amia Srinivasan, Cruz had commented on another Youtube video that “Elliot Rodger will not be forgotten.”
Srinivasan also points out that, late last year, Reddit—an online discussion forum website—shut down a 40,000 member “incel” support group (Incel means involuntarily celibate)—”for people who lack romantic relationships and sex.” Reddit also banned a second such group for calling for, among other things, reduced penalties for the crime of rape.
Incels are an unexpected consequence of the sexual revolution. The marginalized. The lonely. The excluded. Elliot Rodger and Nikolas Cruz were incels.
It’s a situation Aldous Huxley avoided in his futuristic masterpiece Brave New World. Huxley’s “civilized society” encouraged sex and conditioned children to understand that “everyone belongs to everyone.”
Huxley even created an alpha male character who was less than perfect. Bernard Marx was smaller and less attractive than other men of his social rank–as was Elliot Rodger.
Yet unlike Elliot, Bernard still had his share of the action–so to speak. Conditioned to always say yes, women accommodated even Bernard. There was no rejection. Therefore, there were no Elliot Rodgers or Nikolas Cruzes feeling that they had to kill in order to even the tilted score of life.
Aside from the incels, there are others for whom the score of life is tilted.
On the front page of a recent edition of our local newspaper is an account from an eighth-grade girl—alleging that she has suffered repeated sexual assaults at school. And the administration has done nothing to help her.
There was first one boy (now there are two). They thought they could have their way with her without any consequence. And so far, they have been exactly right.
Some say, “Just take away the guns.” But that would not have saved three of Rodger’s victims. He stabbed his housemates and friend. He could have continued to wreak havoc with a knife–but he chose to attack his other victims with a gun.
Draconian gun laws may have reduced his casualty list. But they do nothing to heal the heart that tells itself everyone else is getting something I can’t have. They do nothing to keep that heart from determining to find revenge through some kind of violence.
And they do nothing to protect a young teen girl from predators allowed free reign in school hallways and stairwells as administrators make a point to look the other way.
If you think this girl is alone, think again.
We’ve taught more than one generation that their desires and inclinations trump all else. We have reached a shocking place, but we cannot claim to be surprised.
We have simply reached the logical conclusion of the sexual revolution.
If sex is free–all are entitled to participate.
Perhaps it would be a simple thing to teach young children to respect others first and themselves next. To teach them that respecting yourself means not giving yourself away casually. To fill them with enough compassion and respect for others that the idea of forcing themselves on another might become unthinkable–at least less thinkable.
But first, schools would have to hold people accountable for bullying, harassment, and assault. They would have to do more than put up posters and hold anti-bullying assemblies, as they avert their gaze from reality. They would have to teach that social responsibility is more important than self.
They would have to be willing to suffer the discomfort of a difficult public relations scenario. They would have to admit that their school isn’t as safe as they pretend it is.
We will never be able to take away enough guns and knives to stop all violence. Stopping violence requires us to change hearts. It’s a simpler matter than confiscating property. A simple matter–but a harder task. It requires us to face the truth about free sex.
Sexual freedom is a lie. It doesn’t give. It only takes. It does not free. It only binds. And its chains forge one scar upon another.
Winston Churchill once said, “Americans can be trusted to do the right thing–once other possibilities have been exhausted.”
How many more will die before we finally admit to that right thing?
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Sadly, we seem to only address the symptoms and then naively hope the disease will go away. You are quite correct that the underlying cause(s) needs to be addressed. But, it needs to be said that mainline Christianity had not done such a good job in the area of sex and that is one reason why the sexual revolutionaries of the 1960s found such fertile ground in the US. (The subject of sex was so taboo for many Christian parents back in the 1940s and 1950s that they rarely talked to their teenage children about it,) As well, the genesis of the sexual revolution of the 1960s is to be found in the Institute for Social Research (also known as The Frankfurt School). When these social and sexual revolutionaries moved from Germany to New York in 1933, they planted the seeds of the sexual revolution. The end objective was to demoralize the American people.
We observe that you quote Winston Churchill above. We do not share your admiration for this man. Much about him is not widely known.
If the end objective was to demoralize America, it sure has worked. Thanks for commenting! God bless! And Happy Easter!
I do (not) condone this young man’s reaction to his situation at all and I’m deeply saddened for the families that have been affected by his choices.
Yet I find myself wondering how did he get there, what is happening our youth to convince them that life is a living hell and isn’t worth it?
It’s easy to point the finger but truly, where do you point it? at the devil?
I suggest we point to ourselves, this has happened on our watch and also our forefathers.
Before you look for a stone to throw – hear me out.
For too long society has put their trust in the wrong hands. We ALL have taken the stand of letting our leaders do the thinking and planning for us never to really checking what they are doing.
Our self-focus has allowed our enemy to stitch a thread of deception and lies into everything we hold sacred and now the lies have dismantled all that worked to keep us safe. We are so distracted by the (getting stuff) that we forgot to teach and protect those after us.
Jerusalem was plundered, burnt to the ground and His people were taken into captivity because they wouldn’t listen, they let themselves move away from what was already working well for them.
And we are ALL right back there again.
Because of our self-focus, the new world order has laid its plans and is around the corner from springing it on us. Whos fault is this?
We have let our puppet leaders contaminate, sever and degrade every safeguard we had to hold the future in good shape for our child and their children after them. WE dropped the ball.
This is why we are in such turmoil today. Think back over the many decades of the changes that have taken place and how many unhelpful – unhealthy supplants to society have been made law.
Slowly but surely another plan has been taking place right under our noses and we did not care. If you don’t believe me do some digging…there’s a lot out there to see, including the bible.
Sadly it’s all too late for us to escape, the net is set. All we can do is repent and pray our captivity is short.
For me Nancy a very sad post in so many ways.
Thank you for bringing this to peoples attention.
I agree that we have to look at ourselves. Each of us holds responsibility. These men are responsible for their actions. But it’s the message that comes from society that you deserve everything you want. Anything we’ve done to help convey that message makes us partly responsible too.
Not sure it’s ever too late. It’s certainly never too late to speak God’s truth. If one person hears and repents, then, it wasn’t too late for that person.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. God bless!
So true Nancy it’s never too late for that person.
Don’t get me wrong I think you are absolutely right about the entitlement plague, it has justified the unjustifiable as you rightfully convey in this post.
I am passionate about this subject and it frustrates me how difficult and large the problem is.
Only God can turn this lemon into lemonade.
Great post, Nancy! You are so right! Thank you for sharing such a needed and imperative message!
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Marcie! God bless!
Hi Nancy,
What I like about your blog posts is that you’re blogging about topics that are relevant, yet challenging to blog about because they can lead to uncomfortable discussions.
I believe you’re right; the solution is not found in taking away the guns, how they’re used is just a symptom of something more profound.
It’s time for doing the right thing.
God bless,
Edna Davidsen.
And I appreciate your comments, Edna! God bless!
I agree that taking away what people use for violence will not stop violence – it’s a matter of the heart, not the instrument. This is such a sad truth and a reminder that we are not basically good, despite what culture screams. We are all fallen, broken, sinful. We all need God. And He gave Himself for us. For all, even those who commit horrible, unspeakable crimes. I pray those who are hurting and twisted enough to do those kinds of things will awaken and have eyes to see their Savior.
Amen. That they would know Christ instead of harming others!
I always appreciate your thoughtful reflections on our continuing socio-ethical drift, Nancy.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Mitch! God bless!
Very insightful article. Flows very well. I didn’t know about the term “incel.” Thank you.
One suggestion– this line seems too categorical: “If sex is free–all are entitled to participate.” Most men don’t feel they have an “entitlement: to sex. They understand it involves consent.
How about–if sex is free, some men feel excluded (and angry) if they can’t participate.
I was speaking, at the point, from the perspective of such a man. Thanks for commenting, Christopher. My intention is never to disparage all men. I’m married to a good one myself!