In the Face of Personal Loss, Where is Our Compassion?

What has happened to society? Why, when someone suffers a personal loss, are so many jumping to criticize, scorn, and generally offer hate filled messages? Where is our compassion?

This morning websites in the United Kingdom opened their pages for readers to offer condolences and tributes with the death of their former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. But before the day’s end, The Daily Telegraph closed their web pages to comments as Editor Tony Gallagher tweeted: We have closed comments on every #Thatcher story today – even our address to email tributes is filled with abuse.

There is no doubt that Thatcher’s iron fist and union breaking government caused many from the 80’s to dislike her policies but is there no room for even one day of remembrance before striking out?

In another sad event, closer to home, this weekend well known Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren’s son committed suicide. As Pastor Warren wrote and friends suggested, the son struggled many years with mental illness and depression. Yet, almost before the news was out the criticisms of Warren and his Christian religion were spread across the social media.

Would we be so quick to hate in real life? Or is it through the anonymity of the internet that so many feel free the boundaries of civility and able to spew vitriol without having the least bit of compassion for a family facing such a loss?

Are we not allowed ideological differences? Where is our compassion?

The clip below is from FNC’s Megan Kelly on American Live as she discusses the appalling comments towards the Warren family with Father Jonathan Morris of the Catholic Church and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. As Perkins said, “There was a time when, even when we differed ideologically, we would take a break when a family suffers such a great tragedy.” And as Father Jonathan recommends, let’s offer our prayers and positive affirmations in large numbers to keep the negative comments in context.

Read more at Washington Times