As Americans, we need to pause and reflect on a chilling reality: we live in a culture where many openly approve of—and even celebrate—the murder of those they despise. It’s not just shocking; it’s a symptom of deep moral decay.
Take the recent assassination of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthCare, as an example. Social media erupted with comments cheering his death, with many justifying the murder as retribution for the dysfunctionality and failings of the healthcare system.
While there are legitimate concerns about healthcare in America, celebrating someone’s death—no matter who they are—reveals how far we’ve strayed from moral decency.
Jesus taught us to “love your neighbor” and even to “love your enemies.” Love doesn’t mean we agree with or excuse someone’s actions, but it does mean treating them with respect and compassion. We should see every person as bearing the image of God (see Genesis 1:27). This doctrine of imago Dei—that every human life has inherent dignity and worth—should guide our actions and attitudes.
The Sixth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13, KJV), underscores this. It’s a simple yet profound reminder that life is sacred. This commandment forbids not just the act of murder but the kind of dehumanization that makes murder possible. When we reduce people to caricatures or symbols of our grievances, it becomes easier to justify their harm.
This isn’t just about one case. From rising violence against political figures to ambush-style attacks on law enforcement, and from school shootings to even church shootings, we’re seeing more and more violence–with many numb to it, others accepting it, and many glorifying and celebrating it.
After Thompson’s murder, reports surfaced of an online “hit list” targeting other healthcare executives.
None of us should be surprised. We’ve become angrier, more divided, more cynical, and more callous. And we’ve already devalued human life in many ways. A society that trivializes life in one area, such as through casual attitudes toward abortion, is likely to trivialize it in others.
When it comes to the murder of Brian Thompson, many are saying the solution lies in healthcare reform as if Thompson’s murder is a necessary corrective to a problem that makes his assassination understandable. Count me among those who support healthcare reform, but we can’t allow into our minds the idea that murder is an acceptable form of protest. What happened to Thompson should be condemned unequivocally without any “buts,” “howevers,” or other qualifiers.
Many are calling for more legislation against guns as the primary answer to this growing tide of violence. Count me among those who believe everything should be put on the table for discussion, including our gun laws. But I don’t believe only our gun laws should be on that table. The problem is much, much deeper than that, and remedying it won’t be easy.
The place to start isn’t with our laws but in our hearts.
Our country is precious to me, but our country is sick right now. Very sick. Treating our sick nation will require a lot of wisdom, sacrifice, and hard work. It won’t be a quick fix.
The question is…will we do that hard work?
