Corey Comperatore A Life Of Purpose. A Life Of Sacrifice.

I published this article at our Facebook thread, "In Defense Of The Faith". Little did I know that Ms. Joy Behar would continue to display her ultimate lack of knowledge and common sense by stating that it was inappropriate for President Trump to be happy that God saved him, while at the same time a man, Corey Comperatore, had lost his life at the rally. 

Unfortunately, I did not know this man. However, I am encouraged to see that there yet exists, other men like him. While others have attempted to say something regarding this, and most have refused to directly address it, I thought it was timely to directly address the issue in light of the great and good God that we serve. 

Judge it as you may, but this is what I know:

SACRIFICE:

At the fatal and life changing Trump rally in Butler, PA. a life was taken and a
life was spared.

Some find it hard to celebrate a spared life in light of the life which was taken.

God is Sovereign

While I don't purport to know "why" God does what he does, one thing I do know is that God is sovereign, which means he has all power in his hand and can do whatever he wishes to do, whenever and however he chooses, and his "choice" is always right.

Of such righteousness is the taking of the life of Corey Comperatore by an evil, demonically inspired, shooter on July 13th at approximately 6:11PM est.

The fact is that unlike existence under a purely materialistic paradigm, not only did Mr. Comperatore's life have meaning and purpose, but his death also had meaning and purpose too.

His very family surname "Comperatore" is "derived from the Latin word 'comperare' means 'to buy or to procure'. It signifies someone who is skilled in purchasing or acquiring goods."

I find that interesting in light of the fact that he died to save the life of his family. Mr. Comperatore placed his life in harms way to save his family. In other words he "bought" and purchased the life of his family, not just incidentally, but purposefully and skillfully.

Bring It Home

Mr Comperatore was a father, in a time when fatherhood has been dragged, misunderstood and dumbed down by a society who is confused and has lost respect for what fatherhood means. I believe this criticism of fatherhood is purposeful. Why? Because God has revealed himself to the world as "Father" and one who is above all in love, care and concern for his children, and ultimately his bride aka the Saints or Church.

Further, God has sacrificed his life...given himself and placed himself between us and hell and the ultimate death. Christ has skillfully, and purposefully rendered a sacrifice rooted in love, enduring the shame and death of the cross to demonstrate his love and compassion for us.

Mr. Comperatore's death was used by a sovereign God to remind us purposefully of what a GOOD and LOVING Father does for his children and family. God used this man...I don't know why him and why at that time...to demonstrate to the world...a different system of values and concerns, that are far superior to those of materialism and values contained within a purely materialistic paradigm.

Mr. Comperatore's life not only had purpose, but his death had purpose ultimately pointing us all back to the God who has given all and everything to save us, by standing in the way of the ultimate death of eternal separation from God due to sin.

However...this man, like all of us who place our faith in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, will RISE AGAIN, to life and a fulfillment of our hope in Christ Jesus. So, for whatever reason, God chose to use this man as an ultimate example and reminder of the nature and acts of Christ on the cross. Was he special? Certainly no more special than you or I, but was used purposefully, specially, and ultimately by GOD and God alone.

Like the sniper's bullet missed taking the life of our President, the sniper had no power to take life, give life or extend life. Only God had that power and he allowed with all purpose, this life to go before us.

I REJOICE in the fact that GOD...not a sniper, nor governmental agency is in control!!!

Blessed! 

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Why Do Men Reject Jesus?

 

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Religion. Black Americans. The Church. Is God Just Or Unjust?

The Black community has traditionally been very close to propositions of faith. In particular, the Black Christian church within the United States has been the place that has shaped values, held the community together and been the place from which much community change growth and development has occurred over the years.

To be clear, the abolition of slavery, the creation and promotion of civil rights agenda and many other things that we now enjoy, were direct products and results of religious and bible based concepts with secular ideology in tow. I contend that the proliferation of freedom all around the world would not exist unless it was for religious influence and in particularly that of the Christian religion and religious influence. I further contend that for someone to doubt the benefit of the church within modern society is someone who hasn't taken the time to study, but bury their head in the sand and someone who doesn't know or simply hasn't been taught how to reconcile history...HOWEVER...and that's a huge HOWEVER...the modern CHURCH has done itself no favors with her desire to be relevant, pseudo-spirituality, lust and desire for sin, search for physical and material wealth, and morally debase practices which allows, and in many cases, supports PERVERTS, sexual immorality, and moral & spiritual impurity, in congregations and pulpits all across the nation...

I mean, did you see the HORROR Church movie "Honk For Jesus"??? YES, it was a HORROR FILM, similar to "Friday The 13th" and "Halloween" or better yet "Psycho". From beginning to end this movie it was a complete horror flick, displaying the horrors of big church "showtime" (in many cases and places) and a look at what people will do and allow and promote within the church. Although this movie may have been about and mixed scandalous acts of the late Bishop Eddie Long & his predecessor (spiritual father) the late Bishop Earl(you ARE the father)Paulk. The movie's culprit was not only a sick, debase and narcissistic out of control pastor, but also a complete corrupt accountability and support system, beginning with what appeared to be, at first glance, an innocent/supportive wife, who, along with others, wanted relevance, acknowledgement and material position in this world greater than they wanted God, truth, right and moral and spiritual purity. I could give you a complete synopsis of the movie in the comments, as I was enamored with it, but I digress...

So while the church has her faults, flaws and sins, she is still yet the vehicle that God has used and will use to unite himself to this world. the fact is that no matter how bad it gets or is, the very "gates of hell shall not prevail" against her. (Mt. 16:18)

Sad Result Of The Church's Apostasy

The apostasy of the church, in my opinion, has caused a greater secularization of the Black community. Not only are former servants of the church running from her vowing to never come back, usually because of some church practice based on governmental or hierarchical structure, as opposed to doctrine and or biblical teaching, what cannot be overlooked is that common people who were raised in church and that have benefited from Church and Christian morality in particularly in their own lives, have, in many cases, also hit the door with a promise to not come back to the church. This has also, in many cases, fueled with disdain against church practices and actions and caused many, who's ancestors prayed for their deliverance and freedom to leave and move away from the very institution through which deliverance and freedom was prayed for.

Recently, in a Twitter forum sponsored by an organization named NewsToter, a topic was raised "Has Religion Helped Or Hurt Black Americans?" One question that I was looking to address was the matter of tithes and what has the Black community has received in return...however, I could not and was not able to get to that issue, but short answer, in too many places...WE BEEN ROBBED!!!

My message was that religion, in particular the Christian religion has certainly helped, but that there is a distinguishable difference between the practice of religion and that of spirituality or service to God...

I mean in my opinion, the very question is like a healthy, fed child standing on his mothers lap, with a full stomach questioning, "Is it good that my parents feed me?"...The very question overlooks the fact that you have what you have and are full solely because your parents and their efforts to feed you because you couldn't feed yourself. In this case it is the mother, that has fed you, otherwise you'd still be hungry or hospitalized for malnutrition or even dead leaving your ability to take care of yourself up to you.

With that said, as I was commenting, my phone went out and would not allow me back into the forum, but I was able to hear the recording the next day. After my abrupt mid comment departure, most were very nice, including the host himself, but a gentlemen raised a comment saying that I was a liar and that the God of the bible was responsible for over 266 wars and or conflicts and for some over 2M deaths and suggested that was his reason to reject religion and Christianity. Another also didn't know what the word "novel" meant as it pertained to historical events...It is that commentary, which has been common among many atheists, that I would like to deal with in the balance of this post.

The God Of The Bible...
Is He Unjust?
Has He Caused Over 2M Deaths Within The Bible?
Is Man Better To Men Than God?

Certainly the gentleman stating this erroneous information was not a biblical scholar, but he was also no less of a biblical critic than many of the modern atheists. At this point I will reprint my response to him, that was at least 15 parts on Twitter, with revisions and insertions to add additional information and clear up misinformation.

"...my brother stated after my phone went out last evening (not due to "judgement") that the God of the Bible was responsible for over 266 incidents of violence in which over 2M people were killed. For sure he is incorrect, but for sake of argument, I say he is on point and 100% accurate.

The young man is a good young man that believes in justice, right and equity, I am confident. Let's look at 3 things that displays the inadequacy of that (his) argument when we speak of the implications of religion (aka: Judaeo-Christian Biblical belief)

1- Israel's time in SLAVERY for over 400 years.
We BOTH agree that slavery is/was horrible and needed to be put down. In Ex. 3 God sends Moses to free Israel from slavery. Folk die as a result. (INSERTION: Even 1st born children die in the last plague. The critic says that God kills children. However, without exception EVERYONE'S 1st born could be saved during this plague. Only those who followed the instructions of applying blood to the doorpost and lentil, whether one worshiped and believed in the God of the Israelite's or not, would actually be saved.) Is/was God unrighteous by ending it (slavery) and setting people free?

2- God commanded that Israel enter land he had promised to Abraham & his descendants.
There were only 5 nations that God said should be utterly destroyed [INSERTION: Deut. 20:17, there are 6 nations depending upon how you count nations]. Leviticus 23 (and I meant Leviticus 18) indicates what the inhabitants of the land were doing. (INSERTION: Lev. 18:3 ~ After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances...indicates that that practices, outlined in the chapter, were some of the practices that both Egyptians and Canaanites. v.25 indicates that it was because of these practices, which included baby and child murder and indiscriminate human sacrifice v.21, that God was removing them from the land) Among other things they killed indiscriminately, sacrificed children and totally perverted justice. Raping, pillaging, and denigrating themselves in every possible human way...Molech, a baby murderer was their god. God said they, the Canaanites were spewed out of the land because they defiled it. Would it have been justice to allow those things to go (on)? In other words, is the (Biblical God) unrighteous to STOP injustice? If so, then how are YOU or can you possibly be just or justified? Ie: if God himself can't order and decree evil to be stopped, then under and by who's authority do you "demand" anyone to stop their unjust acts or actions? In other words, to reject the God of the bible and claim some moral superiority is an argument of special pleading and logically inconsistent.

3- Have you ever hear of Pol Pot? (INSERT: 1976-1979) During his lifetime he was responsible for the death of some reported 2M Cambodians by himself.
Nothing to do with God. That was a product of the HUMAN CONDITION...How about Joseph Stahlin? (INSERT: 1929-1953) 6M to 9M people killed (INSERT: By conservative estimates. Some report 20M to 60M plus people killed) No God. in fact anti-God atheist. HUMAN CONDITION. How about Hitler? (INSERT: 1933-1945) over 7M and hated religion especially the Abrahamic faith of Judaism. HUMAN CONDITION.
How about Mau (INSERT: Mau Zedong, 1958-1962) Heard of him? In 5 years they say he starved to death and killed over 20M of his own people. 5 years! (INSERT: 20M is a conservative estimate. Many say the proper amount was roughly 45M people killed in 5 years under this God hating, humanist and secular regime)

You said God ordered the death of 2M through 266 conflicts and that would be over at least 40 to 80 years.

(INSERT: According to the numbers, SECULARISM and perverted concepts of governance through various forms of Marxism, has been responsible for the deaths of over 35M to over 100M people not including those killed through war in under 100 slightly over years)

The EVIDENCE says that INJUSTICES were ended by God as opposed to simply allowing things (INSERT: evil and senseless killings) to go on forever.

RELIGION (INSERT: The Christian faith) teaches that EVIL has an end and that even while evil proliferates, they that trust in God have life here, now and in the future. We have confidence that no tear shed, no striped back, no rape, murder, or other injustice will be without meaning and ultimate reckoning, Our "sky" hears us. YOURS however is simply an ongoing gripe with justice determined by you and for you as it only effects YOU. RELIGION gives us the ability to face injustice and stand up to it, bc (because) we know who and what supports our efforts and we look forward to HIM bringing that reconciliation to us.
As I was attempting to state last night, race based slavery is fairly new (that's what NOVEL actually means) considering history. Slavery occurred historically in spite of race, not because of race. Race based slavery is a newer form of slavery. Blacks and Whites, Arabs and Chinese, every race (INSERT: and ethnicity) has participated in slavery, primarily of their OWN people. You guys want to hear someone blame the victim so bad, you can't see the forest looking at the trees.

Young man, I AIN'T the one to see the tree as bigger than the forest. I also AIN'T the one to look at our current condition with fictition or fantasy, that some white supremacy boogie man, whether real of fictitious, is responsible for all moral evil...that AIN'T the case.

The HUMAN CONDITION (INSERT: SINFUL NATURE OF MAN) is responsible for moral evil and the actual physical evil we experience and our ancestors experienced. That HUMAN CONDITION has tainted (not taunted) ALL of us and if we really want justice, we should render our individual selves first as EVERY ONE is guilty.
Thanks." 

I'll conclude by saying that noone is insulated from the sometimes absolute garbage that happens within the church. However, it is disingenuous and historically incorrect as well as biblically unsupportable to conflate racial hatred and bigotry with the church as a biblical teaching or something ordained by God. Where there was slavery and or injustice, God, through time, eliminated and stopped its ugly grip. The church has been the progenitor of concepts that stop evil, such as the evil of slavery, abuse and misuse and mistreatment of the innocent and support for people to treat one another in a more humane fashion for generations all over the world.

Just as we are not insulated from the evil that has crept into the church, we are also not insulated from the TRUE and real presence of God that we find within the church as well. There is church related hurt, but there is church and god related victory as well. God has not been so bad to any of us that we leave HIM behind, because he has not ever left us behind. It may take something to hold on, but don't be worldly smart and spiritually blind and defenseless. 

David, with all of his faults, ways and inconsistencies yet recorded this:

Ps. 34: 8 ~ O taste and see that the LORD is good: 

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

 Blessed!

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The Probability Problem Of Suffering Addressed

Some contend that because suffering exists, God doesn't exist. Then some say that even if one could say that God and suffering can exist, that it is more unlikely that God exists because there would be no good reason for suffering and evil to exist if God exists.

Yes, arguments along these lines make some great and fanciful leaps into a chasm of knowledge and understanding that baffles me, but the assumption yet exist that man is the center of the universe and that all things revolve around what he knows, as opposed to what God knows.

Here is a recent video produced by Reasonable Faith that addresses this alleged conundrum of the Christian faith:

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A Matter Of Utility Or Purpose?

This is one of the most emotional stories I have seen to date. The thought of being confronted with the decision is beyond imagination.  Most people would say, the mother (Lakisha Mitchell) should have aborted because she was and is important to her family. However, this argument is not a matter of "importance" or utility. Everyone, including the unborn at the time was important. It is a matter of trust, and knowledge that ALL life is precious and the believer will LIVE in HIM forever. There will be a great reunion, when this mother will gather her family together again and all things will be understood. We're waiting for that! 

1 Cor. 15:19-22~ 19-If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20- But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21- For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22- For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Pastor & Sister Mitchell, WE will not forget and this love will not be forgotten!

Blessed!

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Antoinette Tuff: "I Gave It All To God"

Esther 4:13-16 ~ 13-Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. 14- For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? 15- Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 16- Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

HERO...Antoinette Tuff, a woman who wasn't even supposed to be where she was. Having just received devastating news herself,  saved countless children and adults from near certain tragedy. How did she do this? it certainly wasn't out of her comforts, nor was it out of some belief that this life is all we have. It was out of her faith in a REAL God. It was out of her love for mankind and it was out of her adversity.

Antoinette, helped some of over 870 children and staff who attend and worked for the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy  in Decatur, GA. The Academy educates students from Pre-K to 5th grade. These are our babies. They depend upon Antoinette and people like Antoinette to care for them, to love them, to protect them, while they are away from their families throughout the day. 

Out of her abundant BELIEF IN GOD, this woman faced down death, looking into the eyes of a man, not on his medication and unafraid to use a semi-arsenal of guns and weapons. Afterwards, Antoinette understood that IF it hadn't been for her pain, and IF it had not been for her FAITH, IF she had not been in that place at that particular time, then DEATH would have been certain, if not for herself, then for others. 

Michael Brandon Hill, a man who also suffers from some form of mental illness, had been arrested in March for making threats to the Sheriff's office. Although he was on prescribed medication, he failed to take any that day. In this incident he showed up with over 500 rounds of ammunition and fired shots to let everyone know that he meant business. This was intensely serious and almost anything could happen.

Antoinette recounts:

"He had a look on him that he was willing to kill — matter of fact he said it. He said that he didn't have any reason to live and that he knew he was going to die today,"

In the video caption above, Antoinette said that her pastor's wife had taught a message "Push Past The Pain" which spoke to her that no matter what condition she was in, that life's adversities couldn't hold her down and keep her from the blessings of God. She additionally recounted that her Pastor had just begun a new series of teachings, that she was studying designed to encourage the members that life was not over and that through Christ they could do anything. As she said, "Thank God for the Word!"

Why Me?

There are some legitimate questions as to why we all go through what we go through at times. we don't have full knowledge and have to trust god at times that things will be allright. However, I have watched people present what is called the "problem of evil" for years. Some of them even going so far as to claim that if God was God he wouldn't allow certain pain and adversity in life. That HE would simply rescue us from all of our pains because he loves us. But look at this, a little lady, with no gun, in the face of a gunman, that had just received devastating news, husband left her after 33 years of marriage, tried to commit suicide herself due to that failed marriage just last year, has a multiply disabled son, and no telling what else is going on, steps UP, shows her love for God and man by living out her faith THROUGH adversity and all the pain that she has suffered. 

All those folk complaining about God and telling HIM how comfortable their life should be...This woman puts YOU to shame. I think many of them are A BUNCH OF WHINING BABIES seeking to serve themselves. 

The fact is that life is not only about US individually. We go through some things for and on behalf of others. From the depth of our experience and sometimes even pain, others are blessed, helped and encouraged. In other words, if one can make it through what one has experienced, then others have confidence that they can also make it through what they are going through. 

PURPOSE Placed In The Middle

It was Jesus who placed himself in the middle on the cross between the wrath of God and the destruction of man in order to redeem man. This woman not only placed herself between the gunman and the kids and fellow employees, but placed herself between the gunman and the police...She was in the way for a PURPOSE, which is one thing that many people cannot and do not understand. There is a PURPOSE to it all, and that purpose is not to introvertly fail or fall into obscurity. The purpose of God through ALL adversity is for those who would believe and trust in him to succeed. 

Psalms 118:17 ~I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

Similar to Esther, who knows if THIS was why she went through what she went through in life? Her experiences could have been what were necessary to prepare her for THIS incident. To give her the necessary temperament to look at death and say, although I am afraid, I know a God who is above ALL people and all things. Her experiences could have been to give her the love for children to stand there pleading for the life of all instead of running, which she initially thought to do. 

911 Call

Antoinette Tuff, YOU are a TOUGH Sistah!!!! Thank God for you and may the LORD continue to bless you and may he restore unto you all that has been lost with some extra and abundant interest!

Blessed!

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Sandy Hook, Free Will & Tragedy. What Is The Relationship?

Since the unfortunate murders of over 26 fellow Americans in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the question has been posed over and over, why God did not stop the killer from killing innocent children and professionals taking care of them? 

We have to acknowledge that this is a valid sentiment and one that makes sense from a human standpoint. However, we also must acknowledge that we may never know many of life's mysteries but because we don't know something doesn't mean that there is no valid reason for it. 

The Character, Nature & The Existence Of God Called Into Question

The questions that we hear regarding the Sandy Hook tragedy are age old. It is simply the Problem of Evil or what is called The Epicurean Paradox. Here is a version of it, applicable to this discourse: 

• If God is anything, he must be all powerful and have the ability to do anything including prevent tragedy. 
• If he is God he certainly he could have stopped the gunman, by either saving him then and there on the spot, striking him dead beforehand or even causing his gun to jam or any number of things that would have prevented him from doing what he did BEFORE the killing rampage. 

The final part to this thought is that 

• If God is indifferent, he is not good and therefore not God, or 
• If he is powerless to prevent tragedy, he is not God as he would not be all powerful. 

The deduction here is that God simply doesn't exist. Although the first premise is flawed and invalidates all the others parts to the paradox, I believe that this is one of the primary arguments being levied as it pertains to God and religion in the Sandy Hook case or experience.  

What Can Be Said?

Many things...In reality, I know some people who are saved today because God stopped or redirected a 

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Let's Talk "Theodicy"...Is God Yet Good With All This Suffering?

For thousands of years this has been a watershed question of religious and Christian experience. Can evil be reconciled with a God that is good or any God at all that cares about those whom he has created? In many debates best selling author and atheist, Christopher Hitchens, exposed what he felt was the greatest proof against the existence of God by building upon what is called the "Epicurean Paradox" or the problem of evil and suffering in the present world. It was stated by Epicurus like this:

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" ~ Epicurus

Here is how an inductive version of it could be set forth:

• An omnipotent and benevolent God would not allow evil to exist in the world.
• Evil exists in the world
• Therefore God does not exist.

Now there are many problems with the argument as often set forth by atheists and nonbelievers. So it has been modified over the years in effort to make it as intellectually fulfilling as it appears to be on the surface. A modification would go generally like this:

• The Christian proposes that God is both omniscient and  maximally good
• An omniscient and maximally good God would eradicate evil
• Evil exists
• Therefore, God does not exist

At either rate the object is to draw a sharp contrast between what Christians teach as the good and loving nature of God, to the existence of evil and suffering in the world.

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Haiti ~ Did God Do This?

Over the holidays I decided to tackle some of the more difficult assertions that the New and Reformed atheists are setting forth these days. You know those assertions that seem to make sense on the surface but fall apart upon examination? In this post, which will also be followed by an upcoming radio podcast, I plan to do just that.

My heart goes out to all of the many thousand men, women and children who are suffering through the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake. I have been in prayer most of the day as I have read the reports and God quickened my spirit to speak to those of us who also now travail for these our fellow human beings. Please let's continue to pray for them now.

The Tragedy

In what can only be described as one of the worst tragedies imaginable, we observe Haitian devastation that has shaken many of us to our core:

In what is one of the most devastating natural events in recent history, it is estimated that an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.0 hit Haiti along the fault line, known as the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone. The quake shook Haiti claiming what preliminary estimates say could be hundreds of thousands dead.

Its currently reported that Haiti consists of approximately 9 million people 80% of whom are Catholic, and that 1/3 of its population is said to be directly and severely affected by this devastation. There is an outcry from all sectors of society. The wealthy and the poor have suffered extremely in this devastation. The Prime Minister's palace, which once stood proudly in regal and grand fashion, has been destroyed and cast aside similar to a rickety shacks and inadequately built homes that housed over 60% of this population.

The devastation has also effected those that are in Haiti to help others in large numbers. A group of approximately 800 physicians and medical service personnel, named Doctor's Without Boarders, whose top mission is to provide humanitarian medical services to the destitute, has itself been stricken, leaving most of its staff unaccounted for and and all of it's locations nonfunctional.

Neither religious nor secular humanitarian leaders have been spared the effects of this devastation by any means. The Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, 63 was found dead in his office and UN Leaders such as Heidi Annabe along with at least 100 other UN employees and officials are missing and feared to be dead also.

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