There have been the expected bad takes on the Assumption Catholic Church shooting on Wednesday morning, especially about prayer. As we reported earlier, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey seemed to condemn thoughts and prayers for the victims:
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” Minneapolis @MayorFrey said. “These kids were literally praying.”
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) August 27, 2025
What an asshole.
— Floridian 🐊🇺🇸 FA/FO (@RandomFLDude) August 27, 2025
Going even lower was MSNBC's Jen Psaki, who posted this:
Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers does not end school shootings. prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers.
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) August 27, 2025
Newsletter entrepreneur Zaid Jilani shared what he thought was a poignant analogy:
Let’s say there was a home burning in front of you. You have a fire hose in your hand. Instead of spraying down the home you offer your prayers. Do you think God accepts the prayer?
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) August 27, 2025
I know Six Flags Over Jesus teaches the opposite but the man himself preached works.
This is like a dorm room atheist's understanding of religion. Not someone who's a practicing believer.https://t.co/4o96xOs2Mu
— Holden (@Holden114) August 27, 2025
The proper (still awful) analogy would be having the ability to personally intervene and stop the shooter but instead standing to the side and praying nothing too bad happens.
— Zac (@zacallier) August 27, 2025
Either way, it's a gross thing to say
Yeah, forget the fire hose. It would be more like having a Glock in your hand and letting some freak shoot up a church.
This is going into overtime today. pic.twitter.com/kKzmi5LBah
— SτξΜ Smittie GE.D (@smittie61984) August 27, 2025
It's really not a good look to push whatever point you think you're making here. As Catholics specifically (not speaking for anyone else) many of us pray throughout the day without anyone even noticing as we go about our lives. We believe in showing our faith through our actions.
— . (@zpez) August 27, 2025
For me? I’m going to pray that my actions are sufficient to help those in the fire survive the fire.
— Laura W - Wicked Witch of the South (@BumpstockBarbie) August 27, 2025
This is incidentally also why I carry. Even in church.
It's cute how you assume it's an either/or situation. I love watching children struggle toward understanding.
— Toys In My Attic (@GrammarJedi01) August 27, 2025
You should leave while you still can.
— Culper (@frumentarii12) August 27, 2025
This isn't a real thing anyone would do. This is a thing that exists only in your head because you think you're clever.
— dialetheic bias (@biasbreakdown) August 27, 2025
Yes, we already know you are an idiot.
— Grateful Calvin (@shoveitjack) August 27, 2025
You don't have to keep reminding everyone.
You don’t know the first thing about what Christianity teaches.
— The Narcissist Element (@seeemmeffell) August 27, 2025
It’s OK to admit that.
Correct.
— Anti-Party Party 🥳 (@AntiPartyParty) August 27, 2025
If I had a mass shooter in front of me, and instead of drawing my own weapon and ending the carnage, I simply offered prayers — that would be wrong.
False dichotomy. Prayer isn’t an excuse to ignore the hose; it’s what strengthens the hand holding it. Christianity has always taught faith and works. Your strawman only burns because you set it on fire
— Carlos (@txiokatu) August 27, 2025
You do realize you can pray simultaneously as you’re taking action to extinguish the fire, right?
— Papa_Gibb (@GibbinsGregory) August 27, 2025
What "water" would you propose we take?
— tjkeagles (@stealth1992tt) August 27, 2025
Gun bans or armed security guards?
Two armed church staffers took down what we assume was a would-be mass shooter in June. Rep. Shri Thanedar, who made a name for himself earlier this year by introducing seven articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, immediately called for strong gun control laws.
Jilani doesn't seem to understand prayer, along with a lot of other people.
***
Join the conversation as a VIP Member