Texas congressman criticized for prayers comment after mall shooting
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The Texas congressman who represents the latest community reeling from a mass killing has pushed back against Americans who say more than prayers are needed to curb the violence, labeling them “people that don’t believe in an almighty god.”
Rep. Keith Self (R) appeared on CNN on Saturday after a gunman killed at least eight people, including children, at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen. His response to a question about prayer not preventing such tragedies immediately fueled anger — with many on social media slamming his words as “meaningless” and “pathetic.”
It is God “who is absolutely in control of our lives,” said Self, who identified himself as a Christian and stressed that he wanted “to stay away from politics” and focus on the victims. “Prayers are important, and they are powerful in the families who are devastated right now.”
Shannon Watts, who founded “Moms Demand Action” after the Sandy Hook killings more than a decade ago, countered Sunday that “faith without works is dead. Prayers without action are empty.”
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