9 Dead in SC church shooting

[Rhondazvous]

Another aspect of this story is how we Seculars are being criticized for our response.  Here is the link: How "Secular Humanists" Responded to Charleston Church Shooting  http://www.fitsnews.com/2015/06/18/how-s...-shooting/

That was the very first thing I wanted to look at after watching the news this morning.  My question was "I know we would criticize the prayer response, but I want to know how we should offer support for the people who are hurting from this."  You know, show our humanity towards those who lost their loved ones.  I am not saying we should not criticize the prayer response, I criticize it.  How would each one of us offer our support to them.  

I for one, would like to offer some kind of support in a fund to help offset their funeral expenses.  The hands that help are better far than lips that pray, as Ingersoll said.

An organization I am proud to have founded, the Freethought Society of the Midlands, has started a fund for the families of survivors that has raised over $3000. I know the Secular Humanists of the Low Country based in Charleston and other humanist groups in the state are also involved.
http://www.fsmidlands.org/

There will be a lot of "funds" claiming to be for this. Se if we want to help in that way, we may do well to contact the families directly of find out from the local funeral homes how we can get money to them.

As for criticizing the prayer, you know that under normal circumstances I'd come down on it with both feet. But I wouldn't tell a person how to express their grief. However, the asshole who wrote the article is not expressing grief, he's being an opportunistic jerk.

I was told that one of the survivors is a 5-year-old girl whose grandmother told her to play dead. Can you imagine a child that young knowing how to play dead?