MARTYRS: She didn’t say no

52 CommentsHIStory, Martyrs

At the age of 12 Rachel Scott had a life-changing spiritual encounter. This is what she wrote in her journal: “Everyone was there at the altar, and I felt so drawn to it. You have to understand that I was so young…to be drawn that way, it was nothing short of God… I was saved.”

Rachel’s commitment to Christ cost her dearly. She broke up with a boyfriend she loved because she wanted to remain pure. five of her closest rejected her because she talked openly about her faith. In her journal entry on April 20 1998, she wrote: ” I have no more personal friends at school. But you know what…it’s all worth it to me… If I have to sacrifice everything I will.”

On April 20, 1999, while she sat outside her school cafeteria, two troubled students came up the stairs at Columbine High School with guns and opened fire, hitting Rachel three times. Leaving Rachel, they continued their shooting spree, but then returned to where she was lying on the floor in pain. One of the shooters grabbed her ponytail and lifted her head. He asked, “Do you believe in God?” She answered “Yes.” He put the gun to her temple and killed her.

How easy it would have been for Rachel to deny Christ at that moment. How easy it is to stay silent on the street as wickedness and unbelief increase. But Jesus said these words: “…whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. “

Are you willing to put your faith on the line and speak boldly of our Savior?

–Abridged and adapted from the “The One Year Book of Christian History.” (Get the book to read the full account.) Meet Rachel by clicking here.

Comments (52)

  1. Ryk

    Reply

    Having lost people I know in the Thurston High shootings, I am saddened by this girls murder and my heart goes out to her family. Thurston and Columbine are both terrible tragedies and terrible crimes.

  2. Ryk

    Reply

    I do believe, and I say know this is only my opinion, that it would not have mattered how she answered the question, however I do hope that her declaration of faith comforted her in her final moments.

    • theB1ackSwan

      Reply

      I do agree. People who are bringing guns to school have no intention of mercy at all, but this does serve as a point where religion could potentially be a good thing. I argue that it isn’t worth losing your life over – would God really reject you because you wanted to stay alive (and thus, perhaps share your faith even more?)

      In any case, I hope her family is well, and I am sorry for the tragedy.

      • theB1ackSwan

        I respect people who have certified arms expertise. However, high school students are typically not in the subset of those people, and especially with issues such as bullying and regular hormonal sways, a gun is not the best option to protect oneself (if that is the intention to do so).

  3. Steve L.

    Reply

    An unspeakable tragedy! I’m convinced beyond question, she knew her final destination! This is faith in action!

  5. Felix

    Reply

    I do not believe these events ever happened the way people who have certain interests say they did.

  6. Robert S.

    Reply

    The “Do you believe in God” story was initially about Cassie Bernall, not Rachel Scott. However, it turns out that the account was misapplied to Bernall, as well.

    Valeen Schnurr was the student that was asked this question. She answered both “no” and “yes,” in an attempt to appease Harris.

    • Steve Sanchez

      Reply

      Here’s a response from a commenter on Facebook that might prove helpful: As far as being insensitive, let Rachel’s family be the arbiter of that. Her father spoke before the US House of Representatives saying the same things this so-called “misleading apologetics tool” did (see http://web.archive.org/web/2000081…8043152/www.house.gov/judiciary/scot0527.pdf) and her family works together sharing the message of Rachel’s death as an apologetic tool (see http://www.columbineredemption.com/presenters.php to bless others through the tragedy of losing their loved one. I personally find her father’s talks to be quite powerful http://vimeo.com/3548248 and full of honesty, compassion and appropriate ways to express the gospel.

    • Steve L.

      Reply

      Robert S. wrote:
      “it turns out that the account was misapplied to Bernall, as well. Valeen Schnurr was the student that was asked this question. She answered both “no” and “yes,” in an attempt to appease Harris..”

      Just out of curiosity, where did you get your information???

      • BathTub

        Steve L. sorry it appears if you point out contrary facts, Steve S deletes them. I guess they are sacred to Steve S now too.

  7. BathTub

    Reply

    Oh Steve, are you shamelessly deleting people posting factual information that runs counter to the narrative you are trying to create?

    Again?

  8. perdita

    Reply

    I’m ambivalent about this. On one hand, I can understand parents that need to make sense of a senseless tragedy. But this does a disservice to the other kids that died. They were never asked if they believed in God – because the killings weren’t about that.

    Calling her a martyr is hyperbole – even if we assume the story about her being asked her belief is true, it doesn’t follow that she was killed for being a Christian – as (again) the killers weren’t targeting any specific group and the killers apparently were taunting her and would have killed her regardless of her answer.

    However, none of that makes this any less a tragedy for her family or for any other of the victims’ families.

  9. Ryk

    Reply

    Censorship is cowardice Steve. Especially since I said nothing that might offend what you call “sacred” Unless you consider your opinions sacred….which come to think of it you probably do.

  10. Steve Sanchez

    Reply

    When it comes to these Martyrs posts, I delete all disrespectful comments, and especially those that accuse me, or other writers of lying about those who’ve died. Write about how I am a liar at other forums, not here.

    • Schmader

      Reply

      This is a “Martyrs” thread not a “Sudden Death” thread. I guess Jim’s need to muck up this blog has extended to every thread now.

      • perdita

        No, no. Schmader only does the childish taunts and insults. Stormy can’t say two words without accusing people of fallacies he doesn’t actually understand.

      • Schmader

        Perdita you just insulted me and you are complaining about me?

        I think atheists are oblivious to what they say.

      • perdita

        Hey! I wasn’t the one accusing you of being Stormy. I was defending you!

      • perdita

        Ok, Schmader, I’ll tone it down a bit. Will you do the same?

  11. Thomas Moore

    Reply

    Thank you for this post Pastor Steve! God used the tragedy of Columbine in my life when on November 6th, 2002 after just getting halfway through the book “She Said Yes” the book that gives the testimony of Cassie Bernall who was killed at Columbine, I repented and placed my trust alone in Jesus to save me (I was a junior in high school when Columbine happened)! Cassie’s struggles and battles before coming to Christ were so much like the struggles that I had been through and was going through at the time I read the book. The whole born-again experience truly is what the song “Amazing Grace” describes and that’s what took place halfway into “She Said Yes.” Every year on my second birthday I read the book again and continue everyday by the power of the Holy Spirit to say “Yes” to live for Jesus!

    • perdita

      Reply

      I guess this is one reason I’m not a Christian. I place a very high value on truth and ends justifying means doesn’t work for me.

      • Steve L.

        perdita says:
        ” I place a very high value on truth and ends justifying means doesn’t work for me.”

        Interesting! The “truth” YOU rely on is not ultimate truth! That can only be found in the Scriptures. ” Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth.” (Jn. 17:17)

        This is the truth that leads to everlasting life; nothing more important!!

      • Nohm

        “The “truth” YOU rely on is not ultimate truth! That can only be found in the Scriptures.”

        Please support this claim. No, you cannot use the fact that the Scriptures baldly assert to be “truth” as support, as that would be circular.

      • Ryk

        Steve L
        You are mistaken, there is no ultimate truth in the Bible. The Christian God is a proven impossibility therefore any stories or legends attributed to it or fundamentally flawed and unreliable. There are of course things in the Bible that may be true, the bible mentions the existence of sheep, which we know to be true. It speaks of the city of Jerusalem which we know is a real city, there may be other true assertions in the Bible as well. However there is nothing that can reasonably be defined as ultimate truth.

      • perdita

        “truth” YOU rely on is not ultimate truth! That can only be found in the Scriptures. ”

        Nohm and Ryk pretty much covered this. At one time I believed Scriptures contained Ultimate Truth. But when I looked for support to back up my belief – when I fact-checked the Bible with life, the universe, and everything – I found none.

        What I found was that the Scriptures contain no more truth then any other sacred texts. If you can actually demonstrate that Scripture = Ultimate Truth, I would be interested. And to repeat, baldy asserting something is not the same as demonstrating.

        This is the truth that leads to everlasting life; nothing more important!

        I had thought, per your beliefs, that everlasting life is a given and that the only question is where you spend your everlasting life. This is wrong?

      • Steve L.

        Putting semantics aside, the word eternal means without beginning or end or, always existing. It is often used incorrectly to describe what a person will experience after salvation. Everlasting life would be a more accurate term in this case. (never coming to an end from a certain point in time)

        And yes, you will have everlasting life; in one place or the other!

      • perdita

        I’m not sure to who you’re directing your eternal v everlasting comment, but I really wished you would have answered the “support your claim” requests instead.

      • Steve L.

        perdita:
        Why not read the last paragraph in your earlier reply?

      • perdita

        I used ‘everlasting’ because you did. Why bring up eternal v everlasting? Were you making a case that we all have eternal life but only some have everlasting life? That seems really…pointless. I mean, isn’t Existence Forever With God v Existence Forever in Hell distinct enough? And if that was your point, why contradict it with, “And yes, you will have everlasting life; in one place or the other!”?

        And, while this is fun, why focus on this side issue and not the main one of demonstrating that ultimate truth can only be found in Scriptures?

      • Steve L.

        In the first place, “I” wanted to draw a distinction between the two as they are often miss understood. That was my choice; hope you understand.

        Second, regardless of what I write, you will find fault because I believe the ultimate expression of truth is found in the Bible.

        I spent almost thirty one years living apart from God and his word and almost thirty six years as a Christian. I’ve seen both sides and simply put it’s my desire to “walk with God!” Looking at it from a secular point of view, “time will tell!” If I’m wrong, ashes to ashes – dust to dust. But if you’re wrong, you already know your fate.

      • perdita

        Okay – it just kind of came out of nowhere.

        Second, regardless of what I write, you will find fault because I believe the ultimate expression of truth is found in the Bible.

        If you understand that it’s just a deeply held belief and that you have no way of demonstrating it’s truth to non-believers, then I’m alright with that.

        If you insist that non-believers make special accommodations for your beliefs, then I have a problem. For example, if you took the position that we should change how we teach biology or cosmology because they don’t mesh with Scripture, your belief wouldn’t be enough.

      • Beth Renee

        Whateverman when you use your legal name, tell everyone where you work, post your email and your phone number, then you can call Steve Sanchez a coward.

        Steve has opened himself up to every nutter atheist. To me that is brave.

      • Whateverman

        Tho to be fair to Steve, I didn’t actually call him one in this thread. I suggested that he doesn’t subject his own behavior to the standards he subjects ours to.

        However, I’ve called him a coward in the past.

      • theB1ackSwan

        I’m sorry Beth, but when did Steve tell us his phone number? Apparently Tony Miano isn’t brave – he’s censored a lot of us for revealing his address which is public information on the internet.

      • the proof is out there

        Beth the atheists have called Steve worse names than coward.

        Read the “Living Waters and Way of the Master / Steve Sanchez” thread at wearesmrt for proof.

    • Whateverman

      Reply

      Steve, do you understand why it’s hypocritical of you to block that question?

      You have a regular segment on your blog where you use the deaths of random people to advocate your religion. And yet, when I ask a question about this person’s death in relation to your beliefs, you seem to feel I stepped over some line.

      Why? Why can you use someone’s death as a lever for your beliefs, but I’m not allowed to do the same?

      • Steve Sanchez

        It matters not to me that you think I’m a hypocrite… or a liar, or whatever. I refuse to allow anyone to denigrate the memory of this girl’s death. My unofficial policy is to not allow negative comments on the Martyrs posts.

        Take this issue up with these people, they are the primary sources for this post:

        Darrell Scott (Rachel’s Dad. I’m sure he’s love to hear from cynical atheists) & Beth Nimmo, authors of “Rachel’s Tears: The Spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott.” Nashville: Nelson, 2000

        Also: Wendy Murray Zoba. “Day of Reckoning: Columbine and the Search for America’s Soul.” Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000

      • Nohm

        In a nutshell: “I like to think of it as good story-telling.“

      • Whateverman

        refuse to allow anyone to denigrate the memory of this girl’s death.
        Nothing I posted denigrated her death

        My unofficial policy is to not allow negative comments on the Martyrs posts.
        I posted no negative comments. I asked you a question Steve.

      • Whateverman

        Well, it seems clear that something about my question bothered you, Steve, though it adhered to every rule you’ve written here on this blog. If you could actually describe what this new, unmentioned rule is, perhaps it would help me from offending you again.

        Unless, of course, there was no rule…

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