Another Holy Mystery

It is well known that God likes to punish people through their children; but even when He rewards them via the same channel, gratitude is not always fortcoming. The secular arm in Australia has just adjourned its trial of some pious folk over the death of an eight-year-old girl whom the All-Merciful saw fit to afflict with diabetes and a parental dupe. On the instructions of his brethren in Christ, her father withdrew her insulin, causing her to be transported to Heaven after a period of no doubt cleansing physical chastisement; he proclaimed in his closing statement that he believed her "only sleeping," although his lachrymose demeanour at the time might cause the uncharitable to question his faith. Indeed, when it comes to this ultimate matter the sect as a whole appears disturbingly lacking in joyful acquiescence to the divine Will. Their defence is based on the Saviour's assertion that the dead can rise again; from which it follows that charges of murder or manslaughter are meaningless; nevertheless, they also claim religious persecution without apparently rejoicing or being exceeding glad, as the Saviour also enjoined. It is quite the little paradox.