A barrage of criticism from numerous religious and political leaders greeted a New York tabloid on Thursday after the latter mocked people who reacted to the San Bernardino massacre with calls for prayer for the victims.
The Thursday edition of the New York Daily News splashed the headline, "God Isn't Fixing This" on its front page.
It also carried this subhead: "As latest batch of innocent Americans are left lying in pools of blood, cowards who could truly end gun scourge continue to hide behind meaningless platitudes."
The highly opinionated article goes on to say that "prayers aren't working" even as it praises Democratic presidential hopefuls for calling for stricter gun laws following the shooting that left at least 14 people dead.
"But after yet another mass shooting in America, GOP presidential contenders were conspicuously silent on the issue of gun control. Instead, the Republicans were preaching about prayer," the article mockingly states, referring to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Republican presidential candidates Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and Lindsey Graham in particular for responding with prayers for the victims.
Rev. Franklin Graham was among the first to react to the New York Daily News front page. Writing on his Facebook page, Graham lashed out at the "audacity" of the newpaper to criticise politicians who had publicly offered prayers and asked for God's comfort following the killings.
"Shame on them! I hope New Yorkers stop buying that paper! It's evident that this group is bashing the importance of prayer in order to promote their own gun control agenda," Graham said.
"Here's some 'news' for the NY Daily News—prayers are not 'meaningless platitudes' as they say on their cover," Graham writes. "Prayer is direct access to Almighty God and is the most powerful tool a Christian has. Prayer does make a difference in heartbreaking situations like this. Don't knock it!"
Robert Jeffress, host of Pathway to Victory, a national radio and television ministry, echoed Graham's statement. "Look, prayer's not some meaningless activity we engage in to make ourselves feel better. When we pray, we're talking to somebody greater than ourselves and asking him to do some specific things—to heal those who are wounded, to give grace to those who've lost loved ones, to protect our law enforcement personnel. Prayer's always the right thing we should do, it's the first thing we should do, but it's not the only thing we should do," he was quoted by the Gospel Herald as saying.
Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina also blasted the paper, saying that this is an example of how the "left wing is afraid of our values."
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani expressed shock: "How you can possibly criticise people who are talking about praying to God for help in a situation like this? I found after September 11th...one of the few things people had to cling to was their religion."
Activist Pamela Geller also blasted the New York Daily News' headline "God Isn't Fixing This."
"My God, we don't even have a body count yet and you are working? You are spinning? You are blaming the victims?" she said on "Newsmax Prime" on Thursday. "You're blaming God-fearing people who are praying for the victims and their families?"
Geller said the New York Daily News' headline goes to prove that the news media have now become "Sharia-compliant."
Geller said "under the Sharia, under Islamic law, you cannot criticise or offend Islam," just like what the media organisations are apparently doing.
"This is the pattern we see repeatedly," said Geller, president of the American Freedom Defense Initiative.
"The media is the largest weapon the enemy has in its arsenal, and that's what you're witnessing.
"The media has long abdicated their role as a newsgathering entity and has become an activist organisation pushing a giant lie," she said.
