You have to feel empathy for those people, especially the ones who became addicted through no fault of their own, i.e. prescription from doctors.Agreed. But we blame inanimate objects like meth and heroin for deaths everyday.
And religion has nothing to do with it. Historically, religion has been responsible for more sensless deaths than just about anything else. And Chrsitianity is just as dirty as the rest of them.
One need not be Christian to be moral. If going to a Christian church helps a person be moral, I'm all for it and that is certainly a good thing, but it is not a requirement.
The kid who gets addicted because they like to party, well, that person is just reaping the consequences of his actions. The kid who got injured in a car accident, was prescribed oxy, and got addicted, that's a different story.
I agree that one doesn't have to be a Christian to be moral. Yet, one must have a moral code established in them from which they make their decisions. Fortunately, most people, even those who claim to be Christians, have a moral code they live by. Unfortunately, far too many people don't and end up causing the majority of the problems in the country.
Agree religion has nothing to do with it. Lots of lives have been lost through the years in the name of "religion". But, Christianity isn't one of them - true Christianity that is. What has been perverted, distorted, and selectively chosen as well as falsely proclaimed Christianity has though. When Jesus came, he brought with him a new set of beliefs. The thesis statement can be found in the Sermon on the Mount. THIS is true Christianity at work - not the work of man who condenses down the few verses that satisfy his decisions.