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Think No Evil: Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting...and Beyond Audiobook
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(4.01) - 178 listener ratings
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The Amish will be the first to tell you they're not perfect. But they do a lot of things right. Forgiveness is one of them. A one-room schoolhouse sat amid the gentle, quaint Amish community in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. It made such a picturesque scene with its wide, welcoming front porch and white clapboard fence, set peacefully among rolling green farm fields and filled with Amish children settling into their desks after running and playing outside. Until a gunman entered the school. He ordered the boys and adults outside. Then he bound and shot the ten remaining girls execution-style. Five girls died. Five others were left in critical condition. “I saw firsthand the effects this traumatic event had on our citizens,” writes Beiler. “As someone who grew up in an Amish household and suffered through my own share of tragedies, I found myself strangely drawn back into a culture I once chose to leave. I know these people who still travel by horse and buggy and light their homes with gas lanterns, yet as I moved among them during this tragedy, and after, I found myself asking questions: How were they able to cope so well with the loss of their children? What enables a father who lost two daughters to bear no malice toward the man who shot them? And what can I learn—what can we learn—to help us more gracefully carry our own burdens? That last question is what prompted me to share what I have learned from the families who lost so much that day.” Insert disc 6 into your PC to access public images surrounding this tragedy.
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"Think No Evil by Jonas Beiler and Shawn Smucker is an inside look at the Nickel Mines Amish School shooting of October 2, 2006. Beiler grew up in an Amish home before deciding at the age of 15 to live on the outside, so he has a unique perspective to share on this story that captivated the nation. The world couldn't look away as the news came in about a man who walked into an Amish school, sent out the boys and women, tied up the girls, boarded over the doors and windows and then proceeded to shoot all ten of them before taking his own life. The Amish community immediately offered forgiveness to the shooter and his family, reaching out to them again and again in a way that the world couldn't seem to understand. Beiler uses his own life story and the history of the Amish to offer a foundation for the unbelievable forgiveness the Amish offer those who hurt them. He tells the story of what happened in that small classroom with equal amounts of detachment and compassion. Churches spend millions of dollars a year trying to attract media attention to the story of Jesus without much sucess, but the Amish, who shun modern life conveniences, including the media, created a world wide sensation and curiosity about a God who empowered these people to offer such loving forgiveness. Their story is one of learning for all of us. Refusing to forgive only hurts the victim by creating a lifetime of hurt and bitterness, a lesson the Amish have learned through their history of non-violent resistance and martyrdom. It was difficult at times to read the words through the tears, but unlike most true crime books that are written to titillate with prurient details, he keeps the details about the shooter's actual intentions and what happened between him and the girls to a minimum, maintaining their dignity and privacy without sacrificing the power of the story."
— Clockstein (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A story that should never be forgotten.”
— Glenn Beck
Think No Evil Listener Reviews
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" This is the retelling of the story of the Nickel Mines Amish Shooting by a school counselor that lives in the area. It was a wicked crime, but the Amish residents of the community, even in the light of tragedy, show true compassion, love and forgiveness that can be a lesson to us all. I enjoyed the book, even though the crime was horrendous. "
— Julie, 6/18/2020 -
" A very good book about forgiveness. Would have given it 5 stars if the writing had been a little better, but the story is compelling and moving. It is the story of the Amish schoolhouse shooting in Pennsylvania and its aftermath. Most of the story is about the Amish virtue of forgiveness. After the shootings, in which 5 Amish girls and the shooter died, the Amish community reached out to both the shooting victims' families and the shooter's family. "
— Peggy, 2/15/2014 -
" This book was part story of the shooting at the Nickel Mines school, part informational about the Amish, and part instructional about forgiveness. While I didn't think the author's writing style was the best, I enjoyed this book for the information it gave and the challenge to live a life of genuine forgiveness. "
— Cindy, 2/10/2014 -
" I have a newfound respect for the Amish people and how they extend forgiveness. I will try to be the smae as I remember this story. And the author adds a few twists of his own and how he had to apply forgiveness in his own life. We should have the love of Christ for everyone. Then we can truly forgive and have peace. "
— Maria, 2/10/2014 -
" The information about forgiveness is amazing. The writing style is okay, but the author sometimes repeats himself. Despite that, he is also very open about his own path to forgiveness in his life. Truly a lesson for us all in this sad world where the first action after someone has been wronged is to contact an attorney and/or plot revenge. "
— Robin, 2/4/2014 -
" Joe and I went to Amish Acres this past week and I gathered an armful of Amish-themed books. This one literally kept me up half the night while on vacation. It tells the true story of a one-room Amish schoolhouse shooting in Lancaster County, PA. In chilling detail it outlines the night before, morning of and aftermath of one man's horrific crime on these most peaceful of people. Even more shocking than the crime is the Amish community's response. Their immediate impulse is to forgive the killer of their children and to welcome his family into their homes. If you can handle disturbing material, this book is a very worthwhile read. "
— Jennifer, 1/30/2014 -
" Very good. Very thought provoking. "
— Lyn, 1/18/2014 -
" An excellent book focusing on the importance of forgiveness "
— Lynne, 1/13/2014 -
" This book is about unconditional forgiveness. A must read. "
— Pauline, 12/22/2013 -
" This book was great, we all could learn a lot from the Amish community after this tragedy. "
— Monica, 12/16/2013 -
" Intensely inspirational. This book is not so much about the tragedy of the Nickel Mine Schoolhouse shooting as it is about the divinity of forgiveness. Powerful example to us all. "
— 'Ailina, 12/14/2013 -
" The authors point of view on forgiveness is decent. It allows the reader who is not quick to forgive a different perspective. The tragedy that took place at the school house, violent, devastating...The flow of the book however was a bit all over the map and thus the rating of 2 (ok) "
— Christine, 11/27/2013 -
" Wow! What we all could learn about forgiveness and faith from the Amish. A new perspective and way of approaching life. "
— Stephanie, 3/1/2013 -
" I was amazed at the incredible discipline of forgiveness in these people. This book isn't so much about the incident at the Amish school but more about the peoples reaction after. Very moving! "
— Carla, 11/27/2012 -
" This book says exactly what I want to say about forgiveness but everyone thinks I'm crazy, even other Christians. "
— Sarah, 10/13/2012 -
" More than just an account of the shooting at the Amish school; it explores the Amish and their doctrine of forgiveness. I found it interesting and, at times, moving. "
— Lisa, 5/27/2012 -
" This was a lot more of a religious book than I was bargaining for. "
— Ms., 2/8/2012 -
" Powerful. Chapter 13: Why Forgive? - a different way of thinking about forgiveness. Note to self: re-read Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning." Both books offer a healing way to deal with tragedy and horror. "
— Betty, 1/29/2012 -
" I was amazed at the incredible discipline of forgiveness in these people. This book isn't so much about the incident at the Amish school but more about the peoples reaction after. Very moving! "
— Carla, 5/25/2011 -
" More than just an account of the shooting at the Amish school; it explores the Amish and their doctrine of forgiveness. I found it interesting and, at times, moving. "
— Lisa, 6/29/2010 -
" Intensely inspirational. This book is not so much about the tragedy of the Nickel Mine Schoolhouse shooting as it is about the divinity of forgiveness. Powerful example to us all. "
— 'Ailina, 11/18/2009 -
" This book says exactly what I want to say about forgiveness but everyone thinks I'm crazy, even other Christians. "
— Sarah, 9/20/2009
About the Authors
Jonas Beiler grew up in a strict and traditional Old Order Amish family during the 1950s. Now he is the cofounder and chairman of the Angela Foundation. He is also a licensed family counselor and founder of the Family Resource and Counseling Center in Gap, Pennsylvania.
Shawn Smucker is a native of Lancaster County in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. His mother grew up Amish and his father was in the Beachy Amish Church. A graduate of Messiah College, this is his second book.