The scenes from Sri Lanka are just horrific and the death toll is beyond imagining. At least 290 people are dead in what looks to be a coordinated bombing attack on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday.

Eight apparently co-ordinated explosions targeted Easter worshippers and high end hotels popular with international guests.”

The horrific death toll, which has risen dramatically overnight, was given on Monday morning by a police spokesman, who said a further 500 people had been wounded.”

The news came hours after it was revealed that an improvised bomb discovered at the main airport in Colombo had been defused.”

A nationwide curfew imposed shortly after the blasts was lifted early Monday, with AFP journalists reporting a steady stream of people and tuk tuks on the streets of Negombo.”

There was still a heavy security presence at the city’s St Sebastian’s Church, the scene of one of the devastating blasts.”

Sri Lanka’s small Christian minority — just six percent of the 21 million-strong population — has been targeted by violence in the past, but never to such brutal effect.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but police said Monday 24 people had been arrested. The government earlier said investigators would to look into whether the attackers had “overseas links”.

The powerful blasts -– six in quick succession and then two more hours later — wounded around 450 people.”

At least two of the explosions involved suicide bombers, including one who lined up at a hotel breakfast buffet before unleashing carnage.”

The suicide bomber who blew himself up at the hotel buffet has been identified. You’ll never believe his name.

Carrying a plate, the man, who had registered at the hotel the night before as Mohamed Azzam Mohamed, was just about to be served when he set off his devastating strike in the packed restaurant, a manager at the Sri Lankan hotel said.”

“There was utter chaos,” said the manager, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity as he is not allowed to speak for the company.”

The Taprobane restaurant at the hotel was having one of its busiest days of the year for the Easter holiday weekend.”

“It was 8:30 am and it was busy. It was families,” the manager told AFP.”

“He came up to the top of the queue and set off the blast,” he added.”

“One of our managers who was welcoming guests was among those killed instantly.”

Three churches – St. Anthony’s Shrine, St. Sebastian’s Church, and Zion Church – and three luxury hotels were targeted. No group has yet claimed credit for the attacks, though Sri Lankan authorities are seeming to point the finger at one particular radical Muslism group, National Thowheeth Jama’ath, after warning of possible attacks being planned earlier this month.

So naturally, who do prominent figures on the left recognize as being the targets of the attacks? Tourists and… “Easter worshippers.”

I literally never heard the phrase “Easter worshippers” before today. We’re called Christians. pic.twitter.com/AMx5qwqXDU

— Jeremy McLellan (@JeremyMcLellan) April 22, 2019

Yes, those are screenshots of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and current declared presidential candidate Julian Castro referring to the Christians who were brutally murdered on Easter Sunday as “Easter worshippers.” A question – did they get the idea from the Associated Press? Because apparently the AP used this phrase in reference to Notre Dame and now, per Twitter, it’s “all the rage.”

The Associated Press sent out an article that used the phrase “Easter worshippers” just two days ago. It got reprinted in like 1000 publications.

It’s not that uncommon a phrase and if it’s on the top of people’s tongues, that’s why.

Obama, Clinton and Castro are all Christian. pic.twitter.com/mDM0WMfsSa

— Arlen Parsa (@arlenparsa) April 22, 2019

First of all, what are the headline writers at the AP smoking? First, they use the phrase “tourist mecca” in association with Notre Dame when they *gasp!* discover it’s still used as a Catholic church and cathedral…

There aren't really the right words for how ignorant and insensitive this is. pic.twitter.com/kzWbmy6LFV

— Ellen L. Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) April 19, 2019

… and now we have the euphemism of “Easter worshippers” instead of the word Christian.

Count me among those who have never heard the term “Easter worshipper” before yesterday. If you are going to church on Easter Sunday, you are not worshipping Easter. You are worshipping because of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The word “Easter” is one that has been adopted over the course of time for use by Christians, but has roots in other, more pagan, meanings. There are so many different ways one can refer to those who were brutally murdered on Sunday in the churches of Sri Lanka. One could say “Christians celebrating Easter” or just “Christians” (Twitter has a character limit, after all), but to say “Easter worshippers” smacks of fudging the terminology so one doesn’t have to actually SAY the word “Christian.” Who else but Christians would be celebrating and worshipping on Easter Sunday, anyway?

Do better, AP, because frankly, you’re falling down on the job here. Do you even have any Christian headline writers who are comfortable enough to admit their faith at work? And to those on the left who tweeted out “Easter worshippers” as if this was common parlance for them… now we all know exactly how seriously you take the faith that you profess when you’re on the campaign trail.

Featured image: St. Sebastian’s Church in Sri Lanka, screenshot via CBS News on YouTube