Hurrican is God's work

[Cobber]

Hi all,

Just read an article from back home in Australia titled "Hurricane is God's work: Christian extremists"

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/hur...302770141.html

I didnt realise that there is such support in this notion. What do others think?

[Dondi]

Oh, please. Ok, in an indirect sense, the hurricane is God's doing, since "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psalm 90:2). He caused the conditions that made natural disasters happen, but these same conditions are what makes the seasons so that we can grow crops.

But to suggest that this is a targeted effort of God to bring justice to the heathen is a bit presumptuous. Fundamentalists should know that even Jesus dealt with this issue in Luke 13:

1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.


2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

God rains and shines on both the righteous and the unrighteous.

[I, Brian]

I'm expecting to see some backwards prophesising via Revelations any moment...

[InLove]

I am not familiar with this media source--perhaps it is respected. And I really cannot say much about Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell, because I do not really understand them. But I do know this--to say that Jesse Jackson or Franklin Graham do not care about these people who are suffering is to take their words out of context for the sake of sensationalism. Really--I cannot believe that so much of the world sees it this way.

My 2 cents.

[Moddy]

Dozens of mosques still stand during Tsunami
this mosque in Sigli was made only of wood but still survived unscathed despite all the other buildings around it being destroyed

During Katina Hurricane on Aug. 31, where six Presbyterian churches were destroyed, Canon Johnson said Christ Church, Bay Saint Louis; Trinity, Pass Christian; [censored]. Patrick’s, Long Beach; [censored]. Peter’s, Gulfport; [censored]. Mark’s, Gulfport; and Redeemer, Biloxi, had been “demolished.”

April 8, 1998 Alabama
It was a night when 14 churches were heavily damaged or destroyed.

A MIRACLE FROM THE ALLAH ALMIGHTY! THOSE WITH INSIGHT WILL RETURN TO THE PATH OF GOD BEFORE THE COMING DOOM.

[Awaiting_the_fifth]

If there is a monotheistic style God then one would have to assume that this was his will, but he has given us no obvious reason for his actions. This suggests one of two things to me,

either there is no God and this is simply an act of nature,

or there is a God and he is petty and vengeful and not to clever.

[Faithfulservant]

Considering that churches are made of wood and brick.. The body of Christ is THE church. We dont hold special reverence to the actual building. What I thought was interesting is that in New Orleans a tree fell almost on top of a statue of Jesus Christ, missing it by a hair... That statue is still standing.

[Faithfulservant]

Oh yeah to add.. In America.. in the south theres a church on every corner.. The fact that only 6 were destroyed doesnt even dent the number that were left standing. lol

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Awaiting_the_fifth

If there is a monotheistic style God then one would have to assume that this was his will, but he has given us no obvious reason for his actions. This suggests one of two things to me,

either there is no God and this is simply an act of nature,

or there is a God and he is petty and vengeful and not to clever.

Perhaps, the structures of man, are irrelevent to "God", wherein the human spirit's capacity is. The remaining 47 states have simply rolled up their sleaves to begin assisting the other three in putting their peoples' lives back together.

The EU and UN have offered logitstical support, even Cuba offered significant medical expertise and aid. China, with its own disaster problems has offered assistance. Infact over 30 countries, some hurt themselves, offered aid.

Rather than being vengeful, it seems that even for a little while, the world has dropped a lot of the petty bickering with each other, to pull together in one direction. That feat in and of itself, is pretty clever, if the author of it is "God".

my thoughts.

v/r

Q

[path_of_one]

The third option, my own, is that there is a God, but this is still an act of nature.

Acts of nature are not evil, nor are they punishment. They just are. They're part of living on a planet that is alive and constantly undergoing the process of birth and death. It doesn't mean there isn't a God. It doesn't mean that God doesn't care or is vengeful. It's just nature, and it's good.

Saying that natural forces are good doesn't denounce our own suffering (at times) from them. But we must resist the temptation to be so anthropocentric that we define the existence or character of God based on the suffering of humanity. We need to remember that if there is a monotheistic God, S/He is God of all creation as well, and the natural forces of this planet are good, even if how we experience them is not.

Yes, suffering due to these natural disasters is very sad. It also produces outpouring of love and compassion from people, as Q pointed out, in a way that we typically do not see.

I find it far more disturbing that there are countless homeless and poor in our own country and around the world who, because their suffering was not brought about by a sudden natural disaster, are ignored. 47% of the world's population lives on $2 per day or less. That is suffering that we can do something about, and is only caused by humankind's own inequality, greed, and lack of compassion.

At least when natural forces cause suffering, a great effort is made to alleviate it.

My two cents.
Path

[MindFreak]

To believe that this Hurricane is an act of god you first have to make the assumption that there is a god. And also, what kind of sadistic god would kill so many innocent people?

[path_of_one]

Originally Posted by Moddy

Dozens of mosques still stand during Tsunami
this mosque in Sigli was made only of wood but still survived unscathed despite all the other buildings around it being destroyed

During Katina Hurricane on Aug. 31, where six Presbyterian churches were destroyed, Canon Johnson said Christ Church, Bay Saint Louis; Trinity, Pass Christian; [censored]. Patrick’s, Long Beach; [censored]. Peter’s, Gulfport; [censored]. Mark’s, Gulfport; and Redeemer, Biloxi, had been “demolished.”

April 8, 1998 Alabama
It was a night when 14 churches were heavily damaged or destroyed.

A MIRACLE FROM THE ALLAH ALMIGHTY! THOSE WITH INSIGHT WILL RETURN TO THE PATH OF GOD BEFORE THE COMING DOOM.

I personally find it offensive to reduce a discussion about the hurricane to which places of worship are still standing in various locations. As FS pointed out, there are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of churches in the area hardest hit by this hurricane. Many were not demolished. I think it is in seriously bad taste to argue that God hit the Gulf Coast because they are Christian, as well as being entirely inaccurate, given the statistical probability of how many buildings of any type you would expect to lose given the circumstances.

As FS pointed out, the "church" in Christianity is not a building anyway. There are some denominations that do not even have physical buildings and just meet at people's homes. The "church" is the group of believers. One minister of a church that lost its building, featured on the news, exemplified this belief. Holding Sunday service on the water-logged grass where the building used to be, the congregation stood as a church as the minister, voice laden with emotion, told them all that the church was them as a body of believers and not the building they once had and would one day rebuild.

Christians' church is when two or more believers are gathered... not a building.

[Chela]

For those easily offended, look away, for I am about to present something terribly unpopular:

Earth is a living organism. Unfortunately, this organism is infected with a cancerous tumor. The name of this cancer is called humanity.

Therefore, in order for Earth’s survival, in order for future generations of humanity to live without becoming a sickness, God is performing various surgeries in order to remove the cancer.

The surgical tools his uses are called: Earth, Wind, Fire, Water.

Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because they were a cancerous tumor that, if left alone, would have spread everywhere, and then the earth would be dead.

The great tsunami struck an area of the earth that was infected with sexual degeneration, sex-slaves, etc. Pedophiles from the United States would visit this area to appease their desires.

New Orleans, with is famous Mardi Gras, was also a center of sexual degeneration, so stupidly referred to as “sexual freedom.”

There is a reason why Jesus states that all manner of sin shall be forgiven except that which is against the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is sex.

Without doubt, every natural disaster is related with the karma of the area that is affected.

[MindFreak]

That's quite a theory

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by MindFreak

That's quite a theory

Only if the earth was made for everything but man...however, I've never seen "cancer" try to repair the damage it has caused...

I see man doing that everyday.

v/r

Q