How Do Christians Explain Natural Disasters? - Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Inc »
Posted By Radiofreeeuropa 1 month, 3 weeks ago in Religion" Disasters prove that something is terribly wrong with our world. The world was obviously made by someone good – the sun shines, plants grow, and gorgeous beaches line the ocean like emeralds. But there is a terrible flaw – a crack, if you will – that manifests itself in both daily frustrations and epochal disasters. The Bible explains this by pointing to the terrible intrusion of sin in this world. Man’s sin has defaced the world. Adam’s entire world was a garden until he sinned. But then, God said, “Cursed shall be the ground because of you” (Gen. 3:17). Paul explains, “The creation was subjected to futility” (Rom. 8:19), and it awaits its rebirth in the coming resurrection. We may point our fingers at God, but the reality is that we are to blame: it is sin’s profound effects that have caused the very fabric of nature to be cursed. This results in rust on metal pipes, in weeds growing in gardens, in little boys and girls growing old until their bodies become lifeless, and in great, violent waves tragically silencing voices by the thousands. “The wages of sin is death,” Paul wrote (Rom. 6:23), and we should respond to disasters not by hating God but by hating sin."
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Radiofreeeuropa1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Basically, Phillips' explanation is as follows: we are all sinners deserving of whatever natural nastiness comes our way. The only person who didn't deserve to die was Jesus Christ, God's perfect son. So suck it up ...
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That's right ... babies sucked out of their cribs by tsunamis had it coming. If you can swallow this kind of mental bat sh*t, perhaps you would be interested in a bridge I can sell you at rock bottom price...it's over in Brooklyn.-
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vor1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Sheesh, why didn't they just reprint Jonathan Edwards "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". This is just fire and brimstone theology.
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I grew up in NC and Billy Graham was always held up as a fine, kind, and generous man. It was only much later that I learned this was his belief system. On occasion TBN reruns some of his sermons from the 60's and those confirm his "repent or perish" beliefs. Funny that this was one of the reasons I left Christianity at a very young age. We used to see signs with that exact phraseology on the mountain roads when we would go to the Smoky Mountains. Even at that young age I found it hard to believe that God was so demanding and judgmental. But then you see the Ten Commandments and see that this supposed God demands that you only follow its word and only acknowledge this one entity above all others (quite cultlike). Yet this is a supposedly omnipotent being. It should not need to demand fealty from anyone. It should be in total control. To believe otherwise is to believe life is but a cruel game to be played where you are f-cked from the start and only continue on by willful appeasement. Sorry but that just doesn't appeal to me. I chalk these deaths up to fate. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"They say theres a heaven for those who will wait
Some say its better but I say it aint
Id rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun..."
Reminds me of Lancelot Andrewes who help organize the creation of the KJV Bible. He would cry and grovel before God until at least noon everyday and considered anyone who would not do the same an unworthy Christian. And of course during that time there was the option of wearing a hairshirt made from boars hair that would prick and prod you to the appropriate misery throughout the day.
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rightfromwrong1 month, 3 weeks ago
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if there was a God ... it would still be a compassionate and a just God. The bible would likely say that 9-11 was God's way of spanking America but when one's own government is behind it because there is this agenda already in place, well it kind of takes God out of the question.
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When I look at the life of Jesus he was a compassionate person not an oppressor. So he would have been considered a socialist or a communist in today's world. So why is it that this right wing christian element in the USA is always on the right which most definitely is oppressive, dictating to people i.e abortion issue? -
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Charlson1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Sin is relative if we define it as unacceptable behavior as prescribed by a religion. I think humans are ruled by their appetites and wants. At an early age, a child learns what they can or can't get away with. There's no right or wrong for a child, only whether they can have it or not and what are they willing to do to get it. We are taught what is acceptable and what is not. A sin in one neighborhood would not be a sin in another. And linking sin to natural disasters is just another form of paganism and ignorance.
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vor1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Well said. And they are also generally then taught religion which would never arise without guidance. I always remember the 5-year old, Isiah, from the film "Jesus Camp", who claims he was "saved". How could a 5-year old possibly understand such a concept only a few years out of potty training. Only with the guidance of adults. How ironic that his parents were fundamentalists. I see this as one of the ultimate violations of free will. Likely one of the reasons organized religion has been responsible for so much evil over the centuries.
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Dionys1 month, 3 weeks ago
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"Sin is relative if we define it as unacceptable behavior as prescribed by a religion."
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Is that how it's defined? I suppose it depends on your depth of understanding of theology.
Seems to me that 'sin' is that which moves you away from God/the Divine.
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RickyDawkins1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Do you believe in miracles too?
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The term "natural" has been disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_disaster
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jimdoze1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Government is now the proper God. It is government that is now looked to for amelioration of all viccissitudes of the human condition. Plus, it has even become "blasphemous" and "inhumane" to question the notion that government can solve the viccissitudes of human existence without becoming inhumane in the process.
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Endoscopy1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Listen to these silly atheists rant about natural disasters. Think about the fact that people know these things exist and what they can do. What do people do? Build houses in flood plains and by the sea. Then when the natural disaster come they ask why did this happen to me. I live in Florida and live with the fact of hurricanes. I bought a house 8 miles inland that has good drainage. My house has cat 5 windows all around. The roof has hurricane protection as well. I might have some damage but my house will still be standing and secure. I have talked with people living on the keys and they recognize that they might be wiped out but choose to live there anyway.
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So why is it God's fault that people make bad decisions?-
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Dionys1 month, 3 weeks ago
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I'm with you here. If you build in a place where there are natural disasters, you should either be prepared or be prepared to replace your house yourself. I'm tired of paying for all the people who rebuild in hurricane zones, flood plains and disaster areas over and over.
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Radiofreeeuropa1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Somewhat true. The socio-dynamics of the victims in Samoa are not similar to those in America's "redneck riviera" though.
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Which leads me to ponder why every republican senator and every blue dog has decided to use "socialism" for the insurance companies who insured those very risky properties?
(Flood insurance reform act). After last years storms, they voted to "socialize" the insurance industries pay outs. Wow, what a racket. Collect billions of dollars to insure properties, but when the insurance is needed because the properties are destroyed or damaged, say oops too bad and get government lackeys to cover your "bets" with taxpayer money instead. What a racket! No wonder Wall Street loves these thieves...er uh...companies.
Yes it's risky to live in flood plains, near faults, in tornado alley, under a piece of falling space junk, in the wake of Poseidon, or near a nuke electric plant. But insurers calculate those risks in their premiums don't they. Why should should you or I bail them out? This is especially curious as these same people are so opposed to government involvement in healthcare insurance...calling it socialism.
I guess it's not Socialism as long as money is redistributed to the rich only. Huh?
Anyway the advice in the article - that we should be content to suffer and witness suffering and death because the bearded fellow in the clouds is still ****** about that whole apple thing is less than satisfactory in my book. -
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smithichie1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Endo, disasters can happen ANYWHERE. Yes there are areas more prone than others, but it's a silly person who thinks they are safe from ever having to face a natural disaster. Your Cat. 5 windows will do you no good in the event of a wild fire or elephant stampede.
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smithichie1 month, 3 weeks ago
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What I don't get when a disaster strikes is there is always someone who escapes with little or no damage and they thank their god. If their god chose to spare them, what does that say about the folks who weren't spared?
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If we're going to use original sin as the reasoning for disasters, why don't disasters effect folks equally?-
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Radiofreeeuropa1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Um. some people are more righteous than others?
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Yeah, those infants weren't righteous enough....
Dionys is right though, not all theists are the thumping evangelistic hoodoo honkers variety.
It is a matter of degrees. And 55 degrees feels balmy if you just came from a 20 below environment.
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