God and Natural Disasters

[Johnfromokc]

With all the recent tornadoes, you see "god" invoked a lot. This was an interesting article about a baby girl that was apparently found 10 miles from the family home:

http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/2012/...eld-10-miles-from-familys-home-after-tornado/

Baby Girl Found Alone In Field 10 Miles From Family’s Home After Tornado

A baby girl found alone in a field in Indiana after Friday’s massive, tornado-spawning storms is being treated in a Kentucky hospital.

A spokeswoman for the hospital in Salem, Ind., where the girl was first taken said Saturday that authorities were still trying to figure out how she ended up in the field alone. St. Vincent Salem Hospital spokeswoman Melissa Richardson says the child’s family is from New Pekin, Ind., about 10 miles south of where the child was found.

In the comments section, I saw these interesting comments:

randy

The good Lord was looking after her

Abner Hale

Too bad the good Lord decided to send the damn tornado in the first place, eh?

randino

really? The same god who blew her home to pieces, and killed so many others? Looks like he only failed to kill her as well.

JamesD

We all have to die sometime Abner. I’d rather die quickly in a Tornado then spend six months dying of cancer. The Lord saved the little girl according to His plan. He is merciful

APRN
abner and Randino, God is not the one who sends storms or any other catastrophes. The Bible says that “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I am come that you may have life”. (the thief is Satan).

Need to put the blame in the right place–it’s Satan’s fault, not God’s.

John

APRN… If you believe that then you must also believed God knew what he was doing when he created the devil. I give someone a gun and tell them to go kill your family. I guess you won’t hold me to blame along with the gunman.

Decimal

JamesD how merciful was God when he allowed the tornado to suck that 4 year old out of her mother’s arms to be tossed to her doom?

Smashicus

The good Lord didn’t destroy the town, it’s called Nature, morons.

Reason

I was under the impression that it was humidity, temperatures, and wind that set the conditions for tornadoes, not supernatural forces.

Sometimes, weather is weather.

That being said, it makes me happy to know this baby is alive.

Eric

So busy looking after her that he had no time to look after all those others?
She got lucky. It was possible because she’s light.

If there is a “plan” that saves one baby at the expense of dozens of other people (often including babies) then I want no part of it.

I can’t believe I just saw somebody blame the tornado on Satan. Did the storm pick us ALL up and drop us in the 11th Century?

Loved that last sentence of the last comment :lol

I guess people tend to make ridiculous comments to help themselves cope with tragedy.

 

[Joe the meek]

Contrary to popular belief, God has nothing to do with my farts.

 

[Panacea]

I guess people tend to make ridiculous comments to help themselves cope with tragedy.

That's kind of the entire basis of religion lol. From my view. Even take out the word ridiculous, many will ignore a very good point just because they feel attacked by that word. Without it the point still stands firm.

Really, I think some people use this kind of logic to help them cope:

A. Baby dies, therefore god needed the baby to be an angel, and protected it
B. Baby is saved, therefore god is good and allowed it to live
C. Something bad happens to me, therefore god wants me to be strong and serve a wonderful life purpose
D. Something good happens to me, therefore god is good

My brain's logic center sees these types of arguments as Calvinballish contradictions, but the religious brain often sees these as rational, OBVIOUS truths.

 

[Joe the meek]

That's kind of the entire basis of religion lol. From my view. Even take out the word ridiculous, many will ignore a very good point just because they feel attacked by that word. Without it the point still stands firm.

Really, I think some people use this kind of logic to help them cope:

A. Baby dies, therefore god needed the baby to be an angel, and protected it
B. Baby is saved, therefore god is good and allowed it to live
C. Something bad happens to me, therefore god wants me to be strong and serve a wonderful life purpose
D. Something good happens to me, therefore god is good

My brain's logic center sees these types of arguments as Calvinballish contradictions, but the religious brain often sees these as rational, OBVIOUS truths.

Bad shit happens to good people. Deal with it.

God helps those who helps themselves. You can pray all you want, but if you don't get off your butt, rarely does anything ever change.

 

[Panacea]

I'm mostly referring to the reactions to cases like natural disasters and tragedy, not necessarily "I didn't get a promotion" or something like that. Though definitely I think people substitute luck and hard work for god.

 

[BornReady]

Saying the good Lord was looking after the baby implies he wasn't looking out after those who died. Those who died were innocent victims of a natural disaster. To suggest God loves them any less than those who survived is insensitive to the families and friends of the victims.

I think people should leave God out of natural disasters. Some leaders of the religious right will even say on TV or radio that God is punishing America after a natural disaster. This is extremely insensitive to the families and friends of the victims. Besides they have no proof God had anything to do with the disaster. Which basically means they're slandering God.

 

[Kyanin]

Philosophers and theologians are discussing about this since Lisboa was destroyed in the 18. century. It`s impossible, that God is both, gracious and omnipotent. A gracious mother wouldn't accept that her child is getting hurt, even not if the child could learn something from this. So, there are 4 possibilities:

1. God exists and is omnipotent, but not gracious.
2. God exists and is gracious, but not omnipotent.
3. God exists and is neither gracious, nor omnipotent.
4. God doesn`t exists.

I prefer 4.

 

[BornReady]

2. God exists and is gracious, but not omnipotent.

Santa Claus and Superman can do anything. When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things. (I Corinthians 13:11)

I think religion would do well to think of God as the most powerful in his realm. But what is his realm? Not the physical world. His realm is the spiritual world. So God should be thought of as a spirit able to influence and even change the hearts and minds of men and women. God's hands and feet are the hands and feet of those inspired to reach greater heights in human compassion.

 

[Codrus]

Putting away childish things and growing up is one of the problems with the world, bunch of upright anal retentive fuddy-duddies

 

[BornReady]

Putting away childish things and growing up is one of the problems with the world, bunch of upright anal retentive fuddy-duddies

I see your point.

 

[redliner]

All the good things in the world belong to God. Where is he for the bad things ? Its bullshit. God is about as real as cheese whiz.

 

[Weebs]

Bad shit happens to good people. Deal with it.

That just about covers it.

 

[Joe the meek]

Interestingly enough, there's a lot of bad shit that happens to good people in the Bible.

Just because you believe does not mean your life is going to be easy.

 

[MainerMikeBrown]

After a natural disaster, survivors will often say that "God protected them from death."

But if that's the case, then where was God for people who's lives were destroyed? God was with you, but not them?

 

[Johnfromokc]

Interestingly enough, there's a lot of bad shit that happens to good people in the Bible.

Just because you believe does not mean your life is going to be easy.

And you don't see the irony?

 

[Joe the meek]

And you don't see the irony?

Not at all.

Just because you believe does not mean God is going to make all your problems go away.

I'm not sure why people think that if they pray to God or turn to Him in their time of trouble, that He is actually going to help.

Personally, I'm still waiting for the hammer to drop.

 

[Kyanin]

That's why I like polytheistic religions. Their gods are more like humans, unperfect, aggressive, conniving, sometimes desperated. They help the humans, if they want, but nobody would except Zeus to have nothing other to do than to send an answer to all the small little problems we have.

(by the way: Is the last sentence grammytically correct? I'm a little bit unsure.)

 

[MainerMikeBrown]

The idea that God is imperfect makes more sense to me. How can God be Perfect when perfectionism is a matter of opinion? My perception of perfection is going to be different than yours. So to me, how can God be Perfect?

 

[CityGirl]

Not at all.


I'm not sure why people think that if they pray to God or turn to Him in their time of trouble, that He is actually going to help.

.

Maybe because they have read stuff like Psalm 91.

1	He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2	I will say of the L[SIZE=-1]ORD[/SIZE], He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3	Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4	He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5	Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6	nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7	A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8	Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9	Because thou hast made the L[SIZE=-1]ORD[/SIZE], which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation;
10	there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11	For he shall give his angels charge over thee, Mt. 4.6 · Lk. 4.10 to keep thee in all thy ways.
12	They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Mt. 4.6 · Lk. 4.11
13	Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Lk. 10.19
14	Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15	He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.
16	With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation

 

[Joe the meek]

News flash...when the shit hits the fan, people are only human.

Some of the men I respect the most who teach the word of God even admit that they're human.