01 Jun 13
I have been watching the lead TV news story, which is the tornadoes hitting central Oklahoma. I am curious about how Believers in personal deities see natural disasters, sometimes called “acts of God.”
Andrew Tallman used to be a talk show host on Christian radio. He picked a topic for the day, and invited people to call live on the air to discuss it with him. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake his topic was, “Does God cause disasters?” At the closing of that show he said (quoting by memory here), “I think the most biblical view is that our God does cause disasters.” I no longer remember which passages of scripture he used to support this view.
Any thoughts from our Believers? I suppose you could go any of four ways on this.
1. God causes disasters.
2. Satan causes disasters.
3. God and Satan team up to cause them.
4. They are due to forces of nature that are not being guided by anything supernatural.
01 Jun 13
Originally posted by Paul Dirac IISome of them will go for 5. The world got all screwed up because Adam and Eve sinned. It's all their fault.
I have been watching the lead TV news story, which is the tornadoes hitting central Oklahoma. I am curious about how Believers in personal deities see natural disasters, sometimes called “acts of God.”
Andrew Tallman used to be a talk show host on Christian radio. He picked a topic for the day, and invited people to call live on the air to discuss i ...[text shortened]... e them.
4. They are due to forces of nature that are not being guided by anything supernatural.
01 Jun 13
1 edit
Originally posted by Paul Dirac IISatan / the evil part of man causes disaters yes - man made ones like the hole in the ozone layer / war / famine by ineptness.
I have been watching the lead TV news story, which is the tornadoes hitting central Oklahoma. I am curious about how Believers in personal deities see natural disasters, sometimes called “acts of God.”
Andrew Tallman used to be a talk show host on Christian radio. He picked a topic for the day, and invited people to call live on the air to discuss i ...[text shortened]... e them.
4. They are due to forces of nature that are not being guided by anything supernatural.
I don't blame any diety for floods or earthquakes...
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01 Jun 13
Originally posted by Paul Dirac IIgod made the earth, crappy tectonic plates and all. seems like an open and closed case to me. the ol'psycho upstairs needs to take the wrap.
I have been watching the lead TV news story, which is the tornadoes hitting central Oklahoma. I am curious about how Believers in personal deities see natural disasters, sometimes called “acts of God.”
Andrew Tallman used to be a talk show host on Christian radio. He picked a topic for the day, and invited people to call live on the air to discuss i ...[text shortened]... e them.
4. They are due to forces of nature that are not being guided by anything supernatural.
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- 6788
01 Jun 13
1 edit
Originally posted by Paul Dirac III'd add another alternative: Seeming disasters are best seen as part of God's plan for our spiritual development and so, their being disasters is in some sense an illusion due to attachment. (This blends eastern and western traditions.)
I have been watching the lead TV news story, which is the tornadoes hitting central Oklahoma. I am curious about how Believers in personal deities see natural disasters, sometimes called “acts of God.”
Andrew Tallman used to be a talk show host on Christian radio. He picked a topic for the day, and invited people to call live on the air to discuss i ...[text shortened]... e them.
4. They are due to forces of nature that are not being guided by anything supernatural.
01 Jun 13
Originally posted by JS357Geologists say what we call California is the accumulation of island arcs running into the North American continental plate, and estimate the San Andreas Fault has been slipping for 28 million years. It doesn't slip continually, but in spasms that create quakes. If, as you say, quakes are a part of God's plan, do you think He necessarily needed to turn on the San Andreas Fault that much sooner than the several thousand years humans (Native Americans were the first of us to California) have occupied the region?
... Seeming disasters are best seen as part of God's plan for our spiritual development...
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01 Jun 13
Originally posted by Paul Dirac IIWell I'm not a theist, I'm just thinking about how the various spiritual and religious traditions approach the problem of evil (in this case, "physical evil" as that term is used in the RCC.) So I added one alternative to the list.
Geologists say what we call California is the accumulation of island arcs running into the North American continental plate, and estimate the San Andreas Fault has been slipping for 28 million years. It doesn't slip continually, but in spasms that create quakes. If, as you say, quakes are a part of God's plan, do you think He necessarily needed to turn ...[text shortened]... d years humans (Native Americans were the first of us to California) have occupied the region?
01 Jun 13
Originally posted by Paul Dirac IIOh, yeah, after all, my God is just a big homicidal a-hole.
I have been watching the lead TV news story, which is the tornadoes hitting central Oklahoma. I am curious about how Believers in personal deities see natural disasters, sometimes called “acts of God.”
Andrew Tallman used to be a talk show host on Christian radio. He picked a topic for the day, and invited people to call live on the air to discuss i ...[text shortened]... e them.
4. They are due to forces of nature that are not being guided by anything supernatural.
Ask any atheist here, they'll tell you.
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01 Jun 13
Originally posted by Suziannemurder - check
Oh, yeah, after all, my God is just a big homicidal a-hole.
Ask any atheist here, they'll tell you.
disaster - check
racist - check
sexist - check
jealous - check
vain - check
selfish - check
yup, giant homicidal a-hole........his sons okay though, he must take after his mother.
01 Jun 13
Originally posted by stellspalfieRather than repeatedly going back to the 'God is a right bastard' well, I'm more of the idea that most planets in the universe (at least those that are earth-like, consisting of a rocky surface with an atmosphere and surface water (all necessary to life, I might point out)) have weather, which is chaotic by definition. It's a function of the physics involved. Be glad there is weather here. Without weather, I doubt there would be human life, either.
murder - check
disaster - check
racist - check
sexist - check
jealous - check
vain - check
selfish - check
yup, giant homicidal a-hole........his sons okay though, he must take after his mother.
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01 Jun 13
Originally posted by Suziannebe glad there is weather!!!!! you should try growing up in the north east of england. see how you feel about weather then. even the cold vacuum of space would be light relief in comparison.
Rather than repeatedly going back to the 'God is a right bastard' well, I'm more of the idea that most planets in the universe (at least those that are earth-like, consisting of a rocky surface with an atmosphere and surface water (all necessary to life, I might point out)) have weather, which is chaotic by definition. It's a function of the physics involv ...[text shortened]... Be glad there is weather here. Without weather, I doubt there would be human life, either.