Random Thought
“Act of God” is what the guy on CNN called Hurricane Katrina. To most of us, that means some random and unavoidable catastrophe. Once it’s over, we clean up, fix up, and move on.
But that’s not how others see an Act of God. To them, it’s Divine Retribution in the Old Testament sense. Or to be more accurate, in the Really New Testament sense – ie, the Koran. Those others see Hurricane Katrina as God smiting the wicked.
Well, guess what? We will clean up, fix up, and move on. And while we’ll rightfully mourn our dead, there won’t be very many of them.
Then imagine how many would die if that same Act of God hit a major city on the coast of, say, Pakistan. Thousands dead? Tens of thousands? More? And after, Americans would come in to help clean up, fix up, and move on.
I never believed in God, but I still sometimes think He/She/It must be on our side.
But – nah. We’re simply decent people who understand that an Act of God really is just some random, unavoidable tragedy. We lend it no special significance, and we’ll help clean up no matter who God smites.
In the meantime, if you do pray – now would be a good time to do so for the people still in Katrina’s path.
> Those others see Hurricane Katrina
> as God smiting the wicked.
That would be the Jerry Falwells of the world. They also think 9/11 was because of ‘Liberals and Gays and Lesbians, People for the American Way, Abortionists …”
http://vilot.com/falwell.html
I guess I will have to update that, given the new hurricane …
“I never believed in God, but I Still sometimes think He/She/It must be on our side.”
I’ve always believed in God and I do believe that.
As someone already said, the only people who believe in a vengeful God sending storms (or Islamofascit terrorists) to enact his revenge are moonbats like Falwell and Robertson.
I no more believe that God wishes the people remaining in New Orleans to die than I believe that he wished the people at the World Trade Center to die.
Katrina
The first person to suggest that Katrina is in any way the punishment of God gets a punch in the face. Ditto the first person to suggest that she’s the result of the Bush administration’s environmental policies. And finally, the
Responded at my blog.
I apologize in advance for the smarmy comment I’m about to make given the seriousness of the storm that is on her way, but I wonder how many countries are “rushing” to prepare for all the aid we’re going to receive in the aftermath? I wonder if some country will be generous enough to send their aircraft carrier? I wonder how long it is going to take Kofi set foot in New Orleans pondering the question, “Where are the people?” There’s no oil for him to skim here, so I’m going to assume that he’ll stay put.
Not only are we going to clean up, we are going to do it right and we’ll do it ourselves–and I’m just fine with that.
Tom:
It’s not just the Jerry Falwells of the world, it’s also the James Wolcotts. (And wouldn’t those two just love being lumped together!)
And while we’ll rightfully mourn our dead, there won’t be very many of them.
Thank you for saying that. Cause I’m getting annoyed with CNN and others who are reporting on their article where they posted about Katrina may be ‘our Asian tsunami’.
I think I must be the only one annoyed with that headline.
Good message, but “devine” should be spelled “divine”. I’m just trying to keep language standards reasonable here. Hopefully Andy himself would have agreed.
Hmm…sounds like you are a hedge fund investor – why encourage people to pray when you do not think anyone is listening?
TF6S – concur.
A tragic and hopefully erroneous quibble.
I will be pleasantly surprised if this doesn’t result in over 1,000 dead.
The city is 12-20 feet below sealevel.
The surge will be 20-30 feet ABOVE sealevel.
The math does not bode well.
This ignores wind.
If the Superdome collapses 10,000+ are just gone.
The disease aftermath will likely be bad too.
I’m giving blood tomorrow.
Otherwise I agree with your post wholeheartedly.
Ken,
Glad to know you’ll be giving blood. I was a couple pints away from my second Gallon Pin when I was told the Red Cross had been throwing away my blood all that time. Turns out, a temporary childhood blood disorder from 30 years ago disqualified me from donating.
But those who can, should.
Please.
re: divine retribution, I wonder what Roberston, Falwell, et al., think about all the boy scout leaders struck & killed by lightning this summer.
If the Koran is the Really New Testament, does that make the Book of Mormon the Really, Really New Testament?
Fingers crossed for our friends on the coast.
Then there are those who don’t consider hurricanes to be “Acts of God” and find it rather silly that the people who tend to call them that don’t really believe in God. Does that guy from CNN even go to church?
Most Christians I think find the term slightly offensive, and rather see the fact that so many lived, and the random acts of kindness that will occur after Katrina passes to be the true “Acts of God”. I guess it just depends on your perspective.
Yes, Nick, your observation is keen. It does annoy me that a tv personality who would never praise God on tv would blame Him for a disaster. It’s almost like a smear job; they quickly attach God’s name to bad things yet credit any good things to chance or luck.
Katrina And God
Its going to happen, I’m sure of it, if it hasn’t happened already. Someone somewhere is going to say that Hurricane Katrina was a “punishment from God.” It happened after 9/11 and it happened after the Asian tsumani. It also happens to be a total cr…
Steve — I’ve donated 18 units to date. I was very tired that week… *g*
>It’s not just the Jerry Falwells of the
>world, it’s also the James Wolcotts.
There’s a huge difference. The specific URL you referenced doesn’t appear (to me) to be indicting any particular group of people for any responsibility for the crap that happened.
Jerry Falwell has blamed a whole swath of people for September 11, and I find that reprehensible — especially from a so-called “person of faith.”
What a crock of shit.
tom, james is hoping that all the ‘morons’ who don’t TOTALLY agree with him die!
Sadly, this probably includes you & 99.999999999% of Americans.
No, he doesn’t blame, he implicates us all for Nature’s fury & hopes that we will ‘pay for our sins’.
Where’s your sense of nuance?
Is Katrina retribution from God?
That’s strange. I haven’t heard Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson exclaim that Katrina is God’s punishment on America for having gays, lesbians, Democrats, Catholics and me.
Vodkapundit muses about Katrina and its relationship to a vengeful God.
TO: Stephen Green
RE: Excuse Me, But…
“But that’s not how others see an Act of God. To them, it’s Divine Retribution in the Old Testament sense.” — Stephen Green
…your ignorance is showing. Again.
Acts of God are more beneficial than retribution. He’s saved my sorry a– moments before total destruction on several occasions.
Not that He can’t or won’t act in the other manner. But generally speaking, His retribution comes more from that other guy and He not protecting some one or group from that other guy’s actions.
You REALLY should study more.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
TO: Doug
RE: Okay…
“As someone already said, the only people who believe in a vengeful God sending storms (or Islamofascit terrorists) to enact his revenge are moonbats like Falwell and Robertson.” — Doug
…please explain the latter part of Revelation to me. I’m particularly interested in hearing your understanding of those ‘bowls of wrath’.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
TO: Stephen Green
RE: And Some People Just Don’t Believe…
“In the meantime, if you do pray – now would be a good time to do so for the people still in Katrina’s path.” — Stephen Green
…in the power of prayer. Let alone God.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
P.S. I wonder if Pat was at work again. I wouldn’t put it past him.