If God's wrath is revealed through lightning strikes and other natural disasters, He or She is just swinging wild punches at this point. All three of these stories are getting airplay right now:
Fire on Containment Ship Halts Oil Spill Collection
Arkansas Flash Flood Kills 19
And the Pièce de résistance:
Touchdown Jesus Destroyed by Lightning
Touchdown Jesus before God's Wrath:
Touchdown Jesus after (or during) God's Wrath:
I'll leave the theological implications of God being angry at oil cleanup efforts, Arkansas campers and Touchdown Jesus to the comments sections.
15 comments:
This is why you're a "minor Mennonite." If you were a "major Mennonite," you would find plenty of lessons to be learned from these incidents. (By the way, maybe the devil did these things, particularly the fiery things.) I think G*d is more known for using water to harass people. You know, The Flood and the Florida and Louisiana hurricanes to punish gays and their sympathizers.
The most satisfying explanation is always that it's God punishing those you disagree with and the devil harrassing those you do agree with.
I really would like to know how fundies explain lightning striking touchdown Jesus. It can't be just chance, because they don't believe in that. But I've also never heard of the devil manipulating the weather. Is there a precedence for that?
Actually, I control the weather. So there. And be careful or ZAP! I may come after your tree, house, car or graven image.
The pastor of the church that erected Touchdown Jesus said that TJ saved the church from the lightening strike just like he died to save us from our sins.
I am not making this up!
Also he said that they put up TJ to represent freedom.
Maybe God just doesn't like the south? Think of how many terrible things happen in warm climates versus cold climates? The cochroach sizes in the south versus the sizes up north alone should convince anyone that God loves the north. I'm positive God skis and rides a big snowmobile. Besides, 100's of northern children make snow angels for God every year. ;-)
(Pretty good for an atheist, right?)
Maybe God just doesn't like the south? Think of how many terrible things happen in warm climates versus cold climates? The cochroach sizes in the south versus the sizes up north alone should convince anyone that God loves the north. I'm positive God skis and rides a big snowmobile. Besides, 100's of northern children make snow angels for God every year. ;-)
(Pretty good for an atheist, right?)
Oops, sorry about the double post. Computer issues this evening.
Or maybe God just isn't that interested in us at all. And it's just the weather.
Tim,
The question of why all these differing evetns happen is one that is well worth asking, but not answerable in the space of a blog post.
At issue is the timing of God's justice, effects of living in a fallen world, and an adversary whose goal is to separate us from God.
Tim, my question to you is this. If it were up to you, would you prefer to live in a world where God's justice was swift and sure? Or would you prefer to live in a world without justice at all?
Robert, I didn't realize I only had two options. Here's my question to you: Would you prefer to live in a world where leprechauns distribute pots of gold, or where unicorn tears heal all wounds?
I'd prefer to live in a world where natural phenomena occur due to understandable laws of nature. And justice is a human concept that requires concrete human action to bring about.
I believe Robert just got pwned, as the kids say.
Impressive work, young Tim.
Yes, I know that didn't add anything meaningful to the converation, and for that I apologize. But it needed to be said!
Jeez Tim, how silly can you get?? Everyone knows it's PHOENIX tears.
(unicorn tears, sheesh)
Jeez Tim, how silly can you get?? Everyone knows it's PHOENIX tears.
(unicorn tears, sheesh)
Tim,
Obviously there are more than two options. Good, we now agree that both ends of the spectrum are ridiculous. Justice from God that is immediate as well as justice from God that is capricious and arbitrary are both bad choices.
So we are left with the choice that justice is both delayed, as well as not random. Given that, if you would like to have a better understanding of how it is applied, we will have to find out if God has communicated with us somehow.
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