I don't know why this crossed my mind yesterday while I was sitting in church, but I wasn't exactly interested in the message and my mind starting wondering. I apologize if this topic has been discussed here before.

 

There are numerous stories in the bible of God bringing his wrath down on the people for different reasons. I am particularly referring to Soddom and Gomorrah, as well as the Great Flood (Noah's story). Could Hurricane Katrina or other events be described in the same way? Could that be God's way of saying he is displeased, much like the two stories from the bible?

 

Just thought it would be an interesting discussion.

I've thought about that for the floods that have happened in Olive Hill. I thought maybe it was a response to the drug problems and other things in the community.

It could be. However, it could also be that as global population increases, people flock to the coasts and cities, and media is now global and instantaneous, that a natural event such as Katrina impacts more people and is more widely reported than 20, 50, or 100 years ago.

I don't know why this crossed my mind yesterday while I was sitting in church, but I wasn't exactly interested in the message and my mind starting wondering. I apologize if this topic has been discussed here before.

 

There are numerous stories in the bible of God bringing his wrath down on the people for different reasons. I am particularly referring to Soddom and Gomorrah, as well as the Great Flood (Noah's story). Could Hurricane Katrina or other events be described in the same way? Could that be God's way of saying he is displeased, much like the two stories from the bible?

 

Just thought it would be an interesting discussion.

 

Pat Robertson, is that you?

 

I was taught that God is compassionate and loving, not vindictive ...

^ More of a New Testament guy as opposed to an Old Testament guy.

I don't know why this crossed my mind yesterday while I was sitting in church, but I wasn't exactly interested in the message and my mind starting wondering. I apologize if this topic has been discussed here before.

 

There are numerous stories in the bible of God bringing his wrath down on the people for different reasons. I am particularly referring to Soddom and Gomorrah, as well as the Great Flood (Noah's story). Could Hurricane Katrina or other events be described in the same way? Could that be God's way of saying he is displeased, much like the two stories from the bible?

 

Just thought it would be an interesting discussion.

 

Wrath or discipline?

 

I was taught that God is compassionate and loving, not vindictive ...

 

See above....is discipline vindictive?

It really depends on your Biblican World view.

 

It is the belief of many that thinks that were ascribed to God in the old testament were done so because that was a way of explaning the natural phenomenon that ocurred.

 

There are several flood stories for example, many of which pre-date Noah (Gilgamesh) but to my knowledge the Noah flood story is the only one that says God did it. If we ascribe all of the events in the Old Testament to God that the OT writers say came from God - the God is mean and hateful and Jesus is a liar when He says God is good and God is love. The killing of innocents by one of the Hebrew armies is a horrific tale of genocide with "God" telling the soldiers they would be sinning if they left one woman or child alive. How easy to say that your actions, when looked by on historically were commanded by a vengeful, jingoist God who only loved the Jewish people.

 

The Moses stories give me a little more pause, but many of the rest are simply stories.

 

NOW I would suggest that Katrina and other storms are the NATURAL results of us not taking care of the environment. We have broken the delicate balance and this is what happens.

It really depends on your Biblican World view.

 

It is the belief of many that thinks that were ascribed to God in the old testament were done so because that was a way of explaning the natural phenomenon that ocurred.

 

There are several flood stories for example, many of which pre-date Noah (Gilgamesh) but to my knowledge the Noah flood story is the only one that says God did it. If we ascribe all of the events in the Old Testament to God that the OT writers say came from God - the God is mean and hateful and Jesus is a liar when He says God is good and God is love. The killing of innocents by one of the Hebrew armies is a horrific tale of genocide with "God" telling the soldiers they would be sinning if they left one woman or child alive. How easy to say that your actions, when looked by on historically were commanded by a vengeful, jingoist God who only loved the Jewish people.

 

The Moses stories give me a little more pause, but many of the rest are simply stories.

 

NOW I would suggest that Katrina and other storms are the NATURAL results of us not taking care of the environment. We have broken the delicate balance and this is what happens.

What caused hurricanes before we broke the "delicate balance"??

Don't know - are you suggesting God did, because that is what the thread is about. A climate debate can take place somewhere else.

It's certainly plausible, but we can never know for sure.

 

As bad as Katrina was, God's wrath was far more severe when you read the Old Testament.

NOW I would suggest that Katrina and other storms are the NATURAL results of us not taking care of the environment. We have broken the delicate balance and this is what happens.

 

The Galveston Hurricane, 1900, 8,000+ fatalities

The Great Hurricane, 1780, 22,000 fatalities

Newfoundland, 1775, 4,000+ fatalities

Pointe-a-Pitre, 1776, 6,000+ fatalities

 

While these might be the wrath of God, they certainly weren't caused by green house gases, and they are more likely the natural cycle of our planet's weather.

My apologies, I did not mean to make this a climate thread. So please ignore my part in the post where I mentioned "breaking the delicate balance." It was an editorial comment that did not go to the purpose of the thread. I do not believe the GOD ever causes anyone to be harmed. Harm takes place either through accidents or as that result of natural consequences to specific actions.

What caused hurricanes before we broke the "delicate balance"??

Howard Schnellenberger?

I always find it amusing how the bible gets picked through like a garage sale to fit one's beliefs.