Has God Entered the 'No-Spin Zone?'
Last year, 2005, was difficult for so many people personally and publicly. We saw our own country revised by powerful hurricanes, leaving people homeless, jobless and in some instances, heartless from the pain of the devastation. Additionally, there was much to be said from the distraction caused by the tsunami in so. Asia and the earthquake in Pakistan.
Surely, many of us have heard commentaries by individuals explaining that the reason that these floods and earthquakes have occurred is because God is unhappy. Some, extremists from the religious right went so far as to say that the destruction of New Orleans was God's way of showing us that He is unhappy with prostitution or a gay lifestyle. Recently, we heard Pat Robertson say that Ariel Sharon suffered from a stroke because God was not happy that he split the land of Israel. Of course, the fanatical president of Iran says that Sharon deserved to suffer his stroke because God wants to make him ill.
But is this wild speculation about what may or may not be God's will used to explain tragedy and disaster not a way to take God's name in vein? Do we treat God like a shmata (rag) or show Him disrespect when we try to use His will and acts as an explanation for behavior that some may find personally distasteful or deserving? What are we saying about who God is and how He acts with such personal speculation? Have we put God into the 'no spin zone' as Bill O'Rieley would say?
On a side note: the idea is percolating to attend the AIPAC Policy conference in Washington, D.C. this year to take a stand and make my position known on how Iran's pursuit of neculear weapons and the hatred of this President towards Israel.
Thank you for your minds.
Surely, many of us have heard commentaries by individuals explaining that the reason that these floods and earthquakes have occurred is because God is unhappy. Some, extremists from the religious right went so far as to say that the destruction of New Orleans was God's way of showing us that He is unhappy with prostitution or a gay lifestyle. Recently, we heard Pat Robertson say that Ariel Sharon suffered from a stroke because God was not happy that he split the land of Israel. Of course, the fanatical president of Iran says that Sharon deserved to suffer his stroke because God wants to make him ill.
But is this wild speculation about what may or may not be God's will used to explain tragedy and disaster not a way to take God's name in vein? Do we treat God like a shmata (rag) or show Him disrespect when we try to use His will and acts as an explanation for behavior that some may find personally distasteful or deserving? What are we saying about who God is and how He acts with such personal speculation? Have we put God into the 'no spin zone' as Bill O'Rieley would say?
On a side note: the idea is percolating to attend the AIPAC Policy conference in Washington, D.C. this year to take a stand and make my position known on how Iran's pursuit of neculear weapons and the hatred of this President towards Israel.
Thank you for your minds.
12 Comments:
When I was a Christian I got so upset when people tried to speak for God, or to say that God was punishing someone, etc.
Now, it bothers every bit as much when I hear it. How dare people (who actually believe in God) think that they know what a god might or might not be thinking or doing? These people give themselves a lot of power.
Well, Trent Lott's home was also destroied by Hurricane Katrina.
As were many churches and homes of non gay white people in Mississippi.
Pat Robertson is a fool. A moron. Someone that nobody should listen to.
Maybe next natural disaster will destroy his home, all his personal property, his TV studio, and everything else he has. Then we can hear him say that God is mad at him.
Well Barbara..
..after many years, and before getting to your 3rd paragraph, this certainly defines for me what 'taking the name of the lord in vain' means.
T
It makes one wonder... can we be talking about the same God?
Explaining away natural disasters by claiming that it is God's will, spun in such a way as to validate a particular religious angle is one thing. I mean, ultimately, they are only words and do not directly affect anything. However, taken to the extreme where one group kills another (or all others) in God's name is an entirely different matter all together.
History is ripe with atrocities carried out in God's name. The God I believe in doesn't condone killing under any circumstances. Yes, there are issues of defense and self-preservation, etc., but killing based on differenses in belief is never ok.
Just my $.02.
Mike
I think that when things happen, we shouldn't say this happened to them because of this and that but should think what can I learn from this to improve Myself.
God wants you to go to AIPAC. She just told me.
obviously, GOD is prejudiced.
For some people GOD is a 'mini-me'
(reference to Austin Powers movie)
I agree that Pat Robertson has issues. Nevertheless, his statements, and those of others, who are not as extreme as Robertson, regarding why these disasters took place give me cause of concern.
I like that part about God being a mini-me. And TLP, yes people do think that they have some sort of divination or channel into what God may and may not be doing, which is, comes to surface from one's own brain and spin on issues.
AIPAC is something I feel strongly about this year. Let's see!
Why would God want to punish an entire city and make them suffer? What would be the point of that?
And why would God want the prime minister of Israel to suffer after all the work put into his efforts for the state he loves in an attempt to create peace?
Maybe God is not the cause of our suffering.
Bad things happen and we ask why when it is cause and effect at work. Why hold God responsible?
Shouldn't we be asking instead what we can learn from it?
Shouldn't we ask what we can do to ease the pain when bad things happen to others as in the case of Katrina for instance?
Shouldn't we ask what we can do to prevent bad things from happening again?
When we ask those kinds of questions and then follow up with action, we are allowing God to work through us.
When Katrina happened, people asked "Where is God?" Well, God was in all those good folks who worked so hard to ease the pain and make things better.
There is a wonderful book by Rabbi Harold Kushner, which was a best seller many years ago, called, WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE.
It deals with some of the very issues that susieq has raised, why would God make people suffer, punish groups, or hurt innocents? Maybe it has nothing to do with God at all. But we look to God for strength and hope when these things occur.
This is a slender book, and worth every penny. It was written by the Rabbi when his 13 year old son died from pergoia. He was a good person, a religious man, and he could not understand how God could allow his only son to die.
A must read.
This radical theory can be proved wrong so easily, there are numerous people living a life that all normal religions would label as one that is pleasing to G-D, and yet seem to be the receiving end of G-D's wrath.
Is it really because He's not pleased with them, or is it for a reason beyond our puny understanding?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home