What if God uses natural disasters against sinful people?

Autumnleaf said:

The Westboro church does this too when they revel at funerals.

I'm not saying anyone is sinful, but many others believe in such things and are happy when they feel God's judgement has vindicated their point of view.

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Yes...charming example of Christian compassion, isnt it...?

I'd say that's a silly. Earthquakes are caused by physical changes. You might as well say that lightning strikes are Zeus being angry.

If God is responsible for natural disasters, then God is a murderer, and we have no moral reason to follow him.

Wouldn't innocent people be mowed down too? Lol..

Autumnleaf said:

A friend of mine was saying the recent earthquakes in California are like when God used fire and brimstone on Sodam and Gamora. I told her I don't think God does that stuff anymore but she disagrees. What do you think?

News from The Associated Press

"The largest earthquake to hit the San Francisco Bay Area in 25 years struck before dawn on Sunday, sending scores of people to hospitals, igniting fires, damaging historic buildings and knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses in California's wine country."

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Your friend is as misguided as the Westboro folk. hth

Paradoxum said:

You might as well say that lightning strikes are Zeus being angry.

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Wait .. What .. So you are tell'n us that lightning strikes are Zeus being HAPPY ..

Paradoxum said:

If God is responsible for natural disasters, then God is a murderer, and we have no moral reason to follow him.

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Wait .. What .. So now you're tell'n us that you've become a follower of God ..

Well alrighty then ..

Wait .. YHWH ... or Zeus ..

If God is using natural disasters to punish the sinful he has pretty poor aim.

Generally it seems to punish the poor the most. Here in the states because they do not have the resources to recover. Elsewhere because they often die in the 100s of thousands where a similar disaster here would kill few.

Hardly seems a righteous God.

Which is saying nothing against God, since I think this idea is rubbish.

Yea. Pat Robertson has been on about the same thing for years.

The Bible says that God sends sun AND rain on the good AND the evil (Matthew 5:45). The idea that "bad things only happen to bad people" is preposterous and juvenile.

It would make more sense that whoever caused a natural disaster wants everyone to suffer. If you believe such balderdash.

Then the bible belt is chock full of sinners, because tornados happen to favor the area.

I see "natural disasters" as simply 'maintenance' of the planet. God created the earth which is constantly changing.

We can not fully comprehend everything that God has done, however using science, we can comprehend some of it. We will understand more and more as we continue to grow spiritually and scientifically.

We will never know everything, because God will always be many steps above us, but this is a good thing and not to be worried about.

Autumnleaf said:

A friend of mine was saying the recent earthquakes in California are like when God used fire and brimstone on Sodam and Gamora.

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Gomera.

quatona said:

Gomera.

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"Gomorrah"

St_Worm2 said:

Wait .. What .. So you are tell'n us that lightning strikes are Zeus being HAPPY ..

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I'm saying that lightning strikes happen for purely physical reasons... there is no god involved.

The same is true for natural disasters. They are purely physical, and thinking otherwise is superstition.

Wait .. What .. So now you're tell'n us that you've become a follower of God ..

Well alrighty then ..

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No, I'm saying that IF there were a God causing these things.

Wait .. YHWH ... or Zeus ..

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Aphrodite

LittleQin said:

I see "natural disasters" as simply 'maintenance' of the planet. God created the earth which is constantly changing.

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Isn't seeing the death of people as 'maintenance' slight psychopathic and heartless. No offence.

Inkachu said:

The Bible says that God sends sun AND rain on the good AND the evil (Matthew 5:45). The idea that "bad things only happen to bad people" is preposterous and juvenile.

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Yes. Jesus explicitly and emphatically denies that disasters have anything to do with the sin of those individuals:

Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” -- Luke 13.

(Jesus also includes non-natural actions by humans in this regard.)

Jesus may be stating a new direction for God in the Messianic age--that God no longer uses either "natural" disasters (such as the firestorm of Sodom and Gomorrah or man-made "disasters" (such as the Babylonian Captivity) as punishments, and that God now reserves all punishment for the Final Judgment (which I think is the case).

His final line also carries the meaning to His audience that their escape from disaster does not indicate they are righteous.

Even in the case of the OT "wrath of God" disasters, every one was preceeded by specific prophetic warning. Nobody was ever left to wonder afterward, "Maybe that was punishment for something."

The only way any disaster could be considered judgment from God, if scripture is a guide, is if a prophet had announced that specific disaster immediately prior.

selfinflikted said:

"Gomorrah"

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Not funny.

What strange friends you have AL. They believe a wide range of wacky things, really, don't they?

My friend says that your friend should take a basic geology class and then she/he will find out why earthquakes occur.

Paradoxum said:

Aphrodite

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Well, she's no YHWH (nor could she ever be), but she is a big (and lovely) step up from that crotchety ol' lightning hurler ..