It seems that one tendency among some Christians is to blame natural disasters on God's punishment--usually because of something regarding homosexuality. For instance, many made this claim after Hurricane Katrina, which I critiqued in postings and my book. Now columnist Rex W. Huppke has a piece that demonstrated the problem with such an argument--California has allowed gay marriage but the heartland is being hit by floods (God must have missed). Here are a couple of highlights:
The contrast was striking—joy vs. pain. It raised one simple, inescapable question: What happened to God hating gay people?Maybe the answer is that these are just NATURAL disasters and we should stop trying to add insult to injury by telling people that God is punishing them. Instead, let us show them God's love by helping them in their time of need.
If there's one thing the country's higher-profile evangelical Christian preachers have preached to us, it's that the Almighty doesn't much care for those of the non-heterosexual persuasion.
... So after California committed the abomination of allowing people who love each other to get married, why would God lash out at the honest, hardworking, morally upright, down-home, God-fearing folks in middle America? Why wouldn't he just shove California into the ocean and let it rot, like a big, gay Alcatraz?
God hating homosexuals? Who said that?
ReplyDeleteI've heard that God hates the sin of homosexuality--the Bible tells me so--but certainly not "gay people."
I have no idea if, through any particular calamity, God is punishing locales for abominable sins condoned.
Neither do Rex W. Huppke nor Brian Kaylor know that.
Looks like God may be using fire instead of flood in California.
ReplyDeleteHe promised to not destroy the earth again by flood, but I'm not sure he ruled out fire.
;)
We have had fires in California since before history. That was really lame. One fire burned for 100 years--literally--but there was no worry then for houses etc because no one really lived in the area. Same thing with those floods. We know that there are 50, 100, 500 and 1000 year flood events that are increasingly severe. Our real problem is that we have chosen to settle where these natural disasters occur. I was a Geography major in college and won an arguement against a guy who called it "natural evil." Everyone was angry with me because I told him I couldn't possibly agree when I had studied weather and natural events dispassionately. I was disgusted--in the same wau cat's dad just disgusted me by speaking without knowing our history.
ReplyDeleteAnd I add, For God's Sake, Shut UP!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments.
ReplyDeleteCD: People have said that, but you are correct that such hate is unbiblical. All I know is what Jesus told his disciples in Luke 13:1-5, which suggests such judgments are inaccurate.
I know you are joking, but the fire seems a little late and in the wrong part of the state. If the state Supreme Court building had burned the very next day, I'd be much harder pressed to doubt your claims.
Savvyd: You correctly note the problem with CD's joke, in that fire is a natural phenomenon and thus unlikely to be related to any new socio-political development.