Originally posted by ua41One would also think that if God was using these events just to punish, he would let us know why it's happening and to say "if you don't straighten up, you'll get it again".
I thought God was done teaching us lessons through natural disasters with Jesus Christ?
Or perhaps that plan failed, everyone fighting over little discrepancies of him and nitpicking scriptures to promote their own biases and water down the actual message, so he went back to Plan A.
Claiming natural disasters are caused by God (or perhaps a disbelief in him) ...[text shortened]... them to make survivors follow his way? I'd say that's cause to have a vendetta against him.
And if you go back and look at times in the past when he did cause destruction like with the flood, he always gave warnings such as with Noah telling ones before hand that the flood was going to happen. Heb 11:7. 2Pet 2:5.
Originally posted by galveston75What warnings were presented in this case besides the claims that God did this after the event actually happened? What prophecies or revelations were given to His people?
One would also think that if God was using these events just to punish, he would let us know why it's happening and to say "if you don't straighten up, you'll get it again".
And if you go back and look at times in the past when he did cause destruction like with the flood, he always gave warnings such as with Noah telling ones before hand that the flood was going to happen. Heb 11:7. 2Pet 2:5.
Originally posted by galveston75Unless I am mistaken he only told Noah - who then only told a few of his neighbors. Unless the world population at the time was tiny, a large number of people went unwarned.
And if you go back and look at times in the past when he did cause destruction like with the flood, he always gave warnings such as with Noah telling ones before hand that the flood was going to happen. Heb 11:7. 2Pet 2:5.
Further, a warning you don't believe is not a warning, if the warning was believed then it is unlikely that the people would not repent.
And thats not even starting to get into the question of all the infants and unborn children that cannot possibly have been warned - nor were they either guilty nor capable of doing anything about it even if they had heeded the warning.
Originally posted by ua41Congrats on your star!!
What warnings were presented in this case besides the claims that God did this after the event actually happened? What prophecies or revelations were given to His people?
I think the fear of death will make people do a lot of silly things including reading all sorts of things into any words in the bible , for example.
I do believe some denominations thought the world was already supposed to have ended. I remember seeing video footage of one 'cult' that was waiting for the end of the world. Of course the clock ticked on by. So funny. Still they persisted and the leaders claimed they had made a miscalculation.
I do believe we have some influence on natural disasters. After all it is only natural to want the world to be peaceful and healthy. However change is inevitable.
Originally posted by karoly aczelWhenever there is a threat of war, or a rumor that the world might end, or that global warming will destroy us all, there is always some people trying to help it happen.
You mean the physical world,right?
I think there are quite a number of factors involved including people who for religious reasons think they will benefit, or that all the bad people they despise will get their come uppance. Also there is some psychological effect that is common in end of the world cults, but I don't know a lot about it.
Then there is the typical teenager who just gets a kick out of the idea that something world changing is about to happen. I remember at University, Iraq was having a little squabble with the US over Kuwait and we all thought it was really exiting and in some ways were ready for WWIII
I have certainly heard that many Christians support Israel and would like to see war there because they think it will hasten the end of the world.
Originally posted by karoly aczelSuch means do not justify the end.
Congrats on your star!!
I think the fear of death will make people do a lot of silly things including reading all sorts of things into any words in the bible , for example.
I do believe some denominations thought the world was already supposed to have ended. I remember seeing video footage of one 'cult' that was waiting for the end of the world. Of c ...[text shortened]... it is only natural to want the world to be peaceful and healthy. However change is inevitable.
Also, it confines God into a man made object- if he did use natural disasters as a message to his creation, he is inherently a bad guy 😛 and we associate human qualities to him. To say after the fact that such events occurred because of him means the definition of him is manipulative.
I mean who's to say that the flood was a message to the world to stop sinning? Maybe it was him having a bad day
Originally posted by twhiteheadYes, indeed. I see exactly what you mean.
Whenever there is a threat of war, or a rumor that the world might end, or that global warming will destroy us all, there is always some people trying to help it happen.
I think there are quite a number of factors involved including people who for religious reasons think they will benefit, or that all the bad people they despise will get their come uppan ...[text shortened]... Israel and would like to see war there because they think it will hasten the end of the world.
You reckon the peaceful people dont stick out as much because they dont go on about crap? Whats more powerful: people meditating (on peace) or the same amount of people egging on war? Does it make a difference? I personally think it does make a difference what you think. And I think that peaceful,loving thoughts are more powerful. I guess on the one hand you might be skeptical ,but remember the 80's? I do . I was only in my teens. I felt a definate possiblity of nuclear war ending the planet. It doesn't feel like that anymore. Perhaps we've turned a corner? Perhaps we're just damn lucky. I've heard it put that when a planet such as ours gets to our level of evolution a lot of times the inhabitants blow it up with nuclear weaponry. Something about aqcuiring powerful technology and not misusing it...
Originally posted by karoly aczelA nuclear war cannot 'end the planet'. It might wipe out humans, but even that is unlikely. But even if it triggered a global ice age, life would not die out immediately.
I felt a definate possiblity of nuclear war ending the planet.
It doesn't feel like that anymore. Perhaps we've turned a corner? Perhaps we're just damn lucky.
Or perhaps the likelihood of nuclear war has nothing to do with your feelings.
I've heard it put that when a planet such as ours gets to our level of evolution a lot of times the inhabitants blow it up with nuclear weaponry.
"A lot of times"? How many exactly? Does your source know of any other planet that has achieved our level of technology? Or was it mere speculation?
On the topic of support for war, I believe that a large percentage of US citizens supported the Iraq war (initially). I am not convinced that they all actually believed that they were under threat from WMDs. I think they supported it because they secretly thought they would benefit with cheaper oil.
Does anyone else have explanations for why there was support for the war?
Originally posted by twhiteheadBecause we were pissed off and wanted our President to have the power to bitchslap anyone he felt he needed to in order to get the bastards who planned 9/11.
On the topic of support for war, I believe that a large percentage of US citizens supported the Iraq war (initially). I am not convinced that they all actually believed that they were under threat from WMDs. I think they supported it because they secretly thought they would benefit with cheaper oil.
Does anyone else have explanations for why there was support for the war?
However, yes, there were a lot of Americans who were eager to benefit from imperialism via cheap gas. It was embarrassing really.
Originally posted by AThousandYoungBecause we were pissed off and wanted our President to have the power to bitchslap anyone he felt he needed to in order to get the bastards who planned 9/11.
Because we were pissed off and wanted our President to have the power to bitchslap anyone he felt he needed to in order to get the bastards who planned 9/11.
However, yes, there were a lot of Americans who were eager to benefit from imperialism via cheap gas. It was embarrassing really.
i have another theory.
only the retarded americans bother to vote. and most of them couldn't care less that bush does whatever the damn well he pleases as long as america kicks buttocks. and the smart americans couldn't care enough to do something about it when it became obvious the bush administration doesn't really have a motive for invading iraq.
apathy allowed for the war in my opinion.