Did God really unleash Katrina on New Orleans?

[Bennettresearch]

I must confess, I am a talk show junkie. What still comes up is that some people hold on to the belief the Hurricane Katrina was sent into New Orleans by God. I would be interested to hear what a lot of people in RF are saying about that. So please, do you think God did this to punish New Orleans?

 

[Sunstone]

I think some people believe Katrina was God's wrath because they want to make sense of things but don't have much background in the natural sciences. To them, it's perfectly plausible that Katrina was God's wrath.

Moreover, I think the notion that Katrina was God's wrath raises all sorts of interesting problems. For instance: why hasn't God destroyed all the other "sinful" cities in the US? Why only New Orleans? You'd think if he was out to punnish us, he'd do a really competent job of it by destroying all of our "sinful" cities.

Again, why did God destroy both the good and the bad in New Orleans? Why did he use an instrument, a hurricane, that does not distinquish between good and bad people, good and bad institutions, etc.?

 

[Halcyon]

No, i think the sea reached the optimum temperature of 27 degrees C, then the coriolis force of the earth sent the air spinning into the formation of a storm. Its pure chance that the storm came aground where humans had built a city. The real damage i believe (if i've got my facts straight) was caused by a damn bursting, another human mistake.

A loving god would not destroy a city that contained innocent lives, if you believe god destroyed New Orleans, then you cannot believe in a loving merciful god - but then that's your prerogative.

 

[Aqualung]

No, it was just weather. That's what happens to you when you live on the coast like that.

No, i think the sea reached the optimum temperature of 27 degrees C, then the coriolis force of the earth sent the air spinning into the formation of a storm. Its pure chance that the storm came aground where humans had built a city. The real damage i believe (if i've got my facts straight) was caused by a damn bursting, another human mistake.

Indude!

 

[Bennettresearch]

Hi Halcyon,

I think that you mistakenly assumed that I thought that this was the case. I don't believe in blaming natural disasters on God. I am posing the question to see what people in RF think about it. I think the Archaic notion of God micro-managing the affairs of humans on the earth is a mistaken one. Thank you for your input.

 

[lilithu]

God underlies EVERYTHING. God is the very fabric of existence. There is nothing that happens that God is not ultimately responsible for. Both what we call good and what we call bad.

That said, did God "unleash" Katrina on New Orleans? No. That view presumes a God that stands separate from creation, manipulating it like we would manipulate an object. God is not a superpowered human being throwing thunderbolts at us. God is in the thunderbolt itself, in us, in creation.

Katrina is not the result of "God's wrath." It was not a punishment. There are so many flaws - both logical flaws and moral flaws - with that view that I can't even deal with it. It would be laughable if it weren't so terribly damaging.

 

[Bennettresearch]

Hi Lil,

I share your interpretation, even though it is a little different. Yes, God is the Universe. Life of Earth has been set in motion and we have been given a nice place to live it. The forces of creation, nature, can be challenging to deal with at times. Would we really have it any other way? Set up people in a pristine and perfect environment and they will be bored to tears and rebel!

"Man created God in his own image" Xenophanes

 

[The Black Whirlwind]

we all know God sent Katrina because the lesbian Ellen Degeneres is hosting the Emmy's this

 

[Bennettresearch]

But Jedi!!!!

Ellen is a wimp when it comes to being bad.

 

[The Black Whirlwind]

but she falunts her lesbianness openly! god is very angry with her right now. I have some very reliable sources that say he's contemplating using the thunderbolt maneuver

 

[lilithu]

Hi Lil,

I share your interpretation, even though it is a little different. Yes, God is the Universe. Life of Earth has been set in motion and we have been given a nice place to live it. The forces of creation, nature, can be challenging to deal with at times. Would we really have it any other way? Set up people in a pristine and perfect environment and they will be bored to tears and rebel!

Namaste Bennettresearch,

When you say "set in motion" are you saying that you believe God set everything in place and then "stepped back," so to speak, and lets creation run its course? Just trying to clarify. I have no problems with that view but am surprised to hear it coming from a self-identified Christian. If God does not intervene within creation, how does Christ fit into the picture? Just curious.

"Man created God in his own image" Xenophanes

We make our concept of God in our own image, yes.

addendum:
I forgot to add that I completely agree with you about the rebelling thing. Human freedom requires that there always be the possibility of rebellion, and whenever there's a possibility it will sooner or later be an actuality. That is also why I cannot buy the popular view of heaven as a perfect paradise for all eternity.

 

[Lifenevereasy]

I firmly stand by the fact that god is infallible, he knows the beginning and end of all his creation. Do I believe that god unleashed this so called mass destruction on New Orleans? Yes, but what we who walk in christ often forget is that god works in mysterious ways and his work is always in the best interest of his children . We will never understand nor should ever question our Lord and Savior.

 

[jewscout]

I must confess, I am a talk show junkie. What still comes up is that some people hold on to the belief the Hurricane Katrina was sent into New Orleans by God. I would be interested to hear what a lot of people in RF are saying about that. So please, do you think God did this to punish New Orleans?

i do not know why G-d sent Katrina down on New Orleans, but i don't think now is the time to be finding theological reasonings and excuses for the death and destruction that has occured and will occur again w/ Rita. Now is the time for people to unite and do what we can to help those who are suffering.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I do not think Katrina was sent to destroy New Orleans.
The poor planning and emergency procedures destroyed New Orleans when the levies broke. And a handfull of looters didn't help either.

 

[michel]

I agree, Luke Wolf; I don't believe God has anything to do with our day to day lives. Hurricane Katrina, and now Rita, are both most likely as a result of our usual human habit of playing with nature - ie Global warming.


Strange that when Katrina first struck, my instant thought was of Global warming, and now it seems that people are coming around to the idea that that is the culprit for the severity of these hurricanes.

If anyone wants to blame anyone, look in the mirror; we are all guilty of contributing to some extent.

 

[MdmSzdWhtGuy]

I firmly stand by the fact that god is infallible, he knows the beginning and end of all his creation. Do I believe that god unleashed this so called mass destruction on New Orleans? Yes, but what we who walk in christ often forget is that god works in mysterious ways and his work is always in the best interest of his children . We will never understand nor should ever question our Lord and Savior.

Ahh there it is. The ultimate Christian Copout. "The Lord works in mysterious ways" "Humans are not capable of understanding the mind of God" "When I get to Heaven I will have lots of questions for God, and only then will I understand such things"

Just think if scientists and doctors had this same attitude? "Well his leg is rotting off, it must be God's will." "The drinking water is killing everyone, don't try to cleanse it, it must be God's mysterious workings (rather than the bacteria) that is killing the bad people." Oh, wait a minute, there was a time they did think that way, it was called the DARK AGES!!!!

Any time I try to have a serious religious/philosophical discussion with a devout Christian and things get uncomfortable for him, and he invariably falls back on one of these intellectual copouts. Rather than confronting the logic, or rather lack thereof of certain belief systems, the just duck the entire discussion, throw up the sheild of "humans can't understand God, and shouldn't try" and thus end the debate.

Try a little intellectual honesty guys. It hurts at first when you confront superstition with science and logic, but if you are brave, it can be quite stimulating.

B.

 

[michel]

Ahh there it is. The ultimate Christian Copout. "The Lord works in mysterious ways" "Humans are not capable of understanding the mind of God" "When I get to Heaven I will have lots of questions for God, and only then will I understand such things"

Just think if scientists and doctors had this same attitude? "Well his leg is rotting off, it must be God's will." "The drinking water is killing everyone, don't try to cleanse it, it must be God's mysterious workings (rather than the bacteria) that is killing the bad people." Oh, wait a minute, there was a time they did think that way, it was called the DARK AGES!!!!

Any time I try to have a serious religious/philosophical discussion with a devout Christian and things get uncomfortable for him, and he invariably falls back on one of these intellectual copouts. Rather than confronting the logic, or rather lack thereof of certain belief systems, the just duck the entire discussion, throw up the sheild of "humans can't understand God, and shouldn't try" and thus end the debate.

Try a little intellectual honesty guys. It hurts at first when you confront superstition with science and logic, but if you are brave, it can be quite stimulating.

B.

As can be being a Christian whilst accepting that nature and nothing else ( apart from man's inneptitude with his treatment of Earth) is the real culprit.

 

[Quiddity]

lilithu, very good post. If God created man and natural process, then it is unknown HOW involved God is.

~Victor

 

[jonny]

I must confess, I am a talk show junkie. What still comes up is that some people hold on to the belief the Hurricane Katrina was sent into New Orleans by God. I would be interested to hear what a lot of people in RF are saying about that. So please, do you think God did this to punish New Orleans?

I just read that the Japanese did it. That is probably as likely as God doing it.

http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2005/09/23/news/local/news05.txt

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Since Katrina, Stevens has been in newspapers across the country where he was quoted in an Associated Press story as saying the Yakuza Mafia used a Russian-made electromagnetic generator to cause Hurricane Katrina in a bid to avenge the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima.

And people say I think too far out of the box.