9.13.2007
God, the Bible, and Hurricane Katrina
About the same time the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, I was leading a women's Bible study at my church. One of the women in the group was absolutely certain that God sent that tsunami to punish the Muslims living in that region. Less than a year later, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and Pat Robertson made the following statement: "Hurricane Katrina occurred because New Orleans is the epicenter of sinful jazz music in America" [http://www.datelinehollywood.com/archives/2005/09/18/pat-robertson-corrects-dateline-hollywood-article]. It should come as no surprise that human beings search for answers regarding the causes of natural disasters. Nations all over the world are in the midst of a frenzy about the state of the environment. People from all walks of life are concerned about global warming [though some refute that such a thing exists]; recycling has become second nature to a lot of individuals, and large corporations are beginning to "go green." The industrialized world is slowly becoming aware of the harmful effects of many chemicals used in the production of its goods, as well as the hazardous by-products of industry. Yet, even as awareness of environmental concerns is on the rise, the news is full of stories about the ravages of nature: wildfires out west, hurricanes on the East Coast, tornadoes and floods in the Midwest, drought in the south. Where does God fit into this picture? Genesis 6:12-16 states unequivocally that God sent the flood to destroy an earth and people that had become corrupt and violent. How do we wrestle with the claim that God uses the forces of nature to kill sinful people? Is God punishing a sinful, corrupt people? What, in your opinion, is the relationship between human corruption and natural disasters?
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Natural disaters are just that NATURAL. God would not send anything to destroy the world. He made a promise not to destroy the world by a flood again. That is exactly what a tsunami and the FLOOD of New Orleans were. In my opinion there are two Gods. There is an old testament God, one of wrath. Then there is a New Testament God, one of love and compassion. Today we live a world ruled by this New Testament God. The New Testament God would not destroy his people.
I would have to agree with Michael in that natural disasters are simply natural. My perception of god, however; is not of an omnipresent deity who has direct control over things, but of a creator. He created the universe and set fowarth laws which govern it. Mankind over the ages has used god as an answer for those questions which we simply cannot seem to answer ourselves. Yet science prevails in enlightening us on how systems such as weather work. Sure we cannot totally predict exactly when something will occur at this point in time, yet we did forcast that Katrina would hit New Orleans and thus countless lives were saved from disaster. Technology is under development for earthquake prediction so that we may be able to give people a few hours notice before an earthquake hits. Given time I am confident that science will discover more of God's powerful rules of our Earth and will be able to answer for those things which still confound us today.
I don’t think that god sent hurricane Katrina to kill all of the innocent people. Yes, I’m pretty sure that some of the people that were killed were bad people but I think that this event occurred just because of natural causes. It was a hurricane and it came up on the coast and it did what hurricanes do, whatever is in its path it destroys. I no how the article above talks about the tsunami hit in south East Asia. People say that this event occurred to punish the Muslims but I don’t think that’s what happened. I believe it was just time for a natural disaster to occur and that’s what happened.
Is there a possibility that humans have become so corrupt that we are the indirect cause of natural disasters? For instance, are we polluting the environment so much with our industry and technology by-products that we are setting off the rythym of nature? If that's the case, then maybe God isn't directly punishing us, but rather giving us room to experience the terrible consequences of our actions.
Where DOES God fit into all this disaster? I think that human nature is to always blame God for what happens in our world. Yes, in the Old Testament, God sent the flood, plagues, famine, and he destroyed Sadam and Gamorah with fire. That was the work of a vengeful God. I don't feel we are now dealing with a God who is always looking for our faults. I have to agree with lynn, in saying that society is the reason for all of our natural disasters. We need to look at how much trouble we are causing the earth with all the garbage, toxic waste, and other chemicals that we have dumped into the earth. Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami, were just unfortunate acts of nature, and countless people lost their lives. We need to believe that God is understanding, forgiving, and loving, and that those who did lose their lives, were lucky enough to be spending eternity with God. That to me is a much better way of looking at Natural Disaster. I feel for those families who lost loved ones in any disaster, but everlasting life in Heaven sounds a lot better than all the pain and suffering we face on earth.
Perhaps the most prominent example of disaster in the Old Testament is the story of Job. Job is described as "blameless" and "upright." Job "...feared God and shunned evil." Nevertheless, God allows a series of disasters to overtake Job. He loses his wealth, his family, and his health in a matter of days. While I do believe that God is powerful enough to cause and prevent natural disasters, I will have to agree with Eric that disasters are not necessarily a means of punishing the wicked. Job was a righteous man, and God still allowed disaster into his life. Likewise, I'm sure that there were plenty of Christians in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina came ashore. Moreover, there were probably Christian missionaries in the path of the tsunami that devastated Sri Lanka. I know a number of Christians who have struggled with medical problems. Does this make them bad people? Is God punishing them? I don't know the mind of God, and neither does anyone else. It is pretentious to claim that natural disasters are God's way of punishing sin. Bad things happen to good people all the time. God's reasons for allowing disaster are a mystery. However, the book of Job may offer an explanation. When Job questions God for allowing disaster into his life, God replies, "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations." No one can comprehend or define God. To cite Isaiah, His ways are higher than our ways. Despite the disaster that visited his life, Job remains faithful to God, and God rewards Job's faithfulness by giving him "twice as much as he had before." The disaster in Job's life also gives him a greater appreciation for God (Job 42:1-6). Just like Job, God may sometimes use disaster to draw us closer to Him.
I would definitely second what jrohland said! Automatically, people seem to blame God for natural disasters. It is not like he does it to punish us, although, there were times in the Bible when that was the case. Our god is gracious, though. He would not send natural disasters upon us because we are sinners. Everyone sins! No one is perfect, but that doesn't mean that God will punish with natural disasters everytime that someone sins. If it worked out that way, then this world would be destroyed. I feel that God would only use this as a tool to bring people closer together in mourning. Therefore, I end this comment by saying that Hurricane Katrina did not happen from God on purpose.
I also believe that Natural Disasters like the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina are natural. I do not believe God sent them to destroy sinful people. I believe God created us but also lets us live our lives so that we may experience things, both good and bad. Yes, God did send the flood to destroy all the evil people, but isn't God also supposed to forgive all of our sins. It is human nature to sin, and also human nature to question God during disasters such as these. Science is progressing and we are able to predict storm tracks and all kinds of other stuff that we were not able to predict 50 years ago. We cant just look at how many people were killed in these disasters....we also have to look at how many people were saved.
I agree with Michael saying that these natural diasters happen naturally. I also agree with amick about not believing God sent them to destroy sinful people. In my life I have found that when I wander off Gods path, he puts obsticles in my way. I feel like he does these things for my benefit and so I realize whats going on and i can get my life back on track. I personally dont think God punishes us.
I would have to agree with michael loadholdt 100%. I do not believe that God would send anything to harm or hurt us, but then again anything that hurts you only makes you stronger. We can not wrestle with God at all, we just have to sit back and live with it. I don't think that God uses forces of nature to purposly harm us. I also agree with daniel inman when he states that God created this world and set forth laws to help govern it. The Tsunami I do not think was an act of God's punishment but an eye opener for some people. Aamick stated a great point also that God created us so that we can experience things good and bad. I think that whatever is going to be it is going to be so we just have to live with it.
Yes, God is the Creator and Destroyer of all. The events that occur in nature are not necessarily done because God wants to teach us a lesson or because people have been corrupt . I believe that these natural disasters occur just because that is how it is supposed to be. However, how can we honestly know the truth about the disasters that happen? Do they happen because we are sinful or do they happen because it is plain nature. Either way, God created this destructive thing and obviously it touches down even on innocent people. I have learned that we can not question God because all things happen for a reason. Whether we think we deserve it or not, it happens. We can not control nature or the one who created it, who is of course God. Thanks to God we live in this wonderful place; even though horrible things happen at times, we all push through these disasters one way or another. God is powerful and he did create disaster.
Yes, God do create and destroy things for a reason. I think that the natural disasters that occur happens because it is just apart of nature. I do not think that we should question the things that God do. So with the things Josie and Michael said I agree.
i agree with micheal when he said God would not send anything to destroy the world. He made a promise not to destroy the world by a flood again. But i dont agree with him when he said there were two Gods. The Lord himself said "do not worship any other God but me" so if there are two GOds, wouldnt it contradict with what God said? I think the floods and tsunami are Gods' way of saying that he is still in charge of manking and its a warning for us humanity to clean up our act.
To comment on what Kwmae, i dont think that michael was trying to say that there are two Gods, but say that God acted in two ways, as a wrathful and distructive God in the Old testiment, teaching his people lessons, and in the New testiment He shows compassion on the people and constantly forgives them. On the topic though, i truly don't believe that God sends thinks like hurricanes our way to punish us because if that were so then this world would be no more. there are so many things that God could punish us for that He has not done. He doesn't just pick and choose who He want's to punish and who he doesn't want to punish. These natural disasters are not soley on what we as people have done to the enviroment, but these are just things that happen. our world is so complex that some things are bound to go wrong every once in a while. this doesn't mean each time something like a flood comes, its automatically God.
After the flood, God was pretty honest with himself in admitting that what he did was a mistake, and he absolutely promised that he wouldn't ever do that again. So no, I don't believe that natural disasters are God's way of getting rid of sinners on the earth.
I do not, however, agree with the statements that there are two Gods, an OT God and a NT God. They are most certainly the same God. God may be seen as more wrathful in the OT, but he was just as forgiving. We've been studying the OT in class. The prophets reiterate time and time again that God forgives his people when they stray away from him to worship other gods.
I love Derek's citation of Job in response to this blog. It fits perfectly with my understanding and belief about natural disasters and God's work in them. Yes, both the tsunami and Katrina devastated many, but how many more people who were not involved in the least poured out support, whether it was physical help, money, or simply prayers and letters? The human reaction and outpouting of support was tremendous; Katrina especially united us as a nation, just as the 9/11 attacks did. I don't believe that the disasters are the most important occurance, but rather the aftermath and human's reactions that really matter. These things not only bring us closer to each other, but they also bring us closer to God. That is how I believe that God is involved in disaster.
The Natural disasters that occur in the world today is all NATURAL. God doesnt want to destroy the world. I really liked Micheals comment, but Im not so sure about the two different Gods. I also agree with aamick 100%. Its human nature to sin and without it we wouldnt learn good from bad.
I believe in what Mchael said about disasters like Katrina are natural. I was living in New Orleans during the storm and i think that people in there do no deserve to be punish with such tragedy. I believe that God forgives all sins comminet in the city. I also agree with Kisaacson, when she says that this tragedies help to unifiy a nation. I believe that life is not easy, and everybody is going to have to go through hard times.It is here when we need to stay together and pray the Lord. I also believe in what Kwame said about how God made a promise to not destroy the world again. Natural desasters happend because they have to, and there is no other inlfuences on it.
In agreeing with mostly everyone so far, Natural things happen for natural reasons, life works the way life works, and the weather changes as it does. Things will never happen to sinful people for an unspoken reason, because if that was so, the world would be destroyed beyond recognition. The way the Bible reads to the people is that, the people were so sinful, and unholy, they were bound to suffer through the wrath of God. I honestly think it was the same then till this day, Nature is nature, and people would say what they wanted like "God did this to the sinners, this is a sign from God", like I could say, " God did this to the sinners in New Orleans with their jazz istrumentations". Jazz is a style of music, and it can be studied now...Why would we study a sinful genre of music, to be sinful?
I agree with robert when he say that nature is nature and that with the hurricane, God is sending us a sign. I believe things happen for a reason. God uses the hurricane to let us know that he is still there and that he is warning us. I believe everything happens for a reason and that we shoud be mindful of the way we live our lives.
i agree with those that have stated that nature is NATURE!!!! i don't believe God would send us a sign in that form. What i mean is that certain natural disasters only occur at certain times of the year. Hence there is a hurricane season. Not to mention the fact that God promised he would not send another flood to destory everything - if you believe this then i would like to know why you believe God would go back on his word. I believe that when God tries to show us something or is trying to punish those who are so called bad people that he will do it in a way that will let us all know just who it is. If God can set fire to a bush without it burning i think he can be more inventive than a hurricane or tsunami for a sign.
I bleave that God is not punising people it is just there time to die. Also that it just happen to be the way God had planed for them. I bleave in predistation. So If it happens God wanted it. God is not always merseful.
Comment to Molly I agree 100% with you and also bleave that people just don't know how God thanks. SO things just can't be explaned.
It states in the Bible that God did destroy the world by flood; however, it also states that man will destroy man. I agree that natural disasters happen just because that is the way it is but I also believe that some of the occurences happen due to the actions of mankind. I do think we should seriously look at global warming and address the issue. I think if we ignore it, it will become a huge problem for future generations and sooner rather than later. I feel it is only natural to blame God when bad things happen to those we love. When tragedy strikes, who else can we blame. I think the things that make us most angry are the things we cannot control. We cannot control the hurricanes and natural disasters but we can look at ways that our lives may be affecting the intensity and severity of what is happening around us. Do bad things happen to good people? You bet they do. I recently experienced this first hand and who else can I blame but God? On the other hand, thank goodness that God does exist and promises us eternal bliss. This is the only thing that helps me get through the loss of my Daddy.
I dont think that i can roll with the thouhgt of anyone but my own on this one. The God that i sever does not do this to put pepople in a bad spot. And it is the realest way that i could think when i say that God allows things to happen for a reason and the time on earth is coming to a close so we need to be ready for anything this day and age
I agree with gina on this one. That we as people are just as much to blame when it comes to natural disasters. The fact that people are killed does not mean that that they or there families are being punished for any reason. I also think that when it is a persons time to go it's there time. It might be from a car accident to a tornado. THe thing is there is nothing you can do to stop that. Also, not everyone of the people that we killed in New Orleans were sinful just as people in your home town are not all sinful. Disasters happen and there is nothing that we can do about it.
I TOTALLY believe that human's are responsible for natural disasters. I am a hardcore environmentalist, and I believe that people should care more for mother nature, I believe that situations like the hurricane and sunami's are God's and Mother Nature's way of punishing people who do not respect what they have been given. My aspect on New Orlean's and Katrina, I experienced New Orleans first hand prior to the Hurricane and afterwards and I believe that that was the best thing that ever happened to that city. Now it has a oppurtunity to start fresh and become a great city. I believe that drought, floods, hurricanes, everything is a product of the human race, and the way that we treat our environment.
I TOTALLY believe that human's are responsible for natural disasters. I am a hardcore environmentalist, and I believe that people should care more for mother nature, I believe that situations like the hurricane and sunami's are God's and Mother Nature's way of punishing people who do not respect what they have been given. My aspect on New Orlean's and Katrina, I experienced New Orleans first hand prior to the Hurricane and afterwards and I believe that that was the best thing that ever happened to that city. Now it has a oppurtunity to start fresh and become a great city. I believe that drought, floods, hurricanes, everything is a product of the human race, and the way that we treat our environment.
I totally believe that God flooded New Orleans for a purpose. New Orleans was often referred to as a "modern day Sodom and Gomorrah." Sodom and Gomorrah was notorious for homosexuality, as was New Orleans. Why would God destroy an entire city just because of a few gay people? I think it was much more than that.
Why would God wipe out the whole city, good, bad, and ugly? I dont think he did. I believe that God spared the ones that didnt deserve to be punished. This can even be shown as early as Noah and the ark (Genesis 7-8).
In the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, God sent angels (which were in the form of two males) to warn Lot and his family, just like Noah. When the two angels got there Lot took them to his house and fed them and gave them a place to stay. When he took them in, ALL the men from the cities surrounded Lot's house and demanded that Lot give up the two men so that they could have sex with them! The two angels warned Lot and his family and told them to leave Sodom because God was going to destroy the city. (Genesis 19:12)
I believe that God warned some and allowed them to leave New Orleans, just as he warned Lot and his family. But just because God warned them, doesnt mean they left. The same happend in Genesis 19! Lot's son-in-laws didnt believe him and were destroyed with the rest of the city. (Genesis 19:14)
In chapter 18 God and Abraham are debating on why God wanted to destroy the WHOLE city. In verse 32, Abraham asked, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten (righteous people) can be found there (Sodom)? The Lord answred, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it" This leads me to believe that God warned the righteous in New Orleans and they fled, but some could have stayed, like Lot's Son-in-laws.
Some people who have posted on this thread already, i think maybe the first post, stated that God promised he would never flood the earth again. I also believed this for some time until i did further reasearch on the subject. In the NIV version of the Bible, He said no such thing. In Genesis 8:21 He says "Never agian will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done."
He said He would never destroy all living creatures, NOT He would never flood the earth agian.
I believe that most natural disasters are due to human races abuse to the planet. In New Orleans case, I believe that that was a filthy city and it was taking over an area of land that is truly inhabitable. It is below sealevel, surrounded completely by water. It was just asking for it personally. But there are other things such as droughts in Africa that are unexplainable, why would God punish people that are already in such need.
Bad things happen for a reason. Soemtimes it doesn't make sense. Deuteronomy 29:29 says "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us..."(NIV) We aren't always suppose to know why certain things happen but God has a reason and a plan. I also heard that New Orleans was the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. People bring God's wrath upon themselves. He hates to see us living in sin and gives us many chances to changes out ways. When people don't do what they are suppose to, how else are they to be punished?
i disagree with the opinions of lynn, zepplinchic85, and the others who say that humans cause natural disasters because of how we treat the environment. First off the tsunami was caused by an earthquake, which was caused by the moving of plates deep inside the earth. Now, as far as i know there isn't anything man-made on this earth that can move techtonic plates.
Second, like molly said about certain disasters happening during certain seasons, hurricanes happen every year. we know that they are going to happen and we have pinpointed a time frame for when they are going to happen. Now, we cant say yet where they are going to form or where they are going to go once they form, because that depends on a list of environmental factors, (factors by the way that we have little or nothing to do with) all of which we can track and use to predict a storm days before it forms. If God wanted to send a message with a natural disaster he would create a storm for which we would be able to find no explanation, one that we cannot predict or say "the conditions were right" for.
I also agree with Michael. I don't think that God does things to people to punish them. Like many have asked "Why do bad things happen to good people?". Like Molly Said "Nature is Nature" God has some effect, but I don't think he did it to hurt the people in La. and Miss. because they were "Bad People". Yes everything happens for a reason, but God may not have COMPLETE control on the effects.
I do not think that God is punishing sinful people by killing them. the reason why i say that is because not everybody in that region died. Some of the people got away. Others were there but did not die so die. I think those people died because it was there time not just because they have sin too much. they say the good die young right. so if some of them were young when they died does that mean that they are good.
I agree with Micheal, natural disasters are just natural. I don't think God punishes sinful people through natural disasters, I think he handles that in other ways. Nature is nature and things are going to happen no matter where people live.
I agree with Michael when he says natural disasters are natural.I dont agree with jdun, I dont think natural disasters are do to humans. I agree with mbibbins who explains that most natural disasters have nothing to do with humans. I dont think God is trying to punish sinful people because if that was the case everybody would be hit with natural disasters because we're all sinners.
Natural Disasters are caused by just that nature, with man polluting the environment and corrupting nature's beauty sure we are playing a hand in making the weatherman's job a bit harder but, it's just nature and it's how things are. it isn't god punishing people, and those people who think that need to sit down for a second and see if they can rationalize a thought and stop acting childish and saying, "god did it, god did it"
I agree with what aamick said. Natural disasters are just that, natural disasters. I don't think that God sent Hurricane Katrina or the Tsunami to get rid of or punish the sinful and corrupt people. Every single human being makes mistakes and sins, its human nature. That's why Jesus died on the cross for us, so God will forgive us of our sins. I belive that God did not cause those disasters, it was caused by nature.
To Chas,
Read Genesis 9:11-15!!! God did say that he would never destroy the earth with a flood again.
I believe that natural disasters do not happen to punish people. God would not do that because with a natural disaster, many innocent people would get hurt. I think that if God wanted to punish people, he would do it so that just that person would be effected and no one else. A natural disaster is just an disaster that happens natually and no one can prevent it. I do believe that God controls natural disasters and has a purpose for them, but only God knows his reasons why he does them. It is just another question of why God does what he does.
I think that God does create weather disaster. He may be trying to get our attention or warn us about something. I don't think that he is trying to punish certain people, groups, or areas though. Everyone is sinful, not just a certain region. I agree with Jason Collins that humans do play a big role in the earth's weather patterns. We are almost hurting ourselves, not God. And as an anonymous person said, God promised that he would not destroy the earth again.
I also believe that natural disasters happen because we are doing some things that god disagrees with. Older people used to tell me that and it is stuck in my head now
(KENDALL GLENN) I think that this is true. God does use natural disasters to punish humans for our sins. If you look at the city of new orleans it was once the murder capital of the world and yes it is true, New Orleans is the Capitol and founder of Jazz music now im not gonna say how sinful it is but yes it is the capitol. I think that hurricane Katrina gave the city a new life of hope because it brought them closer together.
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