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I have prayed for things that I have wanted, never the weather, but maybe those things were not what God wanted. Most of my prayers involve my heart and wanting good things for people.
Many times, I have fallen head over heals with women that I prayed my heart out to love me. But maybe those prayers were not answered because those women were not my destiny, and the right one I have not yet met.
My father died young of cancer, and my grandparents are gone. I don't blame God even though I prayed for healing, because it was their time. Maybe their presence or influence in my or others' lives was their purpose. My family may not be here in body, but I feel that their souls live on. Maybe they are here or in a paradise somewhere, who knows, but they will always be with me.
I think human existence and the complexities of the universe are too marvelous to just have been an accident. A lot of people suffer, no doubt, but just the notion of a human being being born who has the ability of complex thought, the ability to fight off infection and healing of wounds doesn't sound like an accident to me.
When I was a teenager, my girlfriend had a Quija board, and out of curiosity I bought one myself and later threw it away when I realized that it wasn't a good thing. But nevertheless, the pointer moved when I was alone. I immediately threw it out, but my point is that I was alone, and something moved it.
Whether or not our prayers are answered the way we want them to be is not a reason for dismissing God. I believe this is just a temporary life.
Alpha said...."God has given us radar, forecasting computers, weather stations at sea, planes to fly into the eye of these things, and a bevy of other things that could take all night."
I always thought these things were invented by people. If God is responsible for all of this, then I guess man's efforts are futile. What happened to "free will"?
Actually, it's free will that let them create those things. But (I believe) God empowered them to do it. He gave us brains to think. Scientific laws to benefit the process, etc.
Actually, it's free will that let them create those things. But (I believe) God empowered them to do it. He gave us brains to think. Scientific laws to benefit the process, etc.
So, tell me, if God is responsible for everything what does he need us for? Are we just his pets?...That theory sounds pretty strange to me.
Now that's a question I've asked myself many times.
You're not gonna like my answer, but I'll give it anyway.
I believe He loved you and me too much NOT to create us. In spite of everything, He wanted us to be created for fellowship with Him. He loves us that much. Why? No idea. I'm certainly not worthy of that.
Further, I think for those that do believe, He wants us to be physical manifestations of His Kingdom. Wants us to reflect Him to the world, to be His hands and feet and actually be the 'proof' of Him to those we encounter.
Could God do everything we've always tried to pin Him to in these forums (weather, suffering, starvation, etc)? Sure.
But as His people I believe He will use us to do that. (Weird, I know.)
I think I've got two commands:
Love God
Love people.
My love for God produces my love for people.
I believe God created me with the purpose of helping my fellow man, my family, the weak and weary. I do a poor job at all of the above, but His grace covers me and He still wants me.
Why though? Can't give a valid answer to 'Why me?' but I'm thankful it's true.
Alpha said..." My love for God produces my love for people.
I believe God created me with the purpose of helping my fellow man, my family, the weak and weary. I do a poor job at all of the above, but His grace covers me and He still wants me."
If this is true then my disbelief does not seem to matter, because my actions and attitude towards people are the same as yours.
Alpha said..." My love for God produces my love for people.
I believe God created me with the purpose of helping my fellow man, my family, the weak and weary. I do a poor job at all of the above, but His grace covers me and He still wants me."
If this is true then my disbelief does not seem to matter, because my actions and attitude towards people are the same as yours.
Human to human you're 100% correct.
But remember, I said I had two commands.
Anyway, the whole point was that we have been given the resources to prevent what the OP is suggesting. This time next week if people are sitting in New Orleans needing help, I'll be all about trying to get there myself or get resources there to help, but they can not say they weren't warned and couldn't get out. God is answering prayers right now on TWC by making folks aware of the pending storm.
Well if I lived in New Orleans I would be packing my bags for a short vacation to the north...Even atheists have heard the saying " God helps those that help themselves" So far the projected track of Gustav has the potential of being even worse than Katrina.
Alpha, wow you guys were up late last night arguing about this stuff.
It just popped into my pea brain as I sit here this morning that there's a great example in the Bible when God did in fact control the weather and that's when he intentionally drown every human being on the planet in the Great Flood except for the senior citizen Noah and his family. Somehow it doesn't seem right to let some guy survive who's already over 600 years old but chose to drown children and babies just because their parents were sinners but I guess that's just me.
As far as these hurricanes are concerned it's true that we've got modern technology and we're getting better at modeling the path and the intensity so you'd think things would work a little more smoothly but these events tend to be very chaotic. A woman I've talked to on the internet who lives near Galveston had to evacuate a couple of years ago because of a major storm only to find herself stuck in a freeway near Houston that was more like a parking lot for countless hours while her dog died of a heat stroke. Our transportation systems aren't prepared to move hundreds of thousands of people all at the same time.
You all know I'm an atheist anyway and don't believe there's a God out there to help us in the first place. My point is not to belittle believers, it's to point out that we see no evidence of a loving and caring God when we're confronted with the wrath of nature. I've never accepted the concept that "God works in mysterious ways" approach to explaining it all away. No one can convince me that a terrified child has to drown in the flooding of a hurricane and that this event somehow falls into place as part of an overall plan devised by God that I'm just too stupid to comprehend. The fact is that when nature unleashes something of the magnitude of a major hurricane, earthquake, volcano eruption or other catastrophe man is no match against nature no matter what kind of technology we have.
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