Determining culpability at all cost

[aspen]

I remember 9/11. My wife and I received a phone call from a friend at 6 AM and we rushed into the living room and turned on the TV. Before the first building fell, the commentators were trying to determine who was responsible for the disaster - was it an accident? Was this an attack on our country? Soon after events unfolded and it was clear that it was not an accident, the media settled into uncovering who was at fault. When Bill Maher suggested that we, ourselves, the American people may share culpability for bringing on the attack, he was fired from ABC and lost his TV show. We claimed to care for the victims of the tragedy, but it took Congress ten years and some serious political maneuvering to pass a law to help the people involved who still needed help;

When the hurricane hit Haiti, TV preachers in the US were quick to determine that God was bringing down His wrath on an evil nation. The same thing is happening with the earthquake in Japan - although, to a lesser extent - possibly because Japan is more like us than Haiti.

So here is my observation; we seem to be so afraid of events that are out of our control that we scramble around looking for a reason to explain chaos before we even get to the point of helping the victims. Does it really matter who is at fault for these types of events? Frankly, I see this excessive need to find meaning to be an example of a lack of faith. Jesus didn't look for someone to blame in the death of Lazarus - he got to the mourning and then the helping part immediately. So in the coming days, lets not let fear get to us - lets skip the blaming and get to the helping part.

 

[Rach1370]

Ahh, wasn't it an earthquake that hit Haiti??

But you're right...it's not about blame, especially when it's nature that inflicts. As long as sin infects this world, bad things will happen.
I don't know if this is part of the 'birth pangs" that lead towards the end...but whether it is or isn't God is still in control of everything...and even bad things are used to work towards His purpose.

 

[[email protected]]

According to the Biblical pattern, judgment follows prophecy.

Godly prophecy usually tends to be decades long. Have a look at the O.T. minor prophets. A prophets' job is to give divine warning about what God intends to do and why. The why is often magnified over the what. The whole process takes decades because God is interested in giving men time to react and to put things right. Some interpret that as slackness, but St. Paul says that God is not slack as men count slackness. Men prefer slackness so as to continue in sin as long as possible while God delays so as to offer opportunity for repentance.

Botton line is that although insurance adjusters may state that the recent disasters in Japan and Haiti were acts of God, they weren't. The Biblical template does not indicate that these events were specifically aimed at those people. God doesn't act without reason and without telling people ahead of time.

I could be wrong about Japan and Haiti, but I don't recall hearing any specific prophetic preaching against the people of those countries. This is not to say they're perfect, just not due for a shot from heaven.
There are general prophecies about the last days, but none targeting specific people for specific sins.

America, on the other hand, has received warnings for fifty years and is in the midst of divine judgment at this time.

Japan and Haiti, not so much.

 

[Rach1370]

America, on the other hand, has received warnings for fifty years and is in the midst of divine judgment at this time.

Yeah? What warnings and what kind of judgments in particular are you talking about?? (no sarcasm at all...genuinely interested!!)

 

[aspen]

Yeah? What warnings and what kind of judgments in particular are you talking about?? (no sarcasm at all...genuinely interested!!)

We are sinners like everyone else. I was raised in SF - if God was still into fireballing cities - SF would have been a crater years ago.

 

[Rach1370]

We are sinners like everyone else. I was raised in SF - if God was still into fireballing cities - SF would have been a crater years ago.

I think we could really aply this to anywhere! People are sinful, I think it just depends on different cultures/peoples as to which sin is worse at what particular time!!
Thank goodness for grace!

 

[aspen]

I think we could really aply this to anywhere! People are sinful, I think it just depends on different cultures/peoples as to which sin is worse at what particular time!!
Thank goodness for grace!

God is an awesome God - Christ alone is our salvation! His sacrifice will bring us home.

 

[Duckybill]

It is true that lots of VERY bad things happen all around the world. Some loony toons preachers declare the judgment of God. Others declare it is simply nature. Others say the Devil. I doubt that most even have a clue. But we can know this: We are living in the last generation. Some living in 1967 will never die. This being the last generation before Jesus' return we can trust in what He told us. It's gonna get MUCH worse.

Matthew 24:3 (NKJV)
[sup]3 [/sup]Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

Matthew 24:21 (NKJV)
[sup]21 [/sup]For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

 

[Foreigner]

After every major tragedy, both man-made and natural, there are always a select number of preachers/pastors/evangelists who claim it is God's wrath.

I have also seen the majority of other preachers/pastors/evangelists disagree, or at least call for those making these claims to back them up.

When Robertson and Fallwell made those outright ridiculous claims right after 9/11, the vast, vast majority of American preachers and churches rejected their statements, outloud.

I would suggest not tagging a whole group by the behavior of a very small but vocal minority.

 

[religusnut]

Can't say that sin is not the problem for all of these things, however the Bible says that the earth groans under the weight of sin or something close. Therefore much of this sutff happens because of sin and the fact that we are living in a fallen world.

 

[Rach1370]

Can't say that sin is not the problem for all of these things, however the Bible says that the earth groans under the weight of sin or something close. Therefore much of this sutff happens because of sin and the fact that we are living in a fallen world.

Agreed! I know many people, even Christians wonder at why their life has to be so hard. As you say, it's because of sin, others sins, and their own. I believe it's the original sin, Adam and Eve's sin in our own hearts that has the expectation that our lives should be just dandy. It's our own pride our own sense of self worth and the need to be our own god, that demands that life should be easy. But that's just not so....and it took me many years to figure this out! We are here for one thing...to glorify God! And to tell others of Him...which is glorifying Him too! If we truly believe this, and that our God is sovereign, then we know that no matter how hard our lives get, everything is still working together for His glory, His ultimate plan. So yeah, bad things happen, to us and to others in this world, but as long as we keep our eyes on God and on where we are headed, we'll pull through!

 

[Duckybill]

I would suggest not tagging a whole group by the behavior of a very small but vocal minority.

Try re-reading my comment.

"SOME loony toons preachers declare the judgment of God"