Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Holy Wrath: Did an Angry God Shake a Sinful Japan?

God and Earthquakes

I do my best not to get too loud here on this blog, but I have to in this case. Not even hours after the earthquake and tsunami disasters in Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011, the radical religious groups (especially in the U.S.) were claiming it was God’s wrath against that ‘atheist’ nation. They said that those thousands who died, and their surviving families, friends, and colleagues around the world, had caused God to become angry and needed to show them His Holy Disapproval. “They now have a chance to turn from their wicked ways and become the good Christian nation the Lord wants them to be,” a local spokesperson for the Christian Right said in Portland, Oregon.

I know that the more you criticize the Right, the more they are convinced they are of The Truth. So, there’s no point telling them how wrong and insensitive they are. No use saying that their point of view is as worthless as bat crap. No need to bother ranting and raving about how wrong their religious system is and has been for centuries. They won’t listen.

My only advice to the clear thinkers and lovers of humanity among us is to recognize the religious idiocy that still pervades this world and do our best to quietly work around it, doing our best to undermine their basic premises. We can do this by continuing to advocate and work for the health of the planet, the equality of men and women everywhere, women’s rights to choose what happens to their bodies, gay rights, and religious freedom. And those are the tip of the iceberg.

Quietly, moving through the world doing the good that radical religionists cannot or will not do, we help to create a mind shift that can and must bring real cooperation.

You are a clear thinker. You are a lover of humanity. You must be the change you would see in the world. You are the true savior.

Loud enough?

6 comments:

  1. I like your approach, Richard. We'll just continue the work.

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  2. It's sad that anyone can dare to judge an entire country in such an immense time of need. I think the "good book" says "judge not lest you be judged" - if only supposed "followers" of said book would actually follow these words the world would be a little bit closer to alright.

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  3. The sun shines on both the good and the evil. next time you see a Christian tell him that in fact you do not need to "Accept" Christ to get into heaven- and that can be Biblical substantiated. What boggles my mind are prejudice persons who claim to be Christians. It is like having a conversation with someone who is drowning telling them that in order to get in the boat you have to be perfect and follow all these rules. That did not work never has, men are evil very evil. Just like asking a drunk to quit- it is hard to do and you have to take it one step at a time. Desire to find truth, seek it with no pretense- if you really want to be good and seek truth eventually you will find yourself believing. CS Lewis stated this well in the great divorce. though life we either choose to be selfish and die or we allow our self to die and we live for God. Some say foolish things because they are not righteous but self-righteous.

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  4. I know you mean well, A, but Christians do not believe you have to be perfect to 'get in the boat.' In fact, just the opposite. We are so imperfect that we can only get into heaven by way of a perfect savior. According the Christians, it takes nothing more than acceptance of the fact that you are a sinner, that you need a savior, and that you accept Jesus as savior. The rest is detail.

    I'm not a believer, but Christian salvation really is that simple.

    Again, blessings, and many thanks for your comments. Keep 'em coming!

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