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Is the recent increase in natural disasters God's judgement?
Results so far:
| No | 68% | 537 votes | Total: 793 votes | |
| Yes | 32% | 256 votes |
No
by DM Zwack
Created on: March 14, 2009
Can an increase in natural disasters be clearly demonstrated? Perhaps this perceived rise in catstrophes is more a reflection of the speed of global communication and greater awareness of events on the other side of the world than any sort of dire warning, divine or otherwise.
Recent high profile events like Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the devastating Southeast Asian tsunami in late 2004 tend to cloud our judgment about how pervasive natural disasters can be. Fact is, South Asia has always been susceptible to violent storms and devastation caused by typhoons, volcanic activity, and earthquakes and tsunamis (many of these complex phenomena are interrelated, particularly earthquakes and tsunamis). Just ask the citizens of Bangladesh, who have endured untold horrors from violent tropical outbreaks; an 1876 storm centered mostly on modern Bangladesh-the Indian Subcontinent was part of the British Empire at the time-killed an estimated 200,000 people, while a typhoon in 1970 took roughly half a million lives and prompted various recording artists, George Harrison and Bob Dylan among them, to organize the Concert for Bangladesh. Clearly, these types of disasters are not new to the world.
The planet's inhabitants have always been vulnerable to volcanic eruptions, from the incomprehensibly vast explosion of Toba about 74,000 years ago, which may have pushed the human race to the very brink of extinction, to Pompeii in 79AD, to Tambora, 1815 and Krakatoa, 1883, to Mount St. Helen's, 1980, all of which claimed lives and vanquished land and property. Scores of great and well-known earthquakes have also wrought havoc across the planet, from Lisbon, Portugal in 1755, to San Francisco, California in 1906, to Tokyo, Japan in 1923, to Prince William Sound, Alaska in 1964. Other notable natural disasters include the Tri-State Tornado that struck Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana in 1925 and the 1931 Yellow River floods in China, an event that may have taken an astoundingly sobering three million lives.
This brief and incomplete history lesson shows that natural disasters are not new occurrences. There is no definitive evidence that proves a recent increase in their scope or frequency. This is not to suggest we should shrug off such realities, dismiss them as part of the natural cycle of life. We should, we must, aid victims of such horrors, no matter what part of the world they reside in. It is a positive development that we are now more aware of global events than ever before. But this fact may also lead us to infer things are worse now than they were a generation ago, or fifty or one hundred years ago when the truth is news travels faster and more accurately than it ever did in the past.
As to whether these events are the result of God's judgment, it is almost impossible to know one way or the other. For those who believe in God, it would be difficult and presumptuous to claim to know God's intentions. Non-believers, on the other hand, find little relevance or usefulness in pursuing the will of God. In any event, if natural diasters are the will of God and He is exacting judgment on the world for its sins, He does not appear to be doing this much more now than He ever has. Speaking very broadly, each generation of people seems inclined to believe the world is getting progressively worse and this belief leads them to speculate about reasons this might be the case.
Another element of the argument is the suggestion that global warming may sometimes spur or exacerbate catastrophic occurrences. This assertion certainly is possible, but difficult to prove, and again, whether global warming contributes to certain natural disasters, it it not definite that there has been a dramatic rise in such events.
Ultimately, there is no way to know for certain whether nature's fury is the direct result of God's wrath, human folly, neither, or both. What is certain is that earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, tornados, fires, and floods will remain central to the human condition, no matter how advanced our technology or how powerful our faith.
Learn more about this author, DM Zwack.
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Yes
by Jerry Hodge
Created on: July 07, 2008 Last Updated: July 30, 2008
In the last four years we have seen an amazing increase in natural disasters. The horrible Indonesian Tsunami, wiped out over a quarter of a million people! Terrible droughts are crippling entire nations. Earthquakes seem to be occuring at an alarming rate, increasing in both frequency and intensity. Just look at the recent devasting earthquake in China.
The United States has been really hit hard. Entire sections of the midwest have been flooded. Much of California is on fire and many areas of the state have not seen rain in nearly two years. Tornados are occuring in places like New Jersey, which is most unusual. And as a man of God I am telling, all who will listen, that a disastor is coming unlike anything that we can imagine. It is fast approaching and it will be much bigger than the Indonesian tsunami!
I believe these natural disasters are not a coincidence. Any human being, with even a limited degree of intelligence, must be asking-Why are all these things happening at the same time? Certainly many have asked me. Some, like global warming are the result of man's misuse of the planet. However, most of them will be God's judgement against a world that has rejected him and his express commands. We are now living the Book of Revelation.
I know this article will not be popular with many people. As a Son of God, I am not interested in popularity or money. Joel Osteen can proclaim the message of prosperity. I was called to warn people of impending destruction. And and I do not care what people think about me. God has called me to tell the truth and that is what I will do. What we are seeing now is exactly what Jesus told us would happen in Luke 21 and Matthew 24. He warned us that an increase in frequency and intensity of natural disastors would be "the beginning of the end of our age."
We must stop offending God! He created us. That gives him the right to say what is right and wrong. An example would be homosexual marriages. This is an abomination to him and he will not tolerate it much longer! And yet most of the media in this county glorifies this lifestyle. This is terrible.
God is so good and loving and kind. In 1985 I accepted him into my life. I traveled all over the world helping others, praying for the sick and seeing remarkable miracles. This is well known by many people in many nations and here in the United States. He has been so good to me. Saving lives is the greatest thing any human being can do. Through his kindness and the merits of Christ our Lord gave me a remarkable gift of seeing future events.
In Acts chapter two, God promised that "in the last days he would give people special supernatural graces." Jesus told us that part of the Holy Spirits work would be "to show us the future." Even many non-believers I meet know that God often speaks through dreams and visions. This should be elementary!
In 2001 I lost my wife to the forces of evil. This really hurt me deeply. I backslid for many years, allowing anger and bitterness to almost destroy me. I did things I will never forgive myself for. And yet God never departed from me. His graces only seemed to grow stronger. He is so eager to forgive. His kindness cannot be put into words.
July fourth was my 53rd birthday. And on that day I made a decision. I must either go back to God; or join the Kingdom of Darkness. I could no longer be a good man doing evil. For seven years two Kingdoms have been pulling me. The night of the fourth I made my choice. To go back to Jesus. And he rewarded my decision.
The morning of July 5th I had a terrible vision. The vision was of a massive asteroid heading for the earth. Trust me, it is coming, just as the bible predicts. I even know the area where it will hit and the relative size. I am certain other Christians have seen this. And it will be only the beggining. I am not the only person who has seen this.
Ironically two young girls, ages eight and thirteen have seen the exact same thing. This well before my mystical vision. We have never met. They have no reason to lie. This is true to God's nature. The Prophet Amos stated that "God always warns, before judgement comes." And he often makes the most unlikely choices to send his warnings.
The morning of July 5th I spoke to a dear friend. She wanted to wish me a happy birthday. She is a very Godly lady. Ironically, she told me that just that morning, our Lord warned her of an immending terrible natural disaster. We were both stunned as I shared what I saw in that terrible vision.
God has not changed in five thousand years. What was offensive to him in bible days, continues to be offensive to him! He has not changed his mind in the least about homosexuality, killing, witchcraft and idol worship. Read REVELATION 9:18-21. This is very easy to understand.
Just like the days of the Ancient prophets he uses nature and the elements to get our attention! I am certain there will be those who respond with cynical and caustic remarks. In writing this article I am being very candid. I am putting much of my reputation on the line.
In conclusion, I would like to say unless you know God, and have a very good knowledge of the bible it would be unfair to comment. I don't write articles on ice fishing; because I know nothing about it. I write only about what I know, researched and have experienced. Anything else would be unfair.
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