Natural Disasters–God Dishing Out His Abuse so Believers Can Appreciate His “Goodness”–How Stupid
In the wake of Hurricane Isaac, Christians are asking the all too familiar question—Why d
oes God allow hurricanes? I find this question rather silly, and as there is no proof of any god “allowing” anything at all. In fact, if we look at the earths geological history, we find that the earth itself is constantly “evolving” and hurricanes, landslides, volcanoes etc., are part of this evolutionary process–whether there are humans around to experience these occurrences or not. Still, let’s consider the Christian explanations for the so-called “acts of God” in our natural world.
One of the first excuses for natural disasters given by Christians is that ultimately, we as humans don’t know why God allows these things to happen, as his ways are not our ways. This excuse speaks volumes, as it indicates that Christians who claim to “know” their god—can’t, and don’t “know” him at all, as “his ways are not our ways.” This means of course that since Christians cannot “know” their god, they could actually be worshiping a sadistic masochistic tyrant instead of the so-called “all loving” god they have been led to believe in, and this would also be consistent with what is written about the Christian god in the Bible. For instance, in the Bible, God allows Satan (Satan cannot do anything without Yahweh’s permission) to torture Job and kill Job’s wife and children just so Yahweh could say, “See, I told you Job would worship me no matter what happened to him!” Allowing Job to be tortured and his family murdered to make such a point is NOT consistent with the actions of an all-loving god—but a sadistic and narcissistic god. Furthermore, as Yahweh is supposed to know everything before it happens, and as the Bible tells us,“…EVERY decision is from the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33), he planned the murder of Job’s family, just as he planned the hurricanes and other disasters that kill and maim people. For what reasons?? Ahh—Christians cannot say, because, well, they really don’t know their god at all.
Many Christians also claim disasters happen because we live in a “fallen world” and that Satan in the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31), which is why bad things happen to good people, and would mean that either Satan is more powerful than God, or that God has allowed Satan to be the “ruler” of this world. As mentioned above, the Bible teaches that “…EVERY decision is from the Lord.” (Prov. 16:33), so this verse indicates that Yahweh planned it that way and if Satan is the “ruler of this world” Yahweh planned it that way. Yahweh planned to allow Satan to “rule this world” just as he planned for Adam and Eve to eat the “forbidden fruit” which Christians claim led trillions of people to lives of sin and misery– so, as many Christians claim, they could appreciate Yahweh’s “glory” as he “revealed” himself to them. Many Christians claim that we cannot appreciate Yahweh’s goodness without experiencing pain and suffering—which is ridiculously absurd. This would be the same as a husband claiming his wife could not appreciate his “goodness” unless he beat her to a pulp every so often. It’s sadistic and cruel, and an all-powerful, all-loving god could and would have better ways of showing his “children” his love, or he would not be all loving and all powerful—he would be a sadistic tyrant.
Many Christians also claim that Jesus experienced “the hurricane of God’s wrath when He died for sinners” as he suffered and died for our salvation. This means that the God that created the “human nature” that allows humans to “sin” in the first place, and planned it that way, also decided that the best way to remedy the situation that he planned in the first place, was to have himself suffer and die–but not really die. This entire scenario known as the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus is entirely illogical, but even if it were true, an all-powerful god could have found a less brutal way to grant humanity their salvation—or he would not be an all-powerful god. In fact, he could have just snapped his fingers and given us all salvation, and forgone the bloodshed altogether, but he did not. Instead, he CHOSE to have himself sacrificed–making him a sadistic, masochistic god.
So according to Christian logic, Christians should be happy when their God demolishes their homes and drowns their babies in flood waters, as this is just their god “revealing” himself to them, so they can appreciate his “goodness” by experiencing his abuse. How RIDICULOUS!!! No wonder Sigmund Freud believed religion led to neurosis/psychosis, when Christianity teaches that we can only appreciate goodness through suffering. How stupid—and bizarre.
Good post. Usually Christians can tell you all about what God wants, likes, requires, thinks, feels, hates, loves, etc., etc., but they have no idea why he sends destructive hurricanes, etc. Could be to punish sin, could be cause there’s just a curse on the earth, could be to show his power, etc., etc. But they do know that whatever the reason is, it’s a good one, and we certainly can’t question it or criticize it. And they pray to this same God who sent/allowed the hurricane to save them and their children two hours later. It makes no sense to me at all. If God wanted to save them, why did he send the hurricane? Obviously he wanted to drown them! It’s other people who want to save them somehow. Their neighbor-not God-comes by in a canoe. Or you could say he wanted them saved since they WERE saved. Fine. Then you also have to say that he wanted those other people to drown, because that’s what happened-they drowned.
It’s been remarked more than once that Christian devotion resembles battered-spouse syndrome: “He only abuses me because he loves me, and if I showed more devotion in return he wouldn’t have to hit so hard.”
The question is, do such people need therapy?
I would say Freud was right–they do need therapy. I cannot fathom the idea that the Christian god “reveals” himself by saving one victim of a hurricane, while at the same time having thousands, or even millions of others killed in the same hurricane. How stupid is that?
Yes indeed, anytime faithful folk are saying his ways are not our ways. They are trying to use it , like its a “get out of jail fee card”, as is often used and the monopoly game. For their faith is also much like playing the game too, except instead its the faith-game. The general idea being that the top-dog players , (generally a priest of someone schooled up on cunning type debate skill, like William Craig) tries to use a barrage “words” to manipulate, baffle and confuse humans into deciding on retaining their faith-belief.
Its not so hard to do,and most often it works on very faithful type brains. Science helps explain to us, how such “faithful” people quite often , don’t even bother to be using any form of scepticism . For parts of their brain is already closed down within “faith-meditation”, because they already made up their minds http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627574.200-brain-shuts-off-in-response-to-healers-prayer.html . And as such , they are only ever looking for someone who is getting busy in “confirming” and saying whatever they want to be hearing anyway. So many christians wont even be likely to approach whatever the likes of William Craig says , with any form of questioning anyway . They might as well just still be all sitting within walls of some church building, nodding their wee heads to “whatever’s” being said, in a form of unilateralism , followed up by a number of slumberous amen’s and hallelujahs’ as well too. For good measure, just so as to also convince other people around them, that maybe they are actually “still awake” and busy “thoughtfully” thinking .
Anything the likes of William Craigs says, the christian will always just nod their heads anyway ,saying something like “wow-weeee did you other faithful-folk hear that ? , ooooh wasn’t he real jolly wonderful “. (Swoon ! )
So when the preacher say “his ways are not our ways” , in regards to not being able to provide good enough answers to these big questions. The faithful brain is already ,closed-down , thinking about next to nothing . Settled-up peacefully within a form of faith-meditation,in very little different manner , to act of humans sometimes involved in the peaceful “meditational practice” of yoga . So the faithful brain doesn’t even bother to think-much about the situation ,that if Gods ways are not our ways , and because his ways are so different to our ways, that we cant understand them. Then why do humans even think the can know anything about any of Gods ways ?. Which ? humans get “issued the right” to be those to decide “for us” what ways we “can or cant” understand . Just some tricky schooled-up Priest ? , or only the cunning William Lane Craig types can ?.
Warning bells should be really ringing very loudly about this ongoing situation. But it doesn’t so often happen . So “peaceful” does it feel, to be involved in “resting” the human brain while continually lulled half-asleep within ongoing “peaceful” practice of faith-”meditation”.
All human brains get tired of needing to think. And our Children and teen agers sometime will get themselves in more trouble, , cause needing to remain “continually” thinking ,always takes energy and effort. It seems so much easier not to “need to think”. (This thought of mine is not said, as a thought to say i think the youth are bad or the more useless people). No not at all .Its just said so as for us humans to face and admit a fact of a type of phenomena ,that does exist among us humans. That it can be somewhat tiresome , fo us humans to “always” need to be “continually” thinking. Hence why any form of meditation , can also tend to become quite attractive to us.
If God really sends us these hurricane for good reason ,reason only known by God. Then it must also be good for humans to “need” to be “personally” involved in experiencing it too. So why ? do they even “dare-try” and run away , escaping and saving themselves from experiencing it . Maybe ? that’s why this God keep on sending us more and more of them. Maybe ? humans should be staying within the hurricane , or even placing their children and babies outside in it
But how extremly stupid it really is , all this continuing faith-belief. When science now even explains to us humans, why such things can happen.
Yet even more stupid that when faithful folk would demand to have rights to think for themselves . The priest may say , “look its not always such a good thing, for humans to decide on thinking with our “natural” minds “. As another traditional rule, often used when some humans are involved in playing along with the faith-game
Sorry about another long comment Linda and Anthony . But i find trying to understand this faith madness , so interesting.
You’ve really nailed this issue – well done. This will now be my go-to resource for this kind of thing.
I try not to generalise from Dawkins to all atheists and when i find evidence of clear factual errors in the God D and foolish exaggerations and pig ignorance of history etc it does not mean that atheism has no good points that need thoughtful response. Your article which has some great points does seem to assume that the stupidest answers that most Christians i know find intensely irritating are the best they have. Also to foolishly assume that most CHristians are simply psychological cripples as some of the comments do may comfort your beliefs but they are evidence free. But most world-views seem to treat others as knaves or fools. We can do better than that and it really should act as a mirror for us
Very nice post!
I’ve had a discussion about this issue on Facebook and another possible explanation for natural disasters came up. One commenter said that natural disasters are necessary in a world that contains freewill. I.e. If God controlled everything (including removing natural disasters) then we wouldn’t have free will. I find this “free process defence” to be a little bizarre, but it certainly is one of the ideas out there which wasn’t covered in the blog post. It would be good to hear a refutation of this argument as well.