River of Life Church
  • Home
  • How Can I Serve
  • Map
  • Pastor Mark Radeke
  • Giving
  • Upcoming Events
  • Contact
  • ReMarkablog
  • Beliefs
  • Event Photos
  • Daily Bible Reading
  • Online Messages
  • Service Volunteer Sign-up

Where was God during Philippine's Typhoon Haiyan?

11/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Typhoon Haiyan,  struck the eastern islands of the Philippines on Friday. Wind gusts over 195 mph made one of the strongest typhoons in the history of that area. A wall of water swept and destroyed many coastal cities and islands. Officials have an early death toll of 1,774, but fear that number will rise to over 10,000 based on the lack of reports from areas that appear completely devastated.

Daniel  Burke asks where God is during storms like Haiyan.
 “For many Americans, a paradox sits at the heart of their thinking about natural disasters. According to a survey taken after 2011's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, most Americans (56%) believe that God is control of everything.
But more Americans blame hurricanes, earthquakes and other storms on global warming (58%) than on an angry and punishing deity (38%), according to a 2011 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute.
“These kind of questions about God being in control and there simultaneously being suffering are the kind of things that keep seminarians up at night," institute CEO Robert P. Jones said in 2011.
"They’re thorny theological issues."
The Bible's Psalm 107 says that “For (God) commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves thereof. ... He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the water springs into dry ground."
But, as the poll shows, most Americans have moved past the idea that God causes natural disasters, wrote Stephen Prothero, a frequent CNN contributor, in a 2011 column.
"When it comes to earthquakes and hurricanes, our authorities are geologists and meteorologists," Prothero said as he rode out Hurricane Irene on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. "Most of us interpret these events not through the rumblings of the biblical prophet Jeremiah or the poetry of the Book of Revelation but through the scientific truths of air pressure and tectonic plates."
For atheists, storms like Haiyan are proof that God doesn't exist, author and activist Sam Harris said.
"Either God can do nothing to stop catastrophes like this, or he doesn’t care to, or he doesn’t exist. God is either impotent, evil or imaginary," Harris said after Japan's tsunami. "Take your pick, and choose wisely."
God may or may not be in withering storms, but many religious leaders say they sense a divine presence in the aftermath, as people across the world mobilize to lend a hand.”

(read the entire blog at http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/11/where-was-god-in-the-philippines/)

Should we be glad God is not blamed or saddened that God is not believed?
The Bible says that God causes all things.
Matthew 5:45
“ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”


When the world became broken as the result of sin, bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. God is not evil, nor impotent, nor imaginary.

Where was God during the typhoon?
God was suffering along with each person affected by Haiyan.

Pray for the people in the Philippine’s recovering from this terrible typhoon.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Mark Radeke

    Husband of one, father of five, pastor and friend of many.

    Archives

    December 2022
    March 2021
    April 2020
    January 2019
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    10 Commandments.
    Bible
    Business
    Christian Living
    Church
    Dreams
    Easter
    Evil
    Famous People
    Finishing Well
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Global Poverty
    God
    Grace
    Heaven
    Holidays
    Holy Spirit
    Hope
    Kingdom Of God
    Love
    Marriage
    Money
    New Ventures
    Outreach
    Parables
    Parenting
    Peace
    Poverty
    Prayer
    Prophecy
    Retreat Highlights
    Salvation
    Senior Citizens
    Spiritual Gifts
    Trinity
    Trust
    Valentine's Day Stats
    Water Baptism
    Wisdom
    Worship

    RSS Feed