Sunday, February 04, 2007

God's Holy Wrath?

A few days ago tornadoes ripped through central Florida destroying homes and taking several lives. Additionally a church in Lady Lake, Florida was demolished. A couple of thoughts....

1. Why is the fact that a church was destroyed always a part of these news stories. What about the bowling ally, or city building, or Bernie's tavern? Why is this reported as if it were an 'extra' awful disaster. Comes back (as always) to some of the points in my main rant. If you believe in all this business what do you need the building for anyway? Sure you like getting together with liked minded people and the church building is where you do that but that's just a place. The VFW hall may have to be rebuilt too. Is that extra disastrous as well?

2. I was stuck in the airport during a CNN report on this and they kept repeating the same story about the church. Their little hook headline was, "Prayer couldn't save it but faith will rebuild it". First off... I doubt whether anyone was praying for the saving at the church at 3 AM when this storm hit. If I were praying it would be that my own ass didn't get blown into the Atlantic Ocean. Secondly, if "faith" rebuilds it what rebuilds the gas station, VFW hall, etc? What does a sentence like that even mean?

3. If Faith is 'strong enough' to rebuild it why wasn't it strong enough to steer the tornadoe a few hundred feet to the left or right and spare the church in the first place. Of course god do work in mysterious ways and it's not up to us to question.

But WHY can't we question? Is it because deep down the questions and the line that they will naturally take become very uncomfortable? The big underlying thought behind this and so many other stories is the theists are fond of saying that they "feel blessed" when something good happens to them but don't say "God's a bastard" when something bad happens. I guess bad stuff is the devil's work and God just doesn't get to win 'em all!