Question: How can we differentiate between a natural disaster and punishment from God. Is the disaster a trial

Question

Question: How can we differentiate between a natural disaster and punishment from God. Is the disaster a trial from God or a punishment from Him. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ra) - 08 Apr 97 - 6 minutes - Liqama'al Arab - Eng/Ara
http://208.218.155.157/dmlmediafiles/video/wmv/QALQ040897_01.wmv

Answer 1

We will never know. But yes, God's punishment is not something we can bear.

Answer 2

None of the natural disasters originate with God.
That's what James 1:13 says.
Natural disasters are often the result of human meddling in nature.
A second explanation is 1 John 5:19

Answer 3

A natural disaster is something that occurs in nature as a result of a vast combination of environmental factors. A punishment from god is a fairy tale. Hope that helps.

Answer 4

A natural disaster is precisely that- the result of natural known causes. No need to bring God into the equation.

Answer 5

What, then, accounts for the increase in the frequency and destructiveness of natural disasters that we read about? If the forces of nature are not to blame, the finger of guilt seems to point to the human element. And, indeed, authorities have recognized that human activities have made our environment both more prone to natural disasters and more vulnerable to them. In the developing nations, a growing need for food forces farmers to overcultivate what land they have or to reclaim land by clearing away vital forest covering. This leads to serious soil erosion. Expanding population also hastens the growth of slums and shantytowns haphazardly built in unsafe areas. Even in the more developed nations, people, like the millions living along the San Andreas Fault in California, have exposed themselves to danger in spite of clear warnings. In such circumstances, when an unusual turn of events—a storm, a flood, or an earthquake—occurs, can the disastrous result really be called “natural”?

“There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow,” and “the tree of the field must give its fruitage, and the land itself will give its yield, and they will actually prove to be on their soil in security.” (Psalm 72:16; Ezekiel 34:27) Regarding the natural environment, the Bible tells us: “The wilderness and the waterless region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron. . . . For in the wilderness waters will have burst out, and torrents in the desert plain. And the heat-parched ground will have become as a reedy pool, and the thirsty ground as springs of water.” (Isaiah 35:1, 6, 7) And wars will be no more.—Psalms 46:9.

The Bible foretold great earthquakes and food shortages for our day, but that does not mean that either God or Jesus is responsible for them, any more than a meteorologist is responsible for the weather that he forecasts. Because these are occurring along with all the other things foretold in the composite sign of the conclusion of this system of things, they are part of the evidence that the blessings of God’s Kingdom are near.—Luke 21:11, 31.

Humans often bear heavy responsibility for harm done. Even when given ample warning, many people refuse to get out of the danger area or fail to take needed precautions.—Proverbs 22:3; compare Matthew 24:37-39.

Those who violate godly standards of living do experience bad effects. (Gal. 6:7) Sometimes they reap a bitter harvest quickly. In other instances, they may seem to prosper for a long time. In contrast, Jesus Christ, who never did wrong, was cruelly mistreated and put to death. So, in this system of things prosperity should not be viewed as proof of God’s blessing, nor should adversity be considered proof of his disapproval.

Answer 6

I think the increase in natural disasters we've been seeing just in the last 50 years are "wake-up" calls from God, to warn His people to repent and turn from their sins, because He is coming soon. People get too "spiritually lazy" lately, and God is going to wake them up and shake them up. I sometimes wonder if God allowed New Orleans to be destroyed (or at least severely damaged) because the city is rampant with paganism. The big cities on the two coasts are easy prey for natural disasters, but also for man-made disasters like WTC. In fact, Jesus made a statement that eerily resembles the WTC incident: "The men on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew 20 [sic], do you think that they were more sinful than all other men...? Nay, but I say to you, unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

Answer 7

No, no,no. A natural disaster is caused by nature and is predicted. There are also non-predicted ones, like earthqueakes, tsunami, floods. Those other "punishments" are not caused by God. The big one is not yet in HIS LIST. And probably, that one won't be seen.

Answer 8

Nothing bad comes from God. However, God will allow bad things to happen for various reasons. They could occur for the purposes of a trial or a test for the strength of a person. Punishment, yeah, maybe.

Answer 9

A natural disaster accompanied by a little tag saying "To: ________ From: God" would probably indicate a punishment.

Without that, it's strictly a perception.

Answer 10

God is love. Disaster's do not come from Him. When Adam and Eve screwed up in the garden, they allowed Satan to have power over the earth and it is he who causes grief. The biggest lie Satan tells is that he doesn't exist.

Answer 11

In the book of Amos, it says that Jehovah will never do anything without revealing it prior to it happening.

He also will provide an escape from that event.

What insurance companies call "acts of God" are in reality natural disasters.

Matthew 24 says there will be earthquakes, but that doesn't make them acts of God.