Natural disasters....judgment from God?

Question

For those who say that natural disasters "have nothing to do with God"...is it because God doesn't send judgment or because we are not deserving of judgment?

Doesn't the Bible talk about God's judgment in both the Old and New Testaments, and aren't we all deserving of it (myself very much included)? In fact, didn't God bring judgment upon many, including Job who even lost his family but was blessed in the end? I am not overlooking God's mercy or His perfect love and wisdom, but perhaps questioning man's arrogance in thinking he is above discipline from God (or his ignorance in thinking God would not discipline His children)...

our God is the God of nature...the one who created nature and controls all things...

Answer 1

God is our protection and provision. When we lose one or the other, we need to look for the cause. Proverbs 26:2 "....a curse without a cause does not come."

Gov Schwarzenegger has definitely called judgment down upon California by signing SB 777 permitting the teaching of homosexuality to the children in the schools in California. We do not ignore the Word of God without suffering the consequences of the sin of ignoring God's Word.

God is disciplining America and God will bring us to repentance. This is a loving God and He knows what is best for America.

Answer 2

Giving you a star for this question because 1. it's a good one and not "radical" - 2. Well written - you seem intelligent; and 3. You seem open minded and just want others opinions.
I've often questioned this myself. Then again though, if we said that every bad thing that happened to us on earth was a punishment from God, we'd be second-guessing ourselves and giving up more instead of trying harder because we would throw our hands up and say "it's God's will." These natural disasters are so very very sad and you can't help but wonder "why" -- I know. None of us are above discipline from God ---- you are very right. I'm just not real sure (in my heart) that this is a discipline issue. We'll all know the answers in the end though -- this I do truly believe.

Answer 3

I do agree that a Chrisitian is subject to discipline from God, but my understanding of the story of Job is that he did not suffer because of God's judgment for doing something wrong, but rather his faith was being tested by God . Don't forget that in the end he was restored. I believe his friends were of the belief that he must have done something bad to suffer so much but they were wrong.

As far as natural disasters being judgment from God, I don't know. If you go by the examples in scripture, it appears natural disasters were used in some cases to teach something.. for example when Jesus calmed the storm when he and the disciples were on the boat. It appears to me he was trying to let them experience his power over the elements, it doesn't appear to be a punishment. Just my take on it. I'm not saying I am right or wrong.

Answer 4

The belief that Natural Disasters are sent by the gods or God as punishment for sin, is the very grossest and vilest form of stupidity and superstition. Nature operates in a very definable and mechanistic fashion. You get rain when conditions are right for rain and not otherwise. Earthquakes are nothing but the release of energy created by the stress of unequal motions of the underlying rocks. A volcano eruption likewise caused by a release of excess energy that had built up in the Earth often centuries prior to the eventual eruption.
The fact that a village gets destroyed by the Earthquake, Hurricane or Volcano eruption has nothing to do with God, or sin or punishment or anything. But it's nice to think when an Earthquake hits our enemies it is for their "sins" but when it happens to us it's a "wake-up" call. Pure superstition about equal to black cats causing bad luck and a thousand times as harmful.

Humans sometimes cause floods by removing the forests and vegetation that would have prevented it in the first place, but that is not a punishment for SIN, it is a consequence of STUPIDITY. The famous American Dust Bowl that hit the West was a result of bad farming practices and overgrazing coupled with a protracted drought. It was not because God had it in for Western farmers. The same applies to Plagues and diseases as well. AIDS is not God's judgment against gays, because oddly enough God forgot to punish the Lesbians who have the LOWEST AIDS rate of any group! The Bubonic Plague hit mostly White European Christians. Should I conclude God hates white European Christians, or rather that it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the principle culprit being bad sanitation and hygiene practices in overcrowded cities and NOT SIN. A little good hygiene will cure and prevent more diseases than a thousand faith healers and witch doctors combined.

That kind of thinking that blames God for Natural disasters should have been eliminated from mankind's religious and philosophical systems long long ago. It is a relic of the stone age. It is disgusting to find supposedly intelligent beings teaching this kind of nonsense about Nature or God. And if you are a believer in God, teaching this nonsense makes God out to be nothing but a mindless idiot and maniacal murderer who kills out of whim or caprice. Are you that bold to make your God into an idiot or murderer?

Answer 5

I do not believe that natural disasters are judgement from God. Many of the people caught up in horrible events like those in hurricane katrina are good people. Not perfect of course, that would make THEM God, but good. Why would a loving father want to punish a good child?

Instead I believe that God made natural disasters as part of natural laws that govern his creation: Earth. Natural disasters present a way for us to choose how we would respond in the face of an enormous, life-changing event. Would we take the path towards or away from God when faced with those circumstances? Because without trials and tribulations in life, it becomes meaningless. There are no longer opportunities for humans to show if they are virtuous or not. We have no free will to choose to be Christian anymore.

Answer 6

You couldn't possibly believe that a house just came up on its own; because logic dictates that it must have been built by someone. As science says, "Nothing could happen without a cause." Hence, nothing could be built without a builder; nothing could appear without a Creator. Hebrews 3:4 - "For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God." Now, looking a the natural world, "that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:19-20). Yet, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalms 14:1).

Answer 7

I believe it's because God doesn't send judgment. I think that what has been interpreted in the past as 'God's jusgment were natural disasters--albeit extremely rare ones. If you study enough geology and archaeology, you can see the evidence for this in soil samples and in rock strata, as well as in the chemical composition of rocks and so forth.

Answer 8

Yes we (USA) are being judged It's only the beginning. This nation has turned away from GOD in many ways; and if history repeats itself why should we be any different? With rampant abortion, porn everywhere, immorality is celebrated This has been a blessed nation, but it looks like we are loosing favor with the almighty... cause we keep kicking him out of everything. I pray for mercy.... Lord have mercy on us.

Answer 9

I believe that God can and does "allow" disasters to take place as a form of judgement on sin, at a large and small scale. He will also use people or another country to do it as well. Can nothing or no one stop God's Holy and Righetous Judgement.

Answer 10

What is written in the bible only affects nature to the extent that man reads the bible, either believes or doesn't believe in what it says, and acts accordingly. If clear cutting the rain forest and burning obscene amounts of fossile fuel were prohibited in the bible, then perhaps we wouldn't have global warming, and hence fewer "natural" disasters. But most of our natural disasters have nothing to do with man. they are events that occur with regularity, although their geographical locations are so hard to predict that they seem to us to be random. in fact, they are primarily driven by geologic and atmospheric conditions that have been going on since long before man evolved