California fire, Mexico flood, Georgia drought, Pacific tsunami, Middle East strife, Global warming...?

Question

Questions for non-believers:

1.) Would/ Could there ever be a natural disaster or series of them so immense (e.g., 9-11) that your heart would turn to God for answers?

2.) So the Bible isn't true (you say) but nonetheless, how would you analyze these passages if they were written by an author whose work you did believe:

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

and

"knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? ...all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation”?

In spite of my Yahoo! name, I really didn't mean this question to imply that the end of days was near (though I obviously believe it is.) I was wondering more along the angle of whether the apparent heightened level of global catastrophies ever puts doubt in the heart of the ardent creationists in here that maybe there is a true God whose prophesies come to pass.

southswell2002, I didn't have room to post the rest of the passage where those who make the inaccurate assessments (...all things continue as before...) were set straight by Peter. Please read the whole short chapter of 2 Peter 3 for yourself: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=68&chapter=3&version=50&context=chapter

As I said above, I am not asking you whether you think these things are caused/ ordained by God (they are He is sovereign;) I am asking that if a book authored by a trusted author prophesied such things with accuracy thousands of years before they occurred, how would you analyze the accuracy?

southswell2002, I guess you've never asked a question here in Y!A, because you'd know that the number of characters allowed for the initial question is limited (believe me, I tried to squeeze in as much of the original verses as I could, that's why I used the ellipses) and then later as people respond, you are able to "edit" and add more info, as I am doing now (though you can't change the original question, nor your prior edits) so I assure you, there was nothing nefarious in my selected use of only portions of the original verses, and I was also happy to provide a link to the full chapter, as I already have.

Answer 1

most of these disasters are direct or indirect result of deeds of bible believers..So, how can people come closer to bible by such disasters?? Is not it hard time to invite bible believers to come close to reality rather than inviting non-believers?

Answer 2

You do realise Australia is the same size as the contiguous states of the US, right? The typical patterns we have had in most regions are long periods of reduced rainfall followed by flooding over 7-10 year periods. Our climate cycles are so different to the northern hemisphere patterns some have suggested we disregard the idea of four seasons in one year and focus more on the 7 year ENSO variation which explains more of the variation. The climate predictions are for more severe droughts in the southeast (where I was living until last week) and more rain in the northwest. The drought broke in the southeast about two years ago, and we have had periodic floods since then. A trend opposing the predictions for the southeast will be if the droughts do not become more severe over the coming decades and the floods get worse or more frequent. The reason we have floods after drought is because of the impacts on soils long periods without water has. Regular rainfall seeps into bedrock and moves slowly through aquifers but when soils are dry they become compacted and this reduces the amount of water they may absorb. This is worsened by things like deforestation and grazing. When you finally get significant rain, it runs across the top of the soil rather than being soaked into it like it does when rain is regular. This is why you get floods after drought. If the drought is worse, then the following floods are also likely to be worse. So yes, we expect to have droughts and floods as usual. We also expect the severity of these to change. Come back to us in 30 years time when we will have had a few cycles which will indicate what the trend is. Until then, don't get excited.

Answer 3

1) No... Because not only have natural disasters and series of them been occurring for the entire life of this planet.. But also, 9-11 is not a NATURAL disaster... It was not done by a hurricane, tornado, flood, etc etc. I don't believe destruction is the way a God should prove himself to potential followers.. One should not believe due to fear.

2) Again, all that stuff, has been happening even BEFORE the Bible, before the Jews, before any religion for that matter.

If a God needs to resort to scare tactics in order to win over followers, it's a God that I'd rather not follow nor believe in. I do not believe a faithful, worthy God would use fear as a means to win believers... Self-centered kids are the same way.. They aren't the center of attention or they aren't getting their way, they resort to threats and fear to get what they want.

I'm happy with my Gods and Goddesses that don't require scare tactics to win followers.

Answer 4

As in the days of Noah they will be marring & having a good old time, but when they least expect it disaster. What these people don't realize is that what we are doing is what Jesus has commanded us to do. To warn them that they will have no excuse when they go before the judgement seat. Even the bible says that on that day they will be crying out to rocks & the mountains to fall on them to hide them from the judgement to come. There is comming a day. Amen!!!!!!!!!

Answer 5

This sort of thing has been going on for ever.
Do you really think famines, earthquakes and pestilence are something new?
Try the Black death in Europe, try Santorini, try Krakatoa.
Read something apart from the bible. You have tunnel vision.

Answer 6

1. no

2. from the dawn of civilization there have been famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. Nation has risen against nation. There has been doomsayers and "scoffers".
And ironically, as stated in your latter quote: all things continue as they were...

he_returns_soon:

Just called it how I saw it.

It is funny that you used it in the context that you did without adding what you obviously did have space for in the first place. I am curious about what I said to motivate your clarification.

Answer 7

We humans have been in a constant state of war since the dawn of civilization. Humanity has endured famines, earthquakes and climate shifts as these are constant naturally occurring events.

Answer 8

God is not evidenced in pain, disaster, suffering and shock.

God is evidenced in the very basic joys of life. wind, laughter of children, a plant in bloom, every breath you take, the elegant balance of all things. God is in the balance and not the extremes.

To me, there is more of God in a blade of grass than in a wildfire or flood.

Answer 9

One may theorize thusly: "Oh, I will act such and such when so and so happens!" and try to imagine what it would be like, but when the actual event occurs, no one is prepared for that. The best actors are the ones who have such deep experiences to draw upon.

Answer 10

1) No. That to me would be a terrible reason to believe in something that you wouldn't believe in otherwise. All it would take is a god letting me know they exist, in a way I could believe. If that is beyond them, they don't deserve my worship even if they did exist. I suppose I would believe in a god that created some type of disaster that was obviously supernatural, but then I could never allow my self to worship such a vile and violent thing as a god who would create such distruction.

2) Name any time in human history those things have not been as true as now or any other time. Any difference is mostly in how efficiently information is dispersed.

Nature did those things. Worship nature.

Answer 11

learn the true identity of the USA in Bible Prophecy! What comes next?

http://www.ucg.org/booklets/US/

http://www.cog21.org/abip.html

http://angelmessage.org/judahs_sceptre/index.html

http://thetrumpet.com/