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 A church sign from Sunday in a town on Long Island, New York.
October 30th, 2012
04:54 PM ET
Online conversations around Sandy feature God, prayer and atheismBy Conor Finnegan, CNN (CNN) - As millions of Americans begin to clean up from Superstorm Sandy, many will turn to insurance companies to cover damages caused by an “act of God.” It’s legalese for natural disasters. Some of the online conversation around Sandy have treated it as such an act, with the term “prayer” trending on Facebook on Monday, as the nation awaited the storm’s landfall. We noticed four themes emerging that touch on God and religion on Facebook, Twitter and in CNN.com’s comments sections: 1. God bless: It was a message expressed by well-wishers around the world. Those spared by Sandy took to social media to show their support and sympathy as the images proliferated of New York’s flooded streets and New Jersey’s eroded beaches. Despite different faiths and nationalities, the upshot was the same: Our prayers are with you. From Facebook:
From Twitter:
2. Thank God: For those caught in Sandy’s path, the conversation was different. More than 7.5 million in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast were without power on Tuesday. Those who could post online expressed gratitude, with “thankful” the 8th most shared term on Facebook by Tuesday morning. And from Twitter:
3. God’s wrath: A small minority saw Sandy as God’s judgment. This Tweet is from a leader of Westboro Baptist Church, the Kansas congregation known for its anti-gay pickets at military funerals:
We found these on Facebook:
4. God does not exist: Some used Sandy to question religion or at least the idea of blaming the storm on God, employing science, humor and venom. A back and forth between believers and nonbelievers sparked a tense conversation in the comments section on CNN.com. From Facebook:
From Twitter:
What do you think? What role should faith or God play in the conversation about Sandy? Post your thoughts in the comments section. soundoff (2,260 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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It is the triplets 60th birthday this December 21, and they are really hoping the World ends that day.
God designed the world to be constantly moving. Tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis – these are all ways that the planet cleans, recycles and reshapes itself. THAT is the will of God. If you were spared, it's either because A) you didn't happen to be in the way, or, B) God led you out of the way for a specific task you are meant to do. Who can know which it is? So thank God and consider whether there is something you are meant to do. We should also thank God for the fact that the planet does what it's supposed to do, and be relieved if we didn't get swept up into natures dust-pan.
God spared me because I need to do the dishes.
God also designed the Earth to presess on it's axis, as is described in the Mayan calendar. One precession is 26,300 years, close to the 25,525 estimatd by the Mayans. We are not in control and claiming Global Warming is a redistributionist tax hoax.
When did he design the collection plate? Or did those come at the original creation?
Religion is a manmade club like any other, with rules and perks to make the club feel special from other clubs. The club gets together periodically to reinforce the delusions of members. Many branches of this club have dues which most call a tithe.
You've chosen the club that aligns best with your own fantasy concerning how to minimize your fears in life. You and others in the club are afraid so you've made up a god that soothes you by making decisions for you, helping you feel less alone in the universe, and promising you life everlasting. The various club gods offer perks to induce membership such as seeing dead relatives, virginal sex partners, planets to rule or even one's own god status.
The Jesus you believe in never existed, was and is king of nothing. The bible is a collection of stolen, modified, pre-fabricated myth and forgeries about a non-existent deity. You don't have to be afraid. You do not need religion.
Deal with the lack of afterlife by celebrating life and family in the here and now. Be responsible for your own decisions. Be kind to the earth and others on it. Forge a path with determination, or "go with the flow" and let life determine the course if you're the lazy type. Either way, you don't need a god or a club for any of that.
Sandy was punishment for our burning of fossil fuel.
There is STILL TIME – We Have FIVE YEARS to REPENT of OUR SINS and Return the Atmosphere to 350ppm from the 400ppm we are at today. If we can do it – we will survive – if we do NOT we will NOT. We have Waited SO LONG from when we were warned DECADES AGO that Now it will be HARD – We have to BAN Burning COAL and Gasoline and convert our cars to batteries were charge from the solar Panels on Our Roofs. It will cost about $24,000 per Family and we can start with a $5,000 dollar a year Tax Credit.
Tell that to gas guzlers,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I enjoyed my tax credit that all Americans paid me to drive my Nissan Leaf. Thanks!
I will appear tomorrow night in the pumpkin patch!
Pumpkin pumpin'
http://youtu.be/xiSIQzwIPzQ
God is in control. Age to Age He stands. My time is short and I am nothing more than dust.
"Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last." C.T. Studd
You just keep telling yourself that.
Well, dust is not a career I would choose, but if that is your ambition, go for it!
Any other incredibly shallow and totally imaginary gibberish you want to share with use before your mommy gives you your nighty-night cookie?
Our prayers go out to the victims of this storm. May they come to know Jesus through this trial that God may transform their lives.
The Jews are living proof that God exists. It's historical fact that they were once enslaved in Egypt and that they were only released when Egypt suffered great plagues exactly as fortold by Moses when he spoke to Pharoah, who incidently kept hardening his heart. Eventually, after his first born son was killed in one of the plagues, Pharoah relented and let the Hebrews go. But as the Hebrews were leaving Egypt, Pharoah hardened his heart again, changed his mind and led his army to pursue the Hebrews. Then, when the Hebrews were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army, the sea divided and the Hebrews passed through the sea safely. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, the sea collapsed in on them and all the Egyptias were drown. This is a matter of historical fact. The survival of the Jews through that time and to this very day prove that God exists. Doubting or having little faith is one thing. But if you close your mind and flat out deny it, you are a stubborn jack a55. (Sorry for the language, but I don't know how else to say it.)
The Jews writings are living proof that god is a sham. What god do you know that needed to hide the Jews with a dust storm the night before, because he couldn't kill the Egyptians until the next day
@Robert - yah, we all saw the movie "The Ten Commandments". And if you are using that as your facts, then you need a god to help you. Plus there is no amount of literature or physical evidence that proves the supernatural. That belief is based on a leap of faith. So far the best the Christian god can do to reveal him/herself is a talking bush....sounds powerful to me.
If you can believe that a GOD could pick one race over another, and that race happens to be yours, keep going. Nuts!
It's pretty amusing reading the comments here.
Whomever you are, the TRUTH is...YOU DON'T KNOW, & NEITHER DO I !!!
ALL of you need to get off your high horses and just admit that when it comes to religion, you are ALL just as ignorant as EVERYONE else.
However, ORGANIZED religion is a complete plague on humankind...believe what you want, & keep it between yourself & whomever you pray to. The world would be a much better place if everyone followed that one single tenet.
It's sad when you don't have any hope. I'll pray for you that you have an encounter with God and He will transform your life.
This was NOT and 'Act of God' but was the direct Result of the Stupidity of Ignoring the Kyoto Protocol. For the 2nd Year in a Row – New York has been hit with 'The Storm of the Century'
Poseidon will bring you more storms if you don't appease him. It is obvious to the Nova Romans what is happening! Neptune is angry.
You sound like Al Gore.
Neptune's really ticked off by all that burning of fossil fuels.
You sound like a mentally-impaired chimp.
We must ritually sacrifice more tuna to appease Neptune!
Zeus aint happy either..
...it's mtv's fault
Money for nuthin' Chicks for free ...
http://youtu.be/lAD6Obi7Cag
If you thank God for everything, you'd also have to blame God for everything too because you're not omniscient to tell the difference.
In order to exist, God has to do something and not do everything. God MUST be somewhere between 0 and infinity, and not at either extreme.
Out of all the posting it is funny how no one give respect to mother nature or maybe "the Devil" Hello-- you know have heaven and hell......
The jersey shore has become what it was – a piping plover sanctuary. I'm sorry people – the Jersey Shore is a barrier Island.
I think it should in a mild, figurative way. If you are religious, you can thank god and such but to connect the storm to religion overall is wrong.
Imagine you are God and the Ants in your home are humans.
As a human would you be worried when the ants colony out there is wiped away in a rain? or the ants fighting with each other and killing each other?. Can you go and attend to each of the ant individually if they fall sick or die; its impossible for you to do so. Would you be worried or care if these insects are killed under your feet when you walk? Perhaps the ants themselves will bother about their destruction. But we humans dont care what happened the to ants/insects; come on they have no value. If one ant dies million others are still out there to carry out their job in the eco system.
Same is the case of human beings for that super power (or creator whatever). Its all part of nature. As a human race with a brain to think, we bother about these destructions. These things happen to human doesnt matter to the super power out there and impossible (or has no power) to attend to individual things happen to man kind.
This is what my understanding about these natrual calamities.
On the other hand, if your Jesus is the Logos declared in John 1:1 you can expect a supernatural intervention; Salvation.
If your Jeebus existed, Johnny Tard, he'd have given you a brain.
Tom-Perhaps that is why I was a California gifted child. Do you suppose perhaps I am special? But I say that I am not special and my master can make another of me from a stone.
John 1:1 – In the beginning was the word?????
The Bird is the Word
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIK3GXdkxL0
"California gifted child"
John, don't you let'm razz you. There's nothing wrong with riding the short bus to school. You get there quicker because the long bus takes that much longer.
Part the Red Sea, or drown hundreds of thousands in Tsunami – Same scenario, so same god, or more likely no god, but good old scientific geology.
Quit praying for their safety and actually help them, pray doesn't mean a damn if its a surrogate for actually doing work.
Yep, lazy and irresponsible religious folks. They pray instead of working, then blame their faults on the mysterious ways of their god.
Where did the singularity come from? How did life begin? These are the questions that atheist pretend don't exist or otherwise avoid answering.
No, these are questions that atheists admit are good questions without any answers that have evidence. And not knowing an answer does not equate to "thereforegoddidit."
No stupid. We just accept that we don't know. Unlike you and your huge ego.
@Moby: Then do you admit that a god COULD be the answer to these questions?
There does not seem to have been a true singularity. Even Stephen Hawking has said so.
As to abiogenesis, the science is still in it's early stages, but there is no reason to conclude that the answer is going to be "the invible superbuddy in the sky did it." The creation of amino acids is the key, but the exact mechanism is not yet known. Certain levels of light, heat, and radiation are going to be part of it, and SkyBuddy magic is just not going to be the answer.
You see, the problem with Christians attempting to ridicule science is that their own answers are far more absurd than what they are attacking.
That's why I love science and logic,because we're not afraid to admit we "just don't know...yet", but will try to figure it out..
Live. I do you believe he might not be?
No, it's actually quite the opposite.
@You flopped: Hawking posit a new theory called the string theory to attempt to explain it. However, the evidence is still lacking. Regarding abiogenesis, since you admit that there isn't any evidence, wouldn't you agree that some god COULD be responsible for life's beginnings?
Yup, a god is about 10 to the power -99 per cent likely. However, that god seems to have absented itself entirely subsequently. No divine evidence of a god in the last 13 Billion years. Ad yes, despite lots of checking the heavens as in Genesis 1:14
@Lamb: I've explored the possibility. The evidence seems to point to the existence of the Biblical God.
This is a problem, yes. It is one not adequately answered by science or religion. ""Who made the universe?" "God"." does not solve the problem because it raises the inconvenient question, "Who made God?". If you say "God was always there" you haven't answered the question – you have avoided it. Creationism is a lazy answer, no offense. I side with scientists who struggle to answer the question although we are probably not capable of grasping the answer.
@tony: And yet you agree that this universe is composed of matter, energy and time – the same three elements that were first created in Genesis 1:1-4. Strange.
Please get your facts right. Hawking is not a proponent of String Theory. String theory is still a mathematical concept and pretty much unprovable either way, as it requires experiments on a cosmic scale to verify it.
@Tom: Logically, one cannot have a infinite series of beginnings. This is known as the fallacy of ad infinitum. In addressing this issue, Aristotle argued for an Unmoved Mover. Aquinas argued for an Uncaused Causer. At some point, there must be a "force" without a beginning. Pure logic, not faith.
@Live4Him: Yes, its possible. Just not likely.
@Live4Him - what evidence seems to support the Christian God? And stuff like: well something had to start it all, or the human anatomy is just too complex for evolution, or the Bible says so, or it couldn't have happened by chance, etc...will not work. You've quoted string theory, relativity, singularities, Big Bang and other scientific models and terms. Please post the mathematical model or theory, complete with solvable equations, reproducible and testable observations, the scientific magazines this model/theory was published in and any other scientific processes that all reputable models and theories go through. Put your money where your mouth is and show us all how math and science has proved that god exists. if you can not do that, you have no substance here. Philosophical conjectures about "there must be a beginning" don't cut it man. Put up or shut up, simple. Let's see your god proof.
Why does there have to be a beginning?
@Live4Him " I've explored the possibility. The evidence seems to point to the existence of the Biblical God."
What evidence? there is not one shred of evidence of a god.... not one single bit.
I think if you are in an area affected by a natural disaster that somehow misses your house but destroys your neighbor's house, and you thank god for saving your house, it is both unbelievably arrogant and mind numbingly rude on your part.
If God exists, he is either in control, or he is not. If he's not, then praying for victims and potential victims seems pointless to me. If he is in control, then he has obviously decided that a hurricane needs to destroy much of the East Coast and kill a bunch of people, and praying is in essence asking the creator of the universe to change his mind, which is also arrogant of us as mere mortal humans.
I personally don't believe in god, and there is really nothing that anybody could do or say to make me believe. You can't choose what you believe. You can make yourself go through all the motions of praying and going to church and all that, but you can't make yourself believe in god. But if talking to god or praying for people makes you feel better, then I don't see what harm it does. More power to ya. But maybe if you really want to help, take the money that you were going to give to your church this weekend and send it to the Red Cross instead.
Why give Red Cross a cut when this disaster work is done by Churches?
The only thing a church is good for is if you have the shits. The baptism font is a good place to splatter some dewy turds. Another hilarious place to poop is in the hat of your religious leader, or your doesn't wear a magic hat, then his shoes are another fine place to drop the kids off.
Hurricanes are part of the processes designed by God to prepare and maintain Earth for man. These semi-regular events help stabilize carbon dioxide levels and temperatures in the oceans and atmosphere, replenish chlorophyll concentrations and encourage biodiversity along shorelines, and stir up foodstuffs for the tiniest sea creatures and all the way up the foodchain.
Hurricanes are also a reminder of God's curse on Adam, and that man needs salvation from powers greater than ourselves.
And God in His grace gave man the ability to learn about hurricanes, to know where they occur, and to prepare and live accordingly, and to assist those people in need.
You act like you know that as a fact.
Aside from the psycho-detour in the middle, that was almost a sane post.
Like the rest of us, you are a water-filled meat sack, one of billions of others floating on an insignificant blue speck in the universe. That you claim to know not only how nature was "designed" but WHY it was designed that way and who designed it, to believe in a creator of the universe and then claim to know that creator's design process, is so unbelievably arrogant on your part.
1st paragraph gave some indication of intellect. The Second, shows derangement and halucinations. Give up the thoughts of the second paragraph and look for the real meaning in things. Go to youtube and watch the "pale blue dot' by Carl Sagan.!
@Noel, when I watch Sagan, I do see the real meaning. I feel a sense of awe at how perfectly positioned the Earth is in this galaxy, and in the universe, and in this time, and I am filled with thanksgiving that God gave me the eyes and mind to see and know. God reveals His truths in His Creation and in Scripture.
@GetACrew, I'm sorry to hear that you feel so insignificant. If you believe that you are nothing more than a random collection of stardust, then that's all you ever will be. Seems like a dismal existence to me. But don't worry, if you don't want to spend eternity with a Creator who loves you, He won't force you. But He is knocking on your door again right now.
if you are a Sagan fan, I am sure you remember the cosmic calendar. Universe is 13.5 billion years old. Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. Humans have been around for about 200,000 years(insignificant). Now, we are supposed to know what God wants? Just shut off the fear for a moment. You will realize greater things if you allow yourself. Free yourself from yearning for a heaven. You will sleep a lot better and be useful for yourself and the future generations. God spent 13 billion years in time before breathing life into us. Please. We are a mutation born of this earth and have an opportunity to go beyond it. Just apreaciate that....!
Ever notice how few dead people thank God for sparing them? The ingrates!
This storm or any storm is not an actual act of god. That goes for drought, earthquakes and swams of locust, too. We the people of our planet have brought this upon ourselves. Global warming is real people. I for one do not believe my God is that cruel. My God is interested in my soul not how miserable he/she can make my life.
Why shouldn't God use the rod of correction to steer His children back to the proper path?
Because he doesn't exist. If he does exist and drowns innocent children, he is an a**hole.
@Ojai,
the cause of hurricanes is warm water.
@Live4Him,
in what way can a hurricane be determined as the 'corrective rod of God'? How does it cause us to change our behavior – save not building on oceanfront property and using building codes that can withstand 150mph winds?
You want god to use his rod on you?!?! Father Chester will happily act as his proxy!
@Ojai,
to clarify, the cause of hurricanes is indeed warm water made extra warm by extra CO2 in the atmosphere.
@UncleM: If you cannot be civilized in your responses, don't expect to converse with me.
@GOPer: When people are confronted by that which they cannot control, they look for salvation from One who is in control.
Why should anyone be civil with a wackaloon like you?
And a lying one at that?
@live4him,
what makes this special? We can't control the weather any other time. Blizzard, hurricane, tornado or drought; they don't change a thing in people's behaviors, besides being subjected to suffering and expense.
@GOPer,
I replied to a previous post where you keep saying rising CO2 increased in the atmosphere. Let me explain this so you don't keep misleading people on climate change science. Climate scientists generally agree that humans are increasing the temperature of the earth through its emission of green house gases which is primarily CO2. However, Climate Scientists have published many papers looking at hurricane formation and found that the changing climate plays no role in increased hurricane formation or intensification. Further, there hasn't been an increase in average number of hurricanes. Your looking at the problem to broadly when you say that hurricanes need warm water to form, co2 makes thing warmer, therefore there are more hurricanes. If that was the case we would have seen a giant increase in the number of hurricanes the past 30 years. Instead you should understand that hurricanes are formed when warm moist air converges over warm water (>80f) with cold air aloft. The convergence of warm moist air and cold air aloft are critical, otherwise you just get very small localized storms.
I agree with what you said about Global Warming. The only issue I have with what you said is in reference to God being a he/she. The Bible is very clear that He is a he. I know it's the in thing for people to conjecture this point, but according to the Bible it's not up for debate. The book of Isaiah makes it crystal clear that the women of Judah who were waking up early to bake cakes for the "Queen of the Sky" did not have God's favor or blessing in doing so. In fact they were recipients of his wrath. The nation of Israel was sent into exile for 70 years in servitude to Babylon as part of their punishment for turning away from God.
@Chris,
I agree with everything you have written except in one point. I do indeed make the broad claim that 'generally' increased CO2 could lead to increased hurricane intensity.
You state that "Climate Scientists have published many papers looking at hurricane formation and found that the changing climate plays no role in increased hurricane formation or intensification"
I don't have data to accept or refute that statement.
Empirically it 'feels' like there is an increased level of intense hurricane activity. While I accept that correlation is not causal, there is a measurably increased frequency in fatal hurricanes in NY state in the last 20 years. Perhaps this is caused by increased population density – not the hurricanes themselves.
I remain convinced that pumping truly massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere that are consistent with the kind of volumes people might use were they able to perform terraforming experiments is rash behavior on our part.
@Dissident Fairy – OK your god is a man.