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 Volunteers unload donations for tornado victims at the First Baptist Church on May 23, 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma.
May 25th, 2013
06:05 PM ET
In Oklahoma, a balm after the stormBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN) - For six days, First Baptist Church in Moore, Oklahoma, provided food and shelter to victims of Monday’s deadly tornado. On the seventh day, the church offers another scarce resource: solace. “Simply put, we are urging people to draw near to the Lord and near to each other,” said Kevin Clarkson, the church’s senior pastor. “As bad as this time is, we find that God will give us comfort and solace and hope for the future.” Four of the nine children who died in Monday’s tornado had ties to First Baptist. On Sunday evening, the church will host a prayer service called “Oklahoma Strong: Coming Together in Faith,” which Gov. Mary Fallin is expected to attend. In all, 24 people perished as a result of Monday’s tornado. Nearly 400 suffered broken bones and bruises, and 1,200 homes in Moore and Oklahoma City were damaged or destroyed, according to state officials. The twister’s tenacity took even Tornado Alley by surprise. But as cleanup begins, imams, pastors and rabbis in the deeply religious Sooner State are encouraging believers to draw on the deep wells of their traditions for spiritual sustenance. The common message across the faiths seems to be: God’s voice was not in Monday’s whirlwind but rather in the steady, quiet aftermath of neighbor helping neighbor. “What happens may be random, but how we respond to it is not,” said Rabbi Vered L. Harris of Temple B’nai Israel in Oklahoma City. “Making our responses holy begins with noticing the potential for sanctity.” One block, two tornadoes: Life in the crosshairs At Shabbat services on Friday night, Harris read a prayer asking God for the wisdom “to know how we can help” and “the calm to bring comfort.” Like Harris, Abdur-Rahman Taleb, the director of youth services at the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, focused on the human response to Monday’s tornado. “I find it amazing how people will come together across their differences for a common goal,” Taleb said. “The amount of people who came forward from the different faith communities to help those in need, regardless of their beliefs, is extraordinary.” Taleb said his sermon on Friday focused on the Quran’s second chapter, which tells Muslims that God tests the faithful with “fear and hunger and loss of property.” Passing that test entails remaining patient amid calamity, the Quran says. “We want to be mindful of God day in and day out, whether we’re going through good times or bad,” Taleb said. At Journey Church, an evangelical megachurch about 10 miles from Moore, Sunday’s message is about rebuilding, said Pastor Sam Wampler. The congregation will look to Nehemiah, who restored the walls of Jerusalem, for inspiration, said the pastor. “We are far enough in now where the grieving, the anger, is kicking in,” Wampler said. “People need that hope.” Photos: Pets rescued after Oklahoma tornado Pastor Bobby Gruenewald of LifeChurch.tv, which has 11 branches in Oklahoma, said his message on Sunday will focus on two key questions: Where is God during tragedies? And what can Christians do to help? “It's been a tough week but also an encouraging one as we've seen a tremendous response from the faith community,” Gruenewald said. “Churches from just about every denomination we can think of are coming forward with offers to help.”  A garden statue of the Virgin Mary stands in front of a window shattered by the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. Some of the tornado’s first-responders have been turning to the Rev. Thomas Boyer, the longtime pastor at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in nearby Norman, Oklahoma. “It will be tough on them now,” said the 72-year-old priest, “and it will be tough on them later.” Boyer said he’s still searching for the right words to say in response. “Normally my homily is done on Thursday and posted on the website, but it's not even done," the priest said on Friday afternoon, as day darkened into night. Boyer will have some help: the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City adjusted the prayers and petitions for Sunday Mass to address the area's tribulations. But sometimes there is nothing to say other than “look to the Lord,” said Clarkson, who has already presided at the funerals of three young tornado victims. Perhaps that’s why Jared Bowie’s photo of a dark tornado twisting toward a cross has gone viral. Bowie, an intern at LifeChurch.tv’s campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, said his image has graced thousands of blog posts, media reports, Facebook pages and Instagram accounts since he posted it to CNN’s iReport. One woman even printed out the image and hung it next to her wedding photo, Bowie said. The picture was taken on May 19, when another tornado, a less destructive forebear of Monday’s deadly whirlwind, churned through Oklahoma. Nonetheless, the image has become inextricably tied to Moore’s loss of lives and homes, and the ultimate source of salvation for Bowie and other Christians. “People are going through severe suffering right now,” Bowie said. “But in those times, our Savior can provide so much hope. There is light in the darkness.” Eric Marrapodi, Dan Merica and Jessica Ravitz contributed to this report.
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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 great to see the communities coming together to clean up and rebuild. The people rolling up their sleeves will get the work done. The religious leaders will help keep spirits up, that is a useful purpose. Their prayers not so much. The people doing the heavy lifting will get it done.
There is nothing more se>b>xy than a teen asian girl in a tee-shirt with no bra and barely covering her panties.
Pedophile. Get thee to a shrink. Or jail.
Great...any chance you failed a class and will be doing summer school this year or are you on here until school starts again in the fall?
What's a se>b>xy girl?
Athy, I think he meant sexy, but then I'm not the best person to ask about deciphering gibberish.
You should save your LPs.
.
I would like to take a nap on Lucy Liu's Richard Cranium. This would be bliss.
The Miami Dolphins will win the Super Bowl in 2014.
Well if you didn't exist before you died you probably still won't afterward.
I believe that is correct.
There is nothing more beautiful than a lovely teenager unaware of the heat she gives off stopping traffic. Men and women both react physically. It is painful. Dreams.
You are a pedo
I am normal.
A perfectly cooked steak, medium rare, thick, juicy, filet is the perfect food.
Animals feel pain
Yes they do.
It is quite possible that you do not exist now. Nor I.
I think therefore I am
Perhaps.
You will not exist after you die.
You did not exist prior to you birth.
The J apanese disagree with you . On the day you are born, you are one year old.
On the day you are born, you are zero and dyingl
Recently we learned from another recent Belief Blog article of a child dying when their parents, members of a Christian sect in Philadelphia, as part of their faith, refused medical care. When incidents like the subject of this article come to light, many Christians are only too ready to try explain how another Christian's interpretation of ancient "scripture" is not quite right.
There was a sect in Chile, South America late last year (November) who sacrificed a baby to a bonfire. The sect leader of this group comprised of mostly professionals had convinced the mother of the baby that the baby was an antichrist. They wrapped the baby up and slid it down a plank into a raging bonfire.
One sect calls homosexuality an abomination while the next one (over 4,000,000 members) in the same denomination is already performing gay marriage. One sect, the Westboro Baptist Church believes Americans are being killed at war because America is too kind to "fags". Many of these sects are equally divergent on the roles of women in society.
One sect believes that Jesus and Satan were brothers and that Christ will return to Jerusalem AND Jackson County, Missouri. Some believe the Pope is the Antichrist. Some believe Obama is the Antichrist.
Some believe that celibacy is the only option for certain people, or for people in certain positions. Many of the people from these same institutions advocate against abortion, but pretend not to understand the realistic benefit of the morning after pill or even basic contraception; their unrealistic wishful thinking is causing the death of many at the hands of disease.
Conflicted right from the start, Christianity continues to splinter, creating more and more extreme divisions, with each division trying to assert itself as some true messenger of the word of the Christian God.
Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth.
(Thomas Jefferson, from Notes on the State of Virginia, 1785)
You know faith you are stuck in a big pile GREEN SLIME with NO horn-y red devil to save your ass.
May 25, 2013 at 12:06 pm | Report abuse |
Agree ...............mama k............. everybody do a simple search for Prof. Higgs............the church hates that .
A box does not work well for thinking.............think outside the box at http:/ted.com/talks
Peace
Hey faith/chad... and sally too........Thanks have a great life.
http://www.wecanbeheroes.org/
http://www.caterpillar.com/Foundation
http://www.autismspeaks.org/
http://www.hlntv.com/clusters/salute-troops
https://www.zotero.org/colleengreene/items/5XRFKX8N
Heaven for atheists? Pope sparks debate
By Dan Merica, CNN
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/23/heaven-for-atheists-pope-sparks-debate/
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/09/my-take-a-word-to-christians-be-nice/comment-page-44/#comment-2369235
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/23/the-money-man-behind-atheisms-activism/comment-page-77/#comment-2369249
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/21/who-hears-prayersforoklahoma/?replytocom=2369279#respond
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/19/proofs-of-heaven-popular-but-not-with-the-church/?replytocom=2366421#respond
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/24/has-the-oklahoma-atheist-been-saved/comment-page-2/#comment-2369325
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/05/when-christians-become-a-hated-minority/
May 25, 2013 at 9:11 am | Report abuse |
May 25, 2013 at 9:16 am | Report abuse |
Hey doogie you too !
Hey Chad,faith the peach and all creationists what color JELL- O you stuck IN. ? Star Dusts (chondrites) and water !
Scientists Offer First Definitive Proof of Bacteria-Feeding Behavior in Green Algae
May 23, 2013 — A team of researchers has captured images of green alga consuming bacteria, offering a glimpse at how early organisms dating back more than 1 billion years may have acquired free-living photosynthetic cells. This acquisition is thought to have been a critical first step in the evolution of photosynthetic algae and land plants, which, in turn, contributed to the increase in oxygen levels in Earth's atmosphere and ocean and provided one of the conditions necessary for animal evolution.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130523143741.htm
Join your heroes. Be one yourself.
Together, you and DC Entertainment have raised more than $2 million. This fight can be won. Here’s how.
http://www.wecanbeheroes.org/
Have a great life and Memorial Day.
peace
The Null Hypothesis CAN NEVER BE PROVEN! Test/Experiment Data can only Accept or Reject a certain null hypothesis based on set criteria!
The nature of Subatomic Particles (i.e. Elementary Particles and Composite Particles) is not observable (unobservable,) it can only be detected indirectly through effects/manners!
Elementary Particles, aka Quarks, are not observable and can never be found in singularity/isolation but make up Composite Particles, aka Hadrons.
Composite Particles, aka Hadrons, are made of Elementary Particles, aka Quarks. Stable forms of Hadrons are Protons and Neutrons found inside the nuclei of atoms.
Also, the Higgs Boson Particle, aka the God Particle, and the Higgs Field, CAN NOT BE OBSERVED/FOUND, yet believed to be what gives mass to particles when interacted with, hence effect/manner!
One argument against the Null Hypothesis concerning God, but not limited to, can be that Elementary Subatomic Particles, aka Quarks, can never be observed nor can they be found in singularity/isolation, yet they can be detected by what they make up, that is Composite Subatomic Particles, aka Hadrons!!!
God, whose null hypothesis is 'God Does Not Exist,' is Metaphysical, just like Mind or Soul and Spirit, that can not have Empirical Evidence! However, they can be detected by what they do, cause, affect, and exhibit (i.e. intelligence, design, creation, attributes, ..etc.) through Reason and Logic, hence effects/manners!
Science CAN NOT even find the Origin of Matter, let alone the Origin of Life! That's why the Scientific Community is "DESPERATE" to find the "ELUSIVE" Higgs Boson Particle, aka "God Particle," and the Higgs Field, which are believed to give matter its mass when interacted with. Without those, the origin of matter is "UNKNOWN" as far as Science is concerned, and The Particle Physics Standard Model is rendered "INCOMPLETE;" mind you what's missing is the "CORE!" That's in a nutshell!
This Universe And Life In It (PHYSICAL) ARE "Prima Facie" EVIDENCE Of God (METAPHYSICAL)
"We do not know." is a far superior answer than "Some god did it!" and is not support for any god did it myth.
Also, Vic must be arguing against himself, since he seem to be arguing against claims that most people don't make.
there is no scientific experiement to measure my dreams or the holy spirit that revealed scripture to me in my dreams. so you are clearly following a failed cult scientific experience with the purpose of tricking yourself, or lying to yourself about who and what God is and does. you have another opportunity right now to hear me plead with you, beg you, to listen to what i have experienced. and that is God. God is who He says He is. He does do , what He says He will do.
Austie: Now that you have a sweet wet dream, you can go back to sleep and keep on dreaming.
Root post by 'Vic' contains instances of the Argument from Ignorance fallacy.
http://fallacyfiles.org/glossary.html
Austin, I and many others have listened to your trash before. Let me summarize those interactions – you are mentally ill. Now, Fuck Off!
Austin, is that me???
topher say what?
Austin
We have all had some pretty amazing dreams, right? Can you prove to people that your dreams are any more trustworthy than the average person's? We all get that you're absolutely convinced that your dreams were special, but why should we trust your word on it when that's all you have to offer?
God is not a mental illness. Most the people at church portray God with who they are, humble people with faith in God, better than I do. But what i experienced was not mental illness, it was the power of God. a supernatural thing. and it was not open ended, it was delivered through the God's word, crediting Himself through His word, with living authority and power.
i dont seek any gain through this. i just am afraid to surpress what God did. literally fearing what it would mean if i did supress what God did. I need to become more obedient. God help us and bless us one and all.
OK Austin, they are not all mentally ill, but it is likely you are. Go get help!
Vic
The Higgs Boson Particle has been observed. Time to move onto the next gap where God could be hiding. Better be quick, though. Those gaps are disappearing fast.
Please help me. I am losing my mind, but no more prayers please .
the height of desperation is stealing a name on an anonymous blog what a moron
I must be a moron because many people already used this .
you are indeed a moron and prove it on a regular basis congratulations to your parents they raised a first class ass hole
only moron keep shouting at itself. I must be a moron.
Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things
Prayer changes things
Atheism is not healthy for children and other living things
Prayer changes things
Proven
Austin
rchard Cranium......
"You do not know it as fact. It cannot be proven or disproven. It is impossible to know for sure. That is part of your delusion.
You have a great deal of trouble separating belief from knowledge, fact from fiction. Also you are not good at seeing cause and effect relationships. It is because of your belief that your belief is fact that you aren't worth debating with. Your mind is closed, which is a common side effect of religion."
Richard, i was apposed to God, and struggling with the name of Jesus , and my experiences are real. I wrote all my dreams down in the middle of the night. and the playing out of reality in relation to these dreams was absolutely supernatural. these experiences were influenced by supernatural agents.
if you read your own comments, you are committed to being biased. "if is saw jesus i would still not repent, i would suffer for my own wrongs" ok you are clearly a vigilante against God allmighty. this is what i was doing against God too. we are the same in this reaction. i had the emotional feelings and thoughts like your thoughts RC. and then God unveiled his presence in my life supernaturally. Paul the apostle was killing christians as He was called to be a saint. go figure. God works where He is least expected. read the beat.tudes. blessed are the poor, meek,and needy. Moses and Joseph were rejected orphans.
again, all my dreams were written down as i awoke in the night, and then the next day i would read about, or experience what i dreamed about. this was all very spiritual in content, and it was only possible through a ministering presence and spirit. I boast about God, not me. this is all about who God is and what He has done.
I have evidence , proof, and facts about what God has done in my life. Glory to God. He is there!
Austin, is that me?
No, you don't. You have dreams. So what? Nobody in his right mind thinks dreams are proof of anything.
I dreamed one night that I was Carrie Bradshaw, but when I woke up, there were no Manolo Blahniks in my closet.
Remember the simple search for Prof. Higgs.......Vic.
The mass for our ass !
science, how much do you wish the Higgs Boson or any scientific accomplishment can change the fact that God is a personal being who supernaturally interveines in all our lives? He is risen. You are justified before God through the sacrificial death of the Lamb.
How badly do you want to follow the scientific God rejecting cult, that you would throw away your salvation for the desperately wicked satanic desire to be independent of God allmighty?
Austie: God is rational therefore he is scientific. Blind followers of God are irrational therefore on the wrong path to you know where. And don't go about blabbing about blood and sacrifices. In the last 200 years, intelligent humans have evolved to understand that are just mumbo jumbo bs. Cling to tree vines and shout that if you still want to.
There is NO horn-y red devil Austin...............NEVER has been one.
The Null Hypothesis CAN NEVER BE PROVEN! Test/Experiment Data can only Accept or Reject a certain null hypothesis based on set criteria!
The nature of Subatomic Particles (i.e. Elementary Particles and Composite Particles) is not observable (unobservable,) it can only be detected indirectly through effects/manners!
Elementary Particles, aka Quarks, are not observable and can never be found in singularity/isolation but make up Composite Particles, aka Hadrons.
Composite Particles, aka Hadrons, are made of Elementary Particles, aka Quarks. Stable forms of Hadrons are Protons and Neutrons found inside the nuclei of atoms.
Also, the Higgs Boson Particle, aka the God Particle, and the Higgs Field CAN NOT BE OBSERVED/FOUND, yet believed to be what gives mass to particles when interacted with, hence effect/manner!
One argument against the Null Hypothesis concerning God, but not limited to, can be that Elementary Subatomic Particles, aka Quarks, can never be observed nor can they be found in singularity/isolation, yet they can be detected by what they make up, that is Composite Subatomic Particles, aka Hadrons!!!
God, whose null hypothesis is 'God Does Not Exist,' is Metaphysical,,/i> just like Mind or Soul,/i> and Spirit, that can not have Empirical Evidence! However, they can be detected by what they do, cause, affect, and exhibit (i.e. intelligence, design, creation, attributes, ..etc.) through Reason and Logic, hence effects/manners!
Science CAN NOT even find the Origin of Matter, let alone the Origin of Life! That's why the Scientific Community is "DESPERATE" to find the "ELUSIVE" Higgs Boson Particle, aka "God Particle," and the Higgs Field, which are believed to give matter its mass when interacted with. Without those, the origin of matter is "UNKNOWN" as far as Science is concerned, and The Particle Physics Standard Model is rendered "INCOMPLETE;" mind you what's missing is the "CORE!" That's in a nutshell!
Who are you arguing with? Are you arguing with yourself?
Are you not aware that most atheists do not make the claim "God Does Not Exist"?
You say "However, they can be detected by what they do, cause, affect, and exhibit (i.e. intelligence, design, creation, attributes, ..etc.) through Reason and Logic, hence effects/manners!"
So do you believe in multiple gods? ("they can be detected")
Please explain exactly how these entities that you claim can be detected. Give an example.
Brandon, I experienced supernatural revelation of God's word in my dreams. for a stretch of 3 months, i had dreams about details about the bible , as i was reading through it, that i had no clue about. I would write dreams down in the middle of then night, having no clue the pertained to anything at all, and then i would read about what i dreamed about the next day as i proceeded through the old testament. this is proof of the prophetic character and nature of God's word. Period
I have data, evidence , and proof, that God supernaturally ministered to me. or an Angel, or the Holy Spirit. this is a fact. I have the dreams written down, and then the real life fulfillment of what i was dreaming. the situation was complex and even involved other peoples dreams , other people actions. this experience was not limited to the Book, God worked through other people too. and this was a supernatural experience beyond anything i fathomed could happen.
Glory to the living God.
Why believe in a god when the only evidence is the superstitions of ancient peoples who did not have our knowledge of events such as eclipses, earthquakes, thunder, etc. who did not have our knowledge of evolution etc.
Austin, What you have is not proof. No photographs, no recording – just your dreams.
before God, from God, i have the experience and proof, and data as evidence. for you, i have something you reject as hear say. but if you experience a gust of wind, you have the simple proof that this is real. no one else experienced the gust that; you did. But I experienced the calling to faith, the giving of faith by a supernatural truth bearing Holy spirit. the supernatural experience stands for all eternity that God is living and all powerful. and His intention for every individual is a nurturing fatherly relationship that deals with sins and wrongs with loving correction. this sanctifying judgment is like a band aid. we need our heavenly father. Christ has redeemed what you can no redeem. the sins of the world. and all you have to do is learn to "not reject" this reality and gift. but sin is so putrid and sick, that you may refuse this opportunity. We are so fallen and pitiful it is sad. This is real. This is a spiritual war agains good and evil, and the forces you battle are the armies of Satan. ask for your guardian angel to guide you. Pray to God for a breath of truth.
in government buildings they have files, with information. this is evidence. I have the same thing. in my desk , i have a file with my dreams and the times that they were supernaturally fulfilled by the Holy spirit, which is THE sanctifying spirit that bears the truth of God's word on a persons heart. You can experience this and it may not be an audible voice. He Works in genius ways to get your attention. Ask for the truth , ask the Holy Spirit to help you.
I've read your testimony, Austin. Anyone is such a forum could make such claims. Maybe you'll be on 60 Minutes some day soon and that might lend a notch more credibility to your claims. Until then, I call you a liar.
what austin says is common among all believers and adds to the personal testimony of hundreds of thousands
Austin, is that me ???
Austin, you have files that contain information that might, or might not, be factual. Everything you have written here indicates it is all crap. But. Have you had your claims examined by a mental health professional, scientific investigators or members of the clergy? Without third part corroboration, you are just another nut case.
"I have files."
Oh, brother. This just gets funnier by the minute. Nobody cares about your files, Austin, because they contain nothing but the same manure as your posts: your dreams. When are you going to get it? Your dreams aren't evidence of anything. Not a single thing.
No one has ever been able to base a single scientific conclusion or court decision on a dream. Why do you suppose that is, Austin? Try to use your brain for a change.
The real Tom
Wanna bet those "files" are just sheets of newspaper, or comic books? Does this guy sound like a conspiracy theorist, or what?
He sounds like a case of arrested development and a mentally ill man-child who barely functions in society.
yep
I have noticed a lot of similarities between the atheists and perverts as well.
got that right
have u seen science guy's garbage?
In what way, faith?
Do tell.
Afternoon Doobs..............the truth ...........makes the fruitcakes from xmas past come !..................lmfao.
Peace
Have a great Memorial day.
prayer can heal a person no physician required
Some think it can accomplish all sorts of things:
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/24/prosecutor-parents-refusal-to-seek-medical-attention-led-to-infants-death/
Oh, without a doubt. Just ask Kent and Brandon Shaible. Oh, wait....
both qu eers and atheists are motivated by hate
It's quite unintelligent and irrational for you to combine the two.
I don't hate people, but I do find irrationality annoying, so I attempt to educate. If you find that to be hate, then you need more help than I can offer.
Hey dot the space cadet .............or is that doogie ?
Education = the motivator for the truth.
So you know.
I have noticed a lot of similarities between the atheists and perverts as well.
Like what, yep?
they're both unproductive whiners
they're both deadly paracites
how so yep? we're both blogging – what's the difference? did you not know both people and computers are multi-tasking? did you not know some people are retired? what's up, yep?
yep
No, that would be priests, clergy, and gospel singers.
shut up punk. atheists, of course.
leave gays alone u foul mouthed preevert
What are "paracites"? Oh – yep – did you and dot quit school at the same time?
@ speck of shit
Yawn. Troll better.