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 A flood survivor is surrounded by debris on the Philippine island of Leyte.
November 11th, 2013
11:16 AM ET
Where was God in the Philippines?By Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Co-editor [twitter-follow screen_name='BurkeCNN'] (CNN) - The disasters are always different and often devastating. But the questions they raise are hauntingly familiar. In the days since Super Typhoon Haiyan swept through the Philippines on Thursday, survivors are frantically searching for lost family members and international aid groups are springing into action. Officials say the death toll may rise to 10,000 in the heavily Catholic country. Meanwhile, many people are asking: How should we make sense of such senseless death and destruction? Was God in the whirlwind itself, as the Bible hints, or present only in the aftermath, as people mobilize to provide food, water and shelter? These questions may not be new, but we keep asking them, perhaps because the answers remain so elusive. For many Americans, a paradox sits at the heart of their thinking about natural disasters. According to a survey taken after 2011's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, most Americans (56%) believe that God is control of everything. But more Americans blame hurricanes, earthquakes and other storms on global warming (58%) than on an angry and punishing deity (38%), according to a 2011 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute. “These kind of questions about God being in control and there simultaneously being suffering are the kind of things that keep seminarians up at night," institute CEO Robert P. Jones said in 2011. "They’re thorny theological issues." READ: Typhoon Haiyan: Survivors in Philippines face grim struggle as death toll rises The Bible's Psalm 107 says that “For (God) commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves thereof. ... He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the water springs into dry ground." But, as the poll shows, most Americans have moved past the idea that God causes natural disasters, wrote Stephen Prothero, a frequent CNN contributor, in a 2011 column. "When it comes to earthquakes and hurricanes, our authorities are geologists and meteorologists," Prothero said as he rode out Hurricane Irene on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. "Most of us interpret these events not through the rumblings of the biblical prophet Jeremiah or the poetry of the Book of Revelation but through the scientific truths of air pressure and tectonic plates." For atheists, storms like Haiyan are proof that God doesn't exist, author and activist Sam Harris said. "Either God can do nothing to stop catastrophes like this, or he doesn’t care to, or he doesn’t exist. God is either impotent, evil or imaginary," Harris said after Japan's tsunami. "Take your pick, and choose wisely." God may or may not be in withering storms, but many religious leaders say they sense a divine presence in the aftermath, as people across the world mobilize to lend a hand. Rabbi Harold Kushner is one of the most famous names in the realm of theodicy, a branch of theology that tries to explain the unexplainable: why a good God would allow bad things to happen. After Japan's tsunami, Kushner called nature "an equal-opportunity destroyer," making no distinctions between sinners and saints. But Kushner, author of the bestselling book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People," said he sees God's hand in the resilience of people whose lives have been destroyed and in the "goodness and generosity" of strangers who donate and pray for the survivors. READ: How to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan That still leaves a tricky question, though: Why do humans suffer, sometimes terribly, in the first place? There's no good answer, says the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and best-selling author. "Each person has to come to grips with that," Martin said. "It’s not as if some magic answer can be found. But the idea of God suffering along with us can be very helpful." Muslims, on the other hand, see stormy trials as tests from God, said Sayyid Syeed, national director of the Islamic Society of North America’s Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances. "Muslims believe that God tests those he loves, and these tragedies also serve as a reminder to the rest of us to remain grateful to God for all our blessings and cognizant that we must support those in need," Syeed said. Vietnamese Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, whose native country remains in Haiyan's path, said such storms remind us that our lives are impermanent and the importance of treasuring each moment. "This is the best that we can do for those who have died: We can live in such a way that they can feel they are continuing to live in us, more mindfully, more profoundly, more beautifully, tasting every minute of life available to us, for them," Hanh said. Stephen Prothero, Jessica Ravitz and Eric Marrapodi contributed to this report. soundoff (3,827 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 28 29 30 31 32 33 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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Until we accept that there is no god, we will not be able to fully accept responsibility for our own actions.
C'mon people. Let it go. There is no god. Now, go out there and be good people all on your own. It's possible - no it's preferable.
Your entire argument is based on God being a genie in a bottle and man unaccountable. It is irresponsible to leave man's issues out of any equation, ahhhh yes. God is supposed to part the seas, never let man suffer, even though they spit in God's face, break all his laws, treat him like garbage– That is not how it works. That is a very unhealthy relationship, not real, and naive. God is very real. I know this for a fact, but if God doesn't fix everyone's problems than he is a bad God or no God, according to the genie in the bottle people. It is childish and ignorant!
You do not know god is real – you only believe that. You have no evidence to support that belief. If god is not responsible for the bad things why does it get credit for the good things?
Since CNN isn't posting the article (almost all other media is…look it up):
Did you know that the Mormon church is purchasing 2% of Florida? They need to be taxed as a corporation! Once and for all. THEY are a perfect example of conservative corruption.
so are all churches.
God was in the same place as Superman, in your imagination
Wrong. God is always with us. Jesus was the word of God and the Holy Spirit is the breath of God. I pray that you listen to the word or feel the breath one day.
Ne'er a tru'er word written...
In a sense, I think St Thomas Aquinas, theologian, philosopher and doctor of the Church might agree with this.
Boy I'm sick of articles like this.
Then why did you respond to it?
Let's have another pity party and smoke cigarettes all day
Where was god? Where he's always been; in the mind of believers.
I was on the Throne. Come on, even Jove nods.
Why would you possibly blame a God for something that is perfectly explainable through the laws of science? And why does this God deserve credit for the innate goodness of people? Kindness benefits our species and helps perpetuate the Human race. Praise those who help, not some non-existent diety!
Agreed. So, r u seriously suggesting u aren't going to burn forever?
Yes obviously because Hell is a non-existent place created in the minds of people who use magic to explain things they don't understand and the fear of death.
wow.. tell kids they will bet painful third degree burns, their skin will melt. And tell them there are ugly and scary monsters in hell. A child knows in their mind they will be alone through all this.
Child abuse that results in brainwashing. The religious should be ashamed of themselves.
the religious don't realize reality.. It is good people who do good deeds, atheists included. It's good people who brought ideas of doing good that jesus took from.
Sadly it's religions that steal these good works and ideas of others as if their religion and beliefs magically created them.
God is at the foundation of all good. Those who commit good acts have been touched by the Holy Spirit. Sooner or later you too will realize the truth.
Hey all!
Looks like primate Prophet aguzman33 is here to "save the world" !!!
He's got a lock on "The Truth" !!!
Yay!
He needs sheep volunteers to hear HIS very own "interpretation" of those "truths" that are so hidden from the rest of YOU primates...
Good luck with that ...
You resort to name-calling and antagonizing others, but you will only find love and forgiveness here. That is what our faith provides.
Please provide the objective source for what is goodness and kindness.
I think the biggest question is this: Why would anyone WANT to believe in a God that is so destructive and hateful toward his children?
Regardless of your beliefs, you have to come to terms with that God and then you have to believe that as a child of that god, you mean nothing. Your life, your suffering, your loved ones; they mean nothing. So if these "natural disasters" are from god, then I'd be looking for a new fella to worship pretty fast.
It's hard for you to understand because of the value you place in this current life. If you understood that something better awaits, you wouldn't even ask this question.
Oh! I get it!
YOU understand things that the "rest of us" cannot!
Of course! I bet you are a wannabe "pastor" looking for "sheep" perhaps?
I understand because I listen. It's a simple formula. I'm not a pastor. I'm a follower of Christ.
pls SHUTUP
looks like the religious god skewed up AGAIN!!!
The religious need to go back to the workshop and work out their god bugs.
"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat—I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything; you want and lose you, the real you" (Luke 9:23-25 The Message)
Seriously?!?!?!?
did you know that Mathew, Mark, Luke and John's writings were plagiarism? They stole from the gnostics.
They made a kilin too
Lets face it!
Christianity is the perfect punishment for the stupid!
Let it roll!
Ah, but for the peace, inner fulfillment, and love I receive and have learned to give, I wish that All would be so 'stupid'. There is a saying along these lines. "If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us..."
people take God out of our Schools, our military, and our lives.. and then when something bad happens.. they ask "where was God?"
Our schools are horrible.
Our military is corrupt and poor people are being taken advantage of.
American life is not so great right now.
And what have you done to improve the situation?
and yet it seems so many killed were believers in god.
sounds like we should take god out of environmental protection too. Can't he do anything right?????
God: Okay, so you won't allow mandatory Christian preyer in public schools and government places? You want to leave preyer to each individual to do privately? I will show you by killing 10,000 people in another country! Oh, I also killed millions when the preyers were mandatory, but don't worry about that.
No, the question "where was God?" is rhetorical...to make people like you realize your imaginary friend doesn't exist and to take responsibility for your own life.
shehar39,
Probably the most (Christian) religious era thus far was the period of the Black Plagues in Europe - up to 200 million perished, 45% – 50% of the European population; and, in fact, many of the religious helpers were actually spreading it without knowing. So much for "God" being popular.
And the answer is, He's wherever we put Him when we took Him out of our schools and military and stuff. Try looking on that top shelf next to the kids' old toys, or maybe in the box of stuff we were going to take to the yard sale? I mean, you just had Him the other day, right? He couldn't have gotten far.
Dear good sir. This argument of "Taking god out of our schools" is only said by those who don't understand the depth of the issue. God wasn't REMOVED from the school. It is not illegal to pray in school . What IS illegal, however, is forcing people to pray. Even your own bible doesn't preach forcing non-believers to pray, and it also teaches in the story of Daniel, praying to oneself. Not having it be a public spectacle. So the removal of "god" from public state funded schools, was actually the ceasing of forced prayer by all students. You're welcome for the free lesson.
Note also that if people pray the way Jesus instructed them to (in private, without making a show of it), there is no issue whatsoever. People who pretend it is an issue are making a show of prayer... which defies what Jesus instructed his followers to do. Hypocrites did not sit well with Jesus.
Are you serioulsy suggesting that the christian god destroyed the Phillipines because the US has taken god out of our schools, etc? That is just so out there, I don't know where to start...
Oh yes! The "Christians are persecuted" schtick!
In the USA, anyone can open a Christian Business, like a Church or a Bookstore.
You can buy Christian paraphernalia everywhere!
You hear Senators and Representatives at all levels invoking the Bible and Jeebus!
Christian Churches take in more than $100 BILLION a year in the USA alone!
Christian Churches (storefronts) enjoy TAX FREE status in the USA!
Christians persecute Atheists and Gays, and its going to stop.
So is this idiotic Persecution Complex that you mentally ill primates have.
Planet Earth is a dynamic and, at times, dangerous place. Life is beautiful and delicate. Intelligent life makes it all more wondrous, as we are able to philosophize. There are many aspects that seem magical – especially the love of family. It is more than magic, however. It is real.
There is no god. We live on a spectacular planet with a complex web of life that has evolved as a consequence of the conditions in which this occurred. This is phenomenal – far more phenomenal than magic. To invoke a god to explain all of this beauty and complexity is to take the beauty away.
Nature is spectacular. It is real, it is delicate and it happened all on its own, with no hand of a god. We are part of the web of life and we are lucky to be intelligent enough to have a large frontal cerebrum that allows us to contemplate our conscience in the midst of this amazing world. We are here for a blip of time, as becomes particularly clear during tragedies such as this. While our cells will be recycled into other forms of life as our bodies return to the Earth, we only live once as the individuals we are today. Life is beautiful. Death is, indeed, terrible... but so are lies. Cherish life. Cherish truth. Help your fellow humans during times of need. But free yourself from the controlling lies that have brought you to a state of delusion. When freed from the plague of religion, you will appreciate life even more.
Beautiful and true.
The world is all the more beautiful and amazing when you realize all this happened without magic, from simple physics, from individuals choosing to improve the world around them and care for others.
People in the Philippines are vastly catholic and some of the most eccentric religious zealots out there. Hopefully the'll have enough sense to realize that there's no god and get with the program on rebuilding their nation.
Faith is beautiful. Open your heart.
Life is not promise to us as a walk in the park and yes terriable things happen people die that is the circle of life we were not put here to live forever it is sad so many people lost their lives we should just pray for the ones that are lost but know that God is God. He is I am.
i swear people that continue to give god a free pass after such an event are like women staying with abusive husbands.......its not his fault, he loves me, he really does, its just that i do stuff wrong and he has to show me what i am doing wrong.
Popeye is god?
"but know that God is God. He is I am." And I needs me spinach or I gets mad and drowns people.
That diatribe requires more than 2 periods, and could also use a comma or 2.
if you are warned of things and do not enough is God to blame, if you marry someone with knowing who they are or stay with them when they abuse is God to blame. Certainly there is danger everywhere. Knowing God helps to maneuver around the evils of man, and the trauma's of nature.
religion is the largest money making business in the world .all these jobs must be protected. best way to protect your job is to brainwash the public. must keep the money coming In. nothing more need be said.
Golly, that was original observer
Ur god, the one who does what u think she should, never existed and u can't prove she does.
God is. He allows horrible suffering and they who follow him will suffer. Big deal. Suffering is part of life. Get over it.
You are so very wrong. God does exist and I can only hope you will realize this before it is too late. Just because he allows bad things to happen does not mean he is evil but allows the world to run as normal and allows people to have free will to do whatever they choose, even if it is against his will.
It would seem Buddhism offers the only benign interpretation....
Horus should satisfy u, dodo.
Same old same old.
Then worship yourself and Horus and stop whinning. U discredit ur gods. Christians don't sucuumb to unending self-pity like u do.
Horus was a God in ancient Egyptian religion, not Buddhism, though based on your endless stream of senseless and ignorant bashing, I wouldn't expect you to educate yourself in outside thought. If you take the time to reread the last two paragraphs, there si no mention of 'God'. The Buddhist seeks answers within.
john,
Ignore the fake Observer. She lies constantly.
And why must you ridiclue an exticnt flightless bird?
I will not be mocked, unbeliever. My vengeance will descend from dodo heaven upon you.
Ur god is a god that wouldn't allow suffering. She don't exist.
My god is a dodo.
My God, it's full of dodos.
Where was god? Same place he always is, helping Joel Osteen decide whether to get the Patek Phillipe in gold or platinum.
Nope, doobzz, you're wrong on that one. My information is that he was watching a school bus full of little crippled children on their way to holiday camp reach the top the hill and head down the other side, only to have the brakes fail, go through the guard railing and tumble end over end and to end up at the bottom of the canyon in a blazing ball of twisted metal.
You ask, where was God, but you fail to ask, where were you? What have you done aside from antagonize people of faith?
What a stupid question. I don't claim to be all powerful and able to stop storms if you pray to me.
Talk about deflection.
Why would a good God let bad things happen?
This is earth, not heaven. We exercise free will, we exacerbate issues like global warming, we reap the consequences.
I struggle to understand why anyone has a hard time reconciling natural disasters with a belief in God.
Those dang Filipinos, exacerbating global warming like that. They deserve what they're getting.
Nice try observer. Don't struggle. Admit. Admit u aren't god.
I observe dodos.
How about this for starters.. Your god should have been cleaning up after creating the universe, meteors and all.
Instead, he rested. The meteors alone are his disasters waiting to happen.
Your logic fails again.
Not only that, if god got tired after six days, he, she or it must have eventually become exhausted since the need to rest indicates a kind of metabolism/physiology that is mortal. This means eventually, god would also die, because he she or it, is subject to the laws of physics (that would require a rest and regeneration). Those prophets just didn't understand these things well enough to cover all contingencies that sharper minds would eventually put to question.
The rest he took was symbolic. This is clear from both the Hebrew and Greek texts....stop setting up a child like understanding of God so you can knock it down easily. Get into his word, study it if you want answers. Seek and ye shall find. Quit phoning it in and put some effort into seeking the truth.
"The rest he took was symbolic." Yeah, it symbolized resting. He had to go have a lie-down after all that hard work. His face was all red and blotchy. Mrs. God had to bring him his dinner in bed.
Should be Bible strawman clown.
Look, here is not a simple answer but perhaps a window into one, we could argue for years more as has been done for centuries what a good God would, could, should, etc. do and we will get nowhere. BUT, if Christ was and is who he claimed then we have to ask what was God doing on a cross and it comes back atleast that far from remaining distant from our human suffering he has become part of it himself. Joined in it. I believe he will offer justice to those affected by calamity. Proper, eternal justice or compensation. I wish we could see what it is he is creating out of this devastation and that we could conceive its necessity. But until he reveals it to us, all we can do is decide if we can trust him with it or decide we are superior to him and judge him from our tiny perspective. I for one wont be hinging my eternal future on the latter...
Excuse the cliche, but that's a big BUT.
Also, your "If...., then....." argument falls short, because it calls for a single conclusion based on an assumption for which there is not a shred of proof in 2000 years, in addition to ignoring every other possible outcome.
Before the fall of man there were no disasters. I don't ask you to believe it just get the theology right so you don't stick you foot in your mouth.
Life is a test, are we worthy? Our faith is tested daily, sometimes simply, sometimes dramatically.
a test for what? why would a god need to test anyone?
voodoo only works for the brainwashed..
More excuses for your god. Especially when your god never said what you did. Putting words in your make believe god?
Worthy of what, life? Your question implies the silliest of explanations; a god in the sky tapping his foot to see if we can measure up to his continual and horridly brutal, "tests."
So Good killed 10,000 people to "test" some believers? Killed men, women, children without regard to their beliefs or deeds? Left children orphaned and families devastated? For a test? Could he not find a less cruel way of testing? And He wants us to believe that he is a really loving benevolent god by brutally killing 10,000 people?
You mean, if we can see a bunch of drowned Filipinos and think "Oh, Thank God those people are all dead," we might be holy enough to enter the Kingdom of God? I'll pass. I am definitely not that holy.
Does God control the weather or not? When farmers prey for rain, and it rains, God sent the rain, right? So when good weather events happen it is God's grace, and we are to blame for bad weather?
So there's no free will in heaven? Funny, Lucifer rebelling would lead me believe there's probably free will in heaven.
If there is – then god should be able to have "heaven on earth" and not violate free will.
If there isn't – then you wouldn't be "you" anymore, so just what is living on forever?