To OzSpen

I agree that a lot of bad things in the world exist as a Testiment that the world is broken in many parts. This is both a condition placed on us from Adam and Eve's fall, as well as an ongoing result of our actions as a world. I also agree that things of this nature are tools to shake us up and bring us back in line with God. I've heard a simular view on the Great Depression that made people on equal footing instead of the huge gape between the rich and the poor.

However I'm a bit leery of the stance that Covid is an act of judgement from God. It's not that it couldn't be, because it very well could be. But I'm leery because I've heard a few times in my life someone using a disaster after it occures to proclaim their version of what's wrong with the world. The same type of argument that says this is Mother Nature taking vengeance, has been used in at least one church have members go to funerals and harass those in sorrow. (WestBoro baptist church in the US, a few years ago). The reasoning that this clamity is an act of judgement because of x,y,and z is a type of reasoning I hold with caution to be leery and skeptical towards.

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I also try to consider if these kinds of after the event reasoning could hold merit. But the problem is that this leads to a kind of blaming and looking for an excuse for why something happened. Even when it was not something you caused or influenced. Things like getting sick, or losing your job is in some way because you deserve it for not being good enough, not being generous enough, or not being around family more ... The number of reasons out there and the amount of standards to place on our shoulders is too carried and diverse to know which ones could have been any of those reasons, if any of them were one of the reasons at all. The reasons behind a disaster that might have merit have to be considered very carefully.

Either way I do think this is an opportunity to shake the world a bit so that we can look to God more. Hopefully something lasting afterwords will take root that leads more people to God, or at least leads to more compassion to everyone in general.

Dear NNS,

Oh you really are talking rubbish this time. Of course this was a God passing judgement, just look at the signs.

On of the most senior leaders in the Catholic Church escapes the judgement of man's law. This enabler and in my opinion likely perpetrator is probably responsible for so much harm done to children in Australia yet even though Jesus spoke of the dire consequences for those who harm a hair on their heads he has walked free.

Don't believe me? Just look at the countries most impacted by this plague. Italy, the seat of the church responsible, Spain, a highly Catholic nation whose persecutions were exceptional, and of course the USA, the most deeply Christian fundamentalist nation on earth whose abuse levels by the Catholic priesthood were on par with those in Australia.

However this country has been spared. Why I'm not sure. Was it because of our efforts in bringing Pell to justice? Or was it because of our earnest attempt to right some of the grievous wrongs through a Royal Commission?

Who truly knows the mind of God but to even contemplate that he would be more vengeful on those nations who have allowed loving couples of the same sex to be married rather than nations who have let deep harm come to their children without justice being properly dispensed is doing a just God a grave disservice.

ttbn,

<<You contrarians need to have a look at Spencer Gear's qualifications and experience. With the exception of runner, you are just a bunch of Christophobes with nothing worth saying on the subject.>>

Thank you for your encouraging assessment of this thread and my qualifications. However, the issues need to be discussed rationally instead of commenters making accusations against Christ and giving anti-God assertions.

Whenever I write articles for ONO, many posters engage in the use of logical fallacies rather than addressing the content of the article. Perhaps you could help me to identify some of these fallacies, explaining them in simple language. There is a very extensive list of fallacies at Logically Fallacious, http://www.logicallyfallacious.com/. This is the most extensive list I've encountered on the www.

A smaller list is at: The Nizkor Project, http://www.nizkor.com/features/fallacies/.

Thank you for standing against the anti-God/Christ promoters.

May God bless you.

Is God really responsible for our actions and choices?

It would seem that all we can blame God for is Acts of God.
Man needs to be blamed for his own actions - such as
drinking alcohol, committing adultery, spreading disease,
and so on.

We are responsible for our own actions and choices.
Just like Adam and Eve were.

"Your own ways and your actions will be brought upon you.
How bitter is your disaster for it reaches clear to your
heart." Jeremiah 4:18

Take care.
Stay safe.

Dear Foxy,

Unfortunately the Bible does contain numerous instances of God inflicting plagues and other misery for perceived transgression against him. It is from this that Ozpen derives his appeal to a higher authority.

Dear Ozpen,

Did you really write this; “ Crossan’s postmodern, reconstructive, interactive hermeneutic was shipwrecked on the ‘rocks’ of contradiction, inconsistency and a self-defeating methodology.”

And this?

“Crossan imposed his own understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection through his use of free play, relativistic, multivalent, postmodern, nonsupernatural stratagem on the text.”

And you try to bang on about logical fallacies?

How dare someone attempt to use a 'nonsupernatural statagem' on anything, that would be so illogical.

Lol.

Question though. Did you agree with your advisor Ernest that “This world, for Jesus, was the kingdom of God”?

And I did like his take that Jesus was a 'social prophet' one who was reacting against the deep social injustices of the time.