Pakistan floods, interesting quote.

[flobadob]

On the news today about the floods in Pakistan I heard a woman say something which I found interesting and quite amusing in a dark sort of way. Her home had been washed away and she was on saying "It took years for God to give us our house, now the floods have taken it away".

What The Funicular? Surely their house was built by local people and was destroyed by natural disaster. Can she really think that?

[mightyWBA]

Naomi I know the picture shows that the mosque was more sturdily built than the surrounding buildings,I've been making stuff out of metal for years,but to a person of faith it is a symbol of their God defiant.
Not an example of better quality structual engineering.

[naomi24]

Exactly WBA - and that's what's so sad about it. They don't acknowledge the reality.

[keyplus90]

I think few people are missing the topic of this thread. For woman’s statement I would say that she was half right half wrong. Being a Muslim I believe good comes from God as well as bad, Happiness as well as sadness. And why few people still does not hate God after that is a long and different story that few (here) may never understand.

As for destruction, structure, aid to Pakistan is concerned, then being Pakistani myself I do agree with what my brother birdie has said. Since the invasion of Afghanistan by Russia about 30 years ago Pakistan’s rulers (military and elected) have all worked and acted to promote interests of the other countries and have not done anything for there own people. And they have been paid heavily by the countries they are working for. All you have to do to confirm that is look where most of those ruler’s own interest are, and where their families and wealth is. Start with Asif Ali Zardari and then look at Pervez Musharaf and Nawaz Sharif.

[birdie1971]

Keyplus – you're agreeing with me again! Maybe there is a God after all ;-)

Naomi – I too found the woman's quote strangely at odds with the physical evidence that was starkly laid out before her eyes.

She thanked God for giving her a home and then blames the floods for taking it away. That's quite a mental assault course through which to force your ideas. It's almost beautiful in its tenacity to always keep God on the 'good' side of the equation. Almost.

What she has consciously (or unconsciously) done is to exonerate God from any blame associated with her losing her house. She claims that her house was given to her by God when every single piece of physical evidence and logical reasoning would suggest that men (and women) strived, struggled and laboured to build that house. The subsequent floods, which are a natural event and as such can be accurately and legally described as, “An Act Of God”, deprived her of that house.

For her to claim that God gave her the house and that God had no hand in taking that same house away from her is not just illogical; it takes logic by the scruff of the neck and bangs logic's head on the floor until logic doesn't have a clue where it is or what its name is.

If she had been honest (and less brain-washed) she would have said, “I and others built this house and God took it away”. That at least would be factually accurate. But it would also put God on the 'bad' side of the equation and we can do that can we?

The masses believe that God is great and always shall be. Even when He's being a complete t*at by deliberately drowning people.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, // Being a Muslim I believe good comes from God as well as bad, Happiness as well as sadness. //

But the point is when you think bad things come from God, instead of laying the blame firmly on his shoulders, you excuse him. You let him off the hook every time.

[keyplus90]

Perhaps that's the way you may put it. Afterall you can't and don't think otherwise. And of course you know about everything so hopefully do not need any further explanation.

[boxtops]

I don't think it lets God off the hook Naomi - rather that those who follow the tenet abut God moving in mysterious ways believe that he does everything for a reason. Sometimes people suffer as a result, but all will be revealed to believers in the next world.

[birdie1971]

Boxtops – You're right. God does move in mysterious ways. Very mysterious. Some would say downright peculiar. Others may say, He moves in a completely unpredictable way. Others may go even further and say that His actions defy all rational explanation. And some people may be bold enough to suggest that since his actions cannot be anticipated or explained, it's more logical to assume He doesn't exist at all.

I liked your quote, “... he does everything for a reason. Sometimes people suffer as a result...”. I wonder what reason He has for killing a newborn child. Logic would suggest that many very young children have been lost to the recent floods in Pakistan. What, I wonder, would be the reason for killing a child? Maybe the parents may grow through the suffering of losing their child. But what of the child itself? Surely it can learn nothing from being killed by God.

But, as you say, He moves in mysterious ways.

I'm always reminded of a satirical question when people suggest that God moves in mysterious ways...

[birdie1971]

Continued...


It goes....

You are a product tester and frequently bring your work home. Yesterday, while dressed in a flame-resistant suit (up to 3,000 degrees) and carrying the latest model fire extinguisher, you discovered your neighbor's house on fire. As the flames quickly spread, you stood by and watched the family perish. Which of the following best describes your behavior?

a) All-powerful
b) All-knowing
c) All-loving
d) Mysterious

[birdie1971]

The above question and others can be found here...

http://www.ebonmusing...says/religion101.html

[trt]

Maybe her rent was behind with the Almighty above, that's why he took it away!

[naomi24]

Birdie, precisely - but I'm sure we can think of a more appropriate word than mysterious.

[birdie1971]

Indeed Naomi. I can think of a great many ways to describe the actions and nature of a God who allows people who have worshipped Him morning, noon and night, for their entire lives, to be killed in a pointless and horrific way.

But AB has a no swearing policy.


So I can't call Him a cnut.

So I won't.

[jomifl]

If my house was washed away I doubt if I would be able to think clearly and having had her house undermined I should think that the woman in question is trying to avoid having her beliefs undermined. That said it is obvious that god did very little to prevent the disaster, less even than the corrupt politicians who are more interested in holding on to power so that they can feather their own nest and build their homes in low flood risk areas. As god appears to be unreliable in the matter of flood defence (historically demonstrable) people should take there own precautions. Being such an old civilisation they have had long enough to do so. Hoping something will never happen has never been very effective. If you want something not to happen you have to see to it yourself that it doesn't.