What with hurricanes Katrina and Ike, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism and now the economic collapse...

Well, do you think it's just remotely possible that the Big Guy up there is trying to send us a message of some sort?

Kortpeel

Kortpeel (imported) wrote: Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:50 am What with hurricanes Katrina and Ike, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism and now the economic collapse...

Well, do you think it's just remotely possible that the Big Guy up there is trying to send us a message of some sort?

Kortpeel

One recalls Hosea 8:7 "For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up." (King James Version). I conrfess that I am not much of a supernaturalist, but who knows! A fine theological reflection is Reaping the Whirlwind: A Christian Interpretation of History (1976) by the late Langdon Brown Gilkey a distinguished modern theologian.

Building a city below sea level on the Gulf Coast, building a city on a barrier island in the area most likely to be hit by a hurricane on the Gulf Coast, and overthrowing a democratically elected government in Iran do offer some exposure to danger. Being the dominant economic and military power in the world presents some exposure to violent reaction.

Gilky wrote over 30 years ago about how change threatens if you are in power but might offer hope if you are poor and powerless.

These times are probably about normal. Try the Middle Ages. Or Rome. WWI followed by the flue epidemic. WWII followed by Korea and the Cold War when it was hot. Remember about 1964 and The Eve of Destruction.

Being a Secular Humanist "the big guy upstairs" has no relevance to me.

But if you do believe in that kind of thing such a "big guy" sounds like a mean one, certainly not one that would make me feel warm and fuzzy and comforted.

Crap just happens. Watching the news too much merely magnifies one's awareness that lots of crap is happening.

Remember: The ONLY thing that is PERMANENT, is CHANGE. !

Steve.

nullorchis (imported) wrote: Fri Sep 26, 2008 4:35 am Being a Secular Humanist "the big guy upstairs" has no relevance to me.

But if you do believe in that kind of thing such a "big guy" sounds like a mean one, certainly not one that would make me feel warm and fuzzy and comforted.

Crap just happens. Watching the news too much merely magnifies one's awareness that lots of crap is happening.

Remember: The ONLY thing that is PERMANENT, is CHANGE. !

Steve.Has no revelance to me as well. As an agnostic, I am close to your point-of-view. My background is liberal Christian which sometimes is very close to secular huamanism.

Shit Happens... With all the talk of financial meltdowns and collapsing economies, few in the US realize how sucky the economies of other westernc countries are doing. We still have a pretty damn good unemplyment rate, moderate inflation (some places you have to spend your paycheck before the money devalues too much) etc.

I have a friend in Leeds, England who was laid off and now she is having a hell of a time finding another job as a secretary. She was making about an equivilant $18/USD but only working temp work at about $12/USD an hr. THose kind of jobs are available all over the place in the US.

The ecnomic problems we face now (could get worse though) are NOTHING compared to the great depression that also had a severe drought (can you say "dustbowl") that just added insult ti injury. Can you imagine standing in line for a bowl of soup because the economy is so bad that the govt. can't even afford a food stamp program?

God didn't have anything to do with the hurricanes. The disasters are caused by building/living in a city below sea level on a hurricane prone coastline or building a city on a fucking sandbar (Galveston).

ramses (imported) wrote: Fri Sep 26, 2008 5:48 am Shit Happens... With all the talk of financial meltdowns and collapsing economies, few in the US realize how sucky the economies of other westernc countries are doing. We still have a pretty damn good unemplyment rate, moderate inflation (some places you have to spend your paycheck before the money devalues too much) etc.

I have a friend in Leeds, England who was laid off and now she is having a hell of a time finding another job as a secretary. She was making about an equivilant $18/USD but only working temp work at about $12/USD an hr. THose kind of jobs are available all over the place in the US.

The ecnomic problems we face now (could get worse though) are NOTHING compared to the great depression that also had a severe drought (can you say "dustbowl") that just added insult ti injury. Can you imagine standing in line for a bowl of soup because the economy is so bad that the govt. can't even afford a food stamp program?

God didn't have anything to do with the hurricanes. The disasters are caused by building/living in a city below sea level on a hurricane prone coastline or building a city on a fucking sandbar (Galveston).

The alternative to that slogan is "Grace Happens." I suppose both happen.

So far, most of my life, I have found work when I needed it. I know that has not always been the case for many people. I do find it hard to work sometimes when my health is bad, but that is something else. I still find ways I waste money. Just amazing how much I waste.

When you read and understand the bible you see God always warns his people first and yes I feel he is sending a message to come to him in these final days.He sent Johna to Neveny years befor he sent another later to get that city to change there ways.It was only after all these years he distroyed that city so yes we need to learn what God wants from us .

No offense, my friend Sag, but the christian sect has been saying the end is near for over 2,000 years... Bad things happen and have always happened. I bet they thought the end was near during 1340,s a bacterium named Yersinia pestis (Bubonic plague) killed up to 3/4 of communities across europe. Our problems now seem almost trivial to that....

I can not tell you why I see these things but I do understand the old testment and the new.The book of Revelations is another book that if you study it and realy understand it you will see we are in the end times.If you are not a beleaver in God this is hog wash to you and I understand that also but I encurage you to at least go to Prophesy Times and read what has already taken place then you will at least see where some of us are coming from and why I am not worried about what is going on in the world and I do understand things today.