Posted on 07/01/2007 3:53:13 PM PDT by NYer
The floods that have devastated swathes of the country are God's judgment on the immorality and greed of modern society, according to senior Church of England bishops.
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One diocesan bishop has even claimed that laws that have undermined marriage, including the introduction of pro-gay legislation, have provoked God to act by sending the storms that have left thousands of people homeless.
While those who have been affected by the storms are innocent victims, the bishops argue controversially that the flooding is a result of Western civilisation's decision to ignore biblical teaching.
The Rt Rev Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle, argued that the floods are not just a result of a lack of respect for the planet, but also a judgment on society's moral decadence.
"This is a strong and definite judgment because the world has been arrogant in going its own way," he said.
"We are reaping the consequences of our moral degradation, as well as the environmental damage that we have caused."
The bishop, who is a leading evangelical, said that people should heed the stories of the Bible, which described the downfall of the Roman empire as a result of its immorality.
"We are in serious moral trouble because every type of lifestyle is now regarded as legitimate," he said.
"In the Bible, institutional power is referred to as 'the beast', which sets itself up to control people and their morals. Our government has been playing the role of God in saying that people are free to act as they want," he said, adding that the introduction of recent pro-gay laws highlighted its determination to undermine marriage.
"The sexual orientation regulations [which give greater rights to gays] are part of a general scene of permissiveness. We are in a situation where we are liable for God's judgment, which is intended to call us to repentance."
He expressed his sympathy for those who have been hit by the weather, but said that the problem with "environmental judgment is that it is indiscriminate".
The West is also being punished for the way that it has exploited poorer nations in its pursuit of economic gain.
"It has set up dominant economic structures that are built on greed and that keep other nations in a situation of dependence. The principle of God's judgment on nations that have exploited other nations is all there in the Bible," he said.
He urged people to respond to the latest floods by turning away from a lifestyle of greed to instead live thinking of the consequences of their actions.
Global warming has been caused by people's lack of care for the planet and recent environmental catastrophes are a warning over how we behave, according to the Bishop of Liverpool.
"People no longer see natural disasters as an act of God," said the Rt Rev James Jones. "However, we are now reaping what we have sown. If we live in a profligate way then there are going to be consequences," said the bishop, who has previously been seen as a future Archbishop of Canterbury or York.
"We have a responsibility in this and God is exposing us to the truth of what we have done."
The Rt Rev Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, said: "We are all part of the problem and part of the solution.
Instead of living as if we owned the earth we need to recover a sense of being participants in a web of life with responsibilities to other life forms and to our children."
The Bishops' warnings came as flood-hit communities were being warned to brace themselves for more torrential rain this weekend, with the Met Office issuing a severe weather warning for large areas of England and Wales, with up to 50mm (2in) of rain forecast.
Ping!
(Doing okay?)
Living in the flood plain brings its own reward eventually.
My God is a kind God.
Man-caused climate change...it’s been happening since the fall of Adam and Eve, and it has nothing to do with carbon footprints.
I guess that is why Eden was in one.
God is good, He does not call down evil on people. But He does want people to repent and come to Him.
What do you say about the great flood of Noah’s time?
This is rich. How about addressing the over-the-top grotesque merchandizing in your own churches? Hope St. Paul's has flood insurance.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking at the Crypt Cafe...
Anglican bishops also have subscriptions to the flat earth society.
I can see where you would have a problem with the "old testament."
I have no problem with the Old Testament.
There is a difference between God calling down evil...............and people making their own evil resulting in their judgement by God.
Nothing about calling down evil on those who are God-fearing and God-obeying which has happened in these floods. Even Noah was a God-fearing and God-obeying person; that’s why he and his family were spared of the Great Flood.
God gave His Son the power to send people to hell. He not only heals, He also punishes. God is not half of what we think, He is beyond all that we can imagine. So, if you think God is kind, He is, but kindness is teaching your children not to touch the hot stove, not to play in the street, to hold your hand in the parking lot, etc, etc, etc. God’s most loving Books of the Bible, besides those containing the sacrifice of His Son, are the Pentatuch which contain the Law.
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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15
When my son was killed in a car accident the wife of a Baptist minister told me it was because I had fallen into some kind of sin. Then she wanted to know what kind of sin I had fallen into. That was in 1984 and I haven’t been back into a Baptist church and I never will.
Please accept my sympathy for your loss.
I don't think I'd judge all Baptists on the basis of one silly or cruel woman . . . but I sure do understand your position.
Please accept my sympathies on your loss.
The Baptist concept of sin as the source of tragedy is a truly sad legacy of their erroneous approach to faith. God is pure love and an ocean of mercy. He asks only that we love Him in return and accept His mercy for the sincere repentance of our sins. On that, you can place your entire trust.
Looking back I should have said I was being punished for the sin of asking some else about their sins. LOL! But only weeks after burying a child you really don’t have your wits about you.
Yikes, people should always stop and think before they say stupid stuff to the bereaved. Perhaps just, “I’m so sorry!” without asking prying questions that are none of her business . . . . !?!?!?!? I am just stunned that anybody would say anything like that . . . . Wow.
Heheh, my son has a different approach in the rain. See my tagline for his quote.
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