What Is The Christian Perspective...

[ronniv93]

Hello again, Anyabwile. I'll offer up my personal thoughts on the matter for you.

On Christian channels, and the most popular, one Songs Of Praise in the UK, the answer to why God has done this is not to test us or definately not judgement.

<b>Was it a test?</b>


I don't know that it was some sort of test. A test for what and to prove what? I can't imagine how the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people could be used (or why it would be used) to test the rest of the people remaining on earth. So, I don't think it was a test of any kind.


<b>Was it judgment?</b>


Maybe. We may never know until we reach Heaven and God tells us Himself. Throughout history, we see the wrath and judgment of God upon people for continued disobedience to His will. So, it could very well be judgment or maybe not at all. I don't believe anyone can say for sure unless God reveals that directly to a person.

One reverend described people who think it is some kind of judgement as fools (Rev John Bell).

I don't know this minister, but I don't know how he could say this statement. From the earliest recordings of the Bible to the very last book, Revelation, we see that God's wrath and judgment indeed can be carried out in such manners and even worse. He should be careful using the word "fools", for the Bible records that a "fool" is the one who says in his heart that there is no God. Thus, this term is being misapplied and misused, regardless of what his personal beliefs on the Tsunami are.

His response was the reason why the Tsunami raised and wiped out so many people, was so in the resulting pain and grief God can share in the suffering and be there with his children.

Hmmm.... So, he calls anyone who thinks this may have been judgment "fools", but then his theory is that God caused the suffering so that He can be there for the people who have been pained by the situation??? Weird.

He then seemed to imply God had nothing to do with the disaster.

This could very well be the case, too. Christianity teaches that the first human beings, Adam and Eve, committed sin against God when they disobeyed Him and ate of the forbidden tree. Ever since then, sin has been poisoning every aspect of the world. In the beginning, creation was perfect. I doubt that there were tornados and hurricanes and forest fires. Adam and Eve were able to live amongst the animals of the world without fear.


But because sin entered the earth, it is polluting everything and the Bible says that the wages of sin is death. So, we see continual and gradual breakdowns throughout the earth and society as a whole as time goes on.


In any case, it could just be the result of this fallen world that we live in.

Because the people once asked Jesus why the tower fell on a group of them, they asked if it was a Judgement. Jesus just said "no it was simply a tower and it fell"

Huh?? Never heard of this story before. A tower falling on people??? Hmm...

So my Question to Christians who scan this board, is does God in Christianity as you practice it have any control over the elements?

Yes, He has control. Why God chooses to exercise or not exercise control at such times, we will never know unless He reveals it to us.


God is said to "hold the heart of the king in His hand," and yet there are evil people all over the earth. God HAS the power to control, but I don't believe He always exercises this control. Why He does or does not is His business. I am but His creation just trying to have relationship with Him even while not understanding everything that He does.


To sum it up, I simply believe that something like this is either 1) God's judgment upon a people or nation or 2) simply a result of living in this fallen, sin-ridden world.


Hope I helped answer your question, at least from my own, limited perspective.