Comment on September 1st, 2005.
THESE ARE NOT FATHER NEO’S WORDS, here is how one pastor is talking about this:
“Our hearts and love go out to the thousands who have been dispossesed, killed, injured, or have suffered the loss of a loved one across the Gulf Coast. We must each do all we are able to help them rebuild their lives.
At the same time, New Orleans vied with Las Vegas for the most immoral city in the United States. Drugs are rampant. Live sex shows were openly advertised on Bourbon Street. While I mourn the loss of some great restaurants (I hope Deanies survived) I do not mourn the loss of some of the seamier side of New Orleans.
We have had an unprecedented last 6 years for natural and human-made disasters. Now, I know the PC police will be all over me for this, but have we considered that this is the beginning of God’s judgement on America fo rour lust, our materialism, our refusal to share our abundance with the poor and homeless, the vast disparity between rich and poor (it is clear from the Bible that God is NOT amused with this…), our daily murder of unborn babies here and of innocent civilian non-combatants overseas, our stockpile of weapons of mass destruction (which, of course, of course, we’ll only use DEFENSIVELY, right? After all, WE’D never start a pre-emptive war, now would we????), and our un-American detaining of prisoners without a trial and the torture of prisoners? God isn’t amused. Maybe He isn’t just the doting Grandfather that many Protestants see Him as. Maybe He still gets torqued and acts on it. Consider it…plagues of frogs, biting flies, an invasion of locusts, and the killing of the firstborn may still be on the program unless we REPENT!
II Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Time to repent…”
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
What is theodicy?
I agree, the better response is, how will we respond.
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
I saw this in one report:
“We can’t have people fighting,” Capt. John Pallerre of the Texas Air Force National Guard told the crowd on public address after a teenager was taken away for fighting. “I have kids here who are crying and frightened and can’t find their parents. Be adults. We’re going to get you out of here. It takes a while. I’m not God. If I was, you’d all be home with your family.”
Gary
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
Padre,
Whoever this “Pastor” is…I’d say he’s not thinking clearly. Not for some of his observations relative to morality, but for his ludicrous notion that Hurricane Katrina is God’s direct judgment.
Some, I repeat, some, of the points made are legit, but this is not God’s hand guiding the eye of a hurricane to hit “x” spot. To be sure, God allows this carnage (He’s NOT a “tame Lion” as Lewis says), which begs so many questions on its own, but to call this a direct supernatural intervention to wallop us for our sins paints God as indiscriminate. Who thinks that everyone impacted in this catastrophe is “guilty?” Silly idea altogether and worthy of a Pat Robertson type. If this notion were true, you’d think the opposite would be too, but I don’t really observe any wholesale “blessings” going on. Indeed, the opposite if often the case. The faithful get left in the dirt to wallow and suffer in God’s apparent absence.
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
The sun shines on the just and the unjust alike. Same for hurricanes.
Olympiada, “theodicy” is “vindication of divine providence in view of the existence of evil” (Oxford Dictionary). In other words, if God is a loving God, as well as an all-powerful God, why is this such a hard, unfair world?
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
I would like to agree with MCM, if I can do so without being attacked, called names, and so forth. LOL. From now on I’m having a gin and tonic before I blog.
Where’s the love man…?
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
“if God is a loving God, as well as an all-powerful God, why is this such a hard, unfair world?”
One of the grander questions in life.
Father??
Gary
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
I’m sorry, Angevoix, but if you attempt to agree with me I may become verbally violent. Tough love. You’ll just have to bite the bullet and be contrary.
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
“From now on I’m having a gin and tonic before I blog.”
Ahhh, after my own heart you are mi amiga…so long as it’s Bombay Sapphire gin that is. 
Hey, I’m sure you can handle your own “matches” Scout, but if you ever need help I’ll step in and knock some heads around too. Fr. John tried to knock my head off the other night, but I’m still standing. So who gives a rat’s arse if I’m a member of the “Whore of Babylon.” I guess he did. Anyway…if it’s Seraph that tongue speaking…opps…sorry, I know you are more in line with him on this issue than with me, but you know what I mean.
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
Costa, Really, Bombay Sapphire? Tanqueray is the better gin, in my humble opinion. I’ve conducted a blind taste test. We take those things pretty seriously around here!
I’m going to agree with MCM too. The sun shines on good and bad.
Again, my own opinion, but if Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on NOLA, I fear for myself. I deserve worse for my sins.
Comment on September 1st, 2005.
God of the wind…have mercy on us
God of the waves…have mercy on us
God of our pain…have mercy on us
God of the cross…
God of the…
God of…
God.
Comment on September 2nd, 2005.
Where’s the love?
There’s the love…
Thanks blog family.
Comment on September 2nd, 2005.
“Costa, Really, Bombay Sapphire? Tanqueray is the better gin, in my humble opinion. I’ve conducted a blind taste test. We take those things pretty seriously around here!”
Grin. I bet you guys do take it seriously. Ohhh, but you hurt my heart speaking the blasphemous name Tanqueray! I’ve done the blind taste test too. You could line up a slew of different gins with a blindfold over my eyes, and I’d pick out the blue bottle elixir every time!
We’ll have to have the now infamous “Morpheus Deck Meeting” at mi casa next time, and you and John both come and the rest of the crew. Seraph and Fr. John would even be welcome. I’m a glutton for punishment.
Comment on September 2nd, 2005.
Unbuntu, we need unbuntu!
Comment on September 2nd, 2005.
If Fr. Neo’s blog shows us nothing else, it’s that we can all disagree about very important matters (e.g. gin) and still be friends. Funny you mention the deck meeting, I was thinking we could have it here next time. Wherever it is, let’s do it before it gets cold. What sayest thou O deck people?
And Ange, we love you! Can you feel it? Don’t you want to start singing Elton John songs? Seriously…we do!
Comment on September 2nd, 2005.
OOOOOOXXXXXX!
Comment on September 2nd, 2005.
Ange,
I’ve got your back. I come out of hiding to greet my fellows.
Comment on September 2nd, 2005.
May the force be with you, Seraph!
Comment on September 5th, 2005.
Amazing how this potentially deep discussion deteriorated into an excuse for a party.
The question is:
What are or have you done to meet the needs of the mass innocents or to grow closer to God?
How many righteous or innocents died when God brought the most recent (historically speaking)conqeror overtook ancient Israel for the latest transgressions?
This time I have taken the cash route; Hurricane Andrew I served with the Corps of Engineers under FEMA for 5 months of clean up.
Comment on September 6th, 2005.
All week I have been thinking of this post, Fr. Neo. Oddly enough watching news footage I have learned that the French Quarter and Bourbon Street were for the most part spared. In fact the first business to reopen In New Orleans was a bar on Bourbon street…
hmmmmm…. So much for the judgemnet theory…
Comment on September 6th, 2005.
“Amazing how this potentially deep discussion deteriorated into an excuse for a party.”
Please don’t judge us so readily or harshly travlndon…more factors were at work here than meets the eye. Everything isn’t always what it seems. In fact … it hardly ever is.
Comment on September 8th, 2005.
Indeed, the Holy Spirit, He moves in unprecedented ways! And you can be sure that
Also, one contributing factor in this “Hard unfair world,” would be free will. God does value us and our choices, despite what some might say. This is why God doesn’t just preprogram us to love Him without choice, and to just spout worship at the pull of a string. He gives us the option of turning from Him, just as he did in the garden.
…Or something like that…
Pax vomiscum
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