Is GOD the blame?

Hondo
Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
Lightning hit a house the other day and the news paper reported it as an act of God. Earth quake hits somewhere and it too is called and act of God. Just about all the major insurance companies now have a Claus stating (an act of God).

What do you think? When something goes wrong why is GOD always the blame.
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Comments

  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    I believe it's a way for the
    I believe it's a way for the insurance companies to get out of paying. 'Act of God' means natural occurrence which no one can be held responsible. Insurance companies won't pay for earthquake or flood damage unless you pay more for a policy. Just a term they use. They really don't blame God.

    Lightning can be prevented by lightning rods which Ben Franklin invented.
  • DennisR
    DennisR Member Posts: 148
    I agree Hondo,
    I don't know

    I agree Hondo,
    I don't know why we blame God when we all know it's all George Bush's fault.
    Joking aside, Hondo..I don't believe the Media have much of a command of the English language anymore, nor do they bother to research anything before they print it. My Insurance policies refer to certain Acts of Nature, but I can't find God listed anywhere in there. I guess God is just easier to spell for some reporters.

    I saw a joke the other day....seems a guy got into a car accident and called 911 reporting that a woman was seriously hurt and needed an ambulance right away at 1st and Eucalyptus Street.
    The 911 operator asked him to please spell "Eucalyptus"...the man hesitated for a few minutes..then said never mind, just send the ambulance to 1st and Oak street...I'll drag her over there.
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    Because they can't say $hit Happens?
    In general it's a method developed to explain natural events and so they can refuse to take responsibility or so they can excuse themselves from liability.

    I think that the statement is just a cop-out. I do not blame God at all for anything but that is mainly because I am not a firm believer in the existence of God so it would make absolutely no sense in blaming him anymore than it would blaming the Easter Bunny for something. I do use "Thank God" at times but I do not use it in the literal sense, it's a phrase that's worked itself into our vocabulary that is usually not to be taken literally (IMO).

    I have never had anyone say this to me nor do I personally know people who think this way, but I have read on the cancer site where people believe that so-and-so got cancer because they are not good (fill in the blank with any religion) or because they do not pray enough or the right way or some other bizarre reason that again puts blame on God. Similarly when doctors or other people do good, I do not think the credit should always just go to God anymore than to the Easter Bunny. The doctors did have something to do with the outcome.

    (Many)People are compelled to create something that can not be held accountable or proven to explain things that "just happen because stuff happens". Mankind has been doing this since the dawn of time. We strive for answers.

    Also, I think people would take offense if it was called "An Act of Satan" but to me it makes as much sense.
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    blame, credit, whatever
    If he or she is going to get the credit for touchdowns and winning the lottery, why shouldn't he or she get the blame for lightning? (Lightning rods notwithstanding :)).

    Take care,

    Joe
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    Marcia527 said:

    I believe it's a way for the
    I believe it's a way for the insurance companies to get out of paying. 'Act of God' means natural occurrence which no one can be held responsible. Insurance companies won't pay for earthquake or flood damage unless you pay more for a policy. Just a term they use. They really don't blame God.

    Lightning can be prevented by lightning rods which Ben Franklin invented.

    Good point
    A few years ago when Hurricane Katrina and Rata hit the Gulf Cost States there was hardly anything left standing and insurance companies were tell the people that there damage was caused by a flood not hurricane and so they refused to pay.

    They must be trained very well; I was standing on the same cement slap where a house once stood and debris all around and could not tell what was flood or what was hurricane damage.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member

    blame, credit, whatever
    If he or she is going to get the credit for touchdowns and winning the lottery, why shouldn't he or she get the blame for lightning? (Lightning rods notwithstanding :)).

    Take care,

    Joe

    He / She
    I have heard of this before, believe it or not you might be more correct then you think. The Bible does not give us any aspect of Gods gender just that Man and Women were created in the Image of God. Sometimes words are used as a metaphor of something that we don’t understand as it is hard to understand something with out a common frame of reference.

    Thanks for your post
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    PhillieG said:

    Because they can't say $hit Happens?
    In general it's a method developed to explain natural events and so they can refuse to take responsibility or so they can excuse themselves from liability.

    I think that the statement is just a cop-out. I do not blame God at all for anything but that is mainly because I am not a firm believer in the existence of God so it would make absolutely no sense in blaming him anymore than it would blaming the Easter Bunny for something. I do use "Thank God" at times but I do not use it in the literal sense, it's a phrase that's worked itself into our vocabulary that is usually not to be taken literally (IMO).

    I have never had anyone say this to me nor do I personally know people who think this way, but I have read on the cancer site where people believe that so-and-so got cancer because they are not good (fill in the blank with any religion) or because they do not pray enough or the right way or some other bizarre reason that again puts blame on God. Similarly when doctors or other people do good, I do not think the credit should always just go to God anymore than to the Easter Bunny. The doctors did have something to do with the outcome.

    (Many)People are compelled to create something that can not be held accountable or proven to explain things that "just happen because stuff happens". Mankind has been doing this since the dawn of time. We strive for answers.

    Also, I think people would take offense if it was called "An Act of Satan" but to me it makes as much sense.

    An act of Satan
    It sounds ok to me but like you said people would tend to get more offensive to it then just saying God did it.




    I do agree with you point, a way of explaining something that just happens
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    DennisR said:

    I agree Hondo,
    I don't know

    I agree Hondo,
    I don't know why we blame God when we all know it's all George Bush's fault.
    Joking aside, Hondo..I don't believe the Media have much of a command of the English language anymore, nor do they bother to research anything before they print it. My Insurance policies refer to certain Acts of Nature, but I can't find God listed anywhere in there. I guess God is just easier to spell for some reporters.

    I saw a joke the other day....seems a guy got into a car accident and called 911 reporting that a woman was seriously hurt and needed an ambulance right away at 1st and Eucalyptus Street.
    The 911 operator asked him to please spell "Eucalyptus"...the man hesitated for a few minutes..then said never mind, just send the ambulance to 1st and Oak street...I'll drag her over there.

    Media
    I do believe you are correct that the Media has a lot to do with it.

    At work I always would tell the secretary to make me a Xerox of this paper, she would look at me and ask do you want me to make a copy; I would say Yes Xerox it. That is how easy it is for a trademark for a photocopying process to get lost in the meaning of words.

    Thanks for your post
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    DennisR said:

    I agree Hondo,
    I don't know

    I agree Hondo,
    I don't know why we blame God when we all know it's all George Bush's fault.
    Joking aside, Hondo..I don't believe the Media have much of a command of the English language anymore, nor do they bother to research anything before they print it. My Insurance policies refer to certain Acts of Nature, but I can't find God listed anywhere in there. I guess God is just easier to spell for some reporters.

    I saw a joke the other day....seems a guy got into a car accident and called 911 reporting that a woman was seriously hurt and needed an ambulance right away at 1st and Eucalyptus Street.
    The 911 operator asked him to please spell "Eucalyptus"...the man hesitated for a few minutes..then said never mind, just send the ambulance to 1st and Oak street...I'll drag her over there.

    Good joke
    I've heard it before but it's a good one!
    Thanks for the chuckle
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    Hondo said:

    Media
    I do believe you are correct that the Media has a lot to do with it.

    At work I always would tell the secretary to make me a Xerox of this paper, she would look at me and ask do you want me to make a copy; I would say Yes Xerox it. That is how easy it is for a trademark for a photocopying process to get lost in the meaning of words.

    Thanks for your post

    Media
    Certainly the media does not help things but "Act of God" has been around for a VERY long time. It is interesting how certain brands have taken over verbs and nouns in our language. Like XEROX and Google. Remember the old Mimeograph machines? That was too hard to say so man invented xerox!
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    Hondo said:

    He / She
    I have heard of this before, believe it or not you might be more correct then you think. The Bible does not give us any aspect of Gods gender just that Man and Women were created in the Image of God. Sometimes words are used as a metaphor of something that we don’t understand as it is hard to understand something with out a common frame of reference.

    Thanks for your post

    Image is everything
    OK, so I stole an old Ad campaign from Canon Camera. Isn't it more factual that Jesus, being from the middle east was more Arabic looking in his features that a white guy with nice long brown hair. We tend to create images that we can relate to. I think if a more historically correct image of Christ was discovered, people would do a double take.

    I can not speak from a deep personal reference point since I have not read the bible, only parts of it but I have found that it is filled with metaphors. I know it's been interpreted as being factual, this is just my opinion on it.

    Good post Hondo, thanks for starting a new thread here.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    PhillieG said:

    Image is everything
    OK, so I stole an old Ad campaign from Canon Camera. Isn't it more factual that Jesus, being from the middle east was more Arabic looking in his features that a white guy with nice long brown hair. We tend to create images that we can relate to. I think if a more historically correct image of Christ was discovered, people would do a double take.

    I can not speak from a deep personal reference point since I have not read the bible, only parts of it but I have found that it is filled with metaphors. I know it's been interpreted as being factual, this is just my opinion on it.

    Good post Hondo, thanks for starting a new thread here.

    Image
    Most people tend to see God in there own image; I see no problems with that as the Bible does not say much about it. Maybe because God is all colors and a small aspect or characteristic of God is found in all the nations on the Earth, thus making each one different but yet one. Goes back to what Joe was saying He/She both one in God

    I believe that Hollywood has done great damage in its Jesus impersonation of some tall good looking guy with long blond or dark brown hair. All someone needs to do is go to the history books and see what Jews looked like a few thousand years ago or just read Isaiah 53:2 there was no beauty that we should desire him; he was just a normal looking everyday guy.


    It does make you think
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    Hondo said:

    Image
    Most people tend to see God in there own image; I see no problems with that as the Bible does not say much about it. Maybe because God is all colors and a small aspect or characteristic of God is found in all the nations on the Earth, thus making each one different but yet one. Goes back to what Joe was saying He/She both one in God

    I believe that Hollywood has done great damage in its Jesus impersonation of some tall good looking guy with long blond or dark brown hair. All someone needs to do is go to the history books and see what Jews looked like a few thousand years ago or just read Isaiah 53:2 there was no beauty that we should desire him; he was just a normal looking everyday guy.


    It does make you think

    Yes, and someone made the
    Yes, and someone made the point that when in the garden Judas had to kiss Jesus in order for the soldiers to know which person he was. He was a normal looking guy. Even the church I grew up in had pictures of Jesus with long brown hair. They didn't believe guys should have long hair so not sure why they favored that picture.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    Marcia527 said:

    Yes, and someone made the
    Yes, and someone made the point that when in the garden Judas had to kiss Jesus in order for the soldiers to know which person he was. He was a normal looking guy. Even the church I grew up in had pictures of Jesus with long brown hair. They didn't believe guys should have long hair so not sure why they favored that picture.

    Marcia
    Good point I missed that one about Judas having to kiss Jesus, there were 12 men standing in the garden and they all looked alike.

    Thanks for you post
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    Hondo said:

    Image
    Most people tend to see God in there own image; I see no problems with that as the Bible does not say much about it. Maybe because God is all colors and a small aspect or characteristic of God is found in all the nations on the Earth, thus making each one different but yet one. Goes back to what Joe was saying He/She both one in God

    I believe that Hollywood has done great damage in its Jesus impersonation of some tall good looking guy with long blond or dark brown hair. All someone needs to do is go to the history books and see what Jews looked like a few thousand years ago or just read Isaiah 53:2 there was no beauty that we should desire him; he was just a normal looking everyday guy.


    It does make you think

    Image
    The image thing with Jesus seemed so strange during the 60's-70's. He would have appeared to be a hippie, someone that many people who were not hippies during that time frowned upon. Very anti-establishment which is also something Jesus was. Certainly during other periods of time long hair was in.
    I'm not sure that most people see God in there own image though Hondo. Like you said, Hollywood has done a great disservice to that image. One thinks more of the Charlton Heston type I think.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    PhillieG said:

    Image
    The image thing with Jesus seemed so strange during the 60's-70's. He would have appeared to be a hippie, someone that many people who were not hippies during that time frowned upon. Very anti-establishment which is also something Jesus was. Certainly during other periods of time long hair was in.
    I'm not sure that most people see God in there own image though Hondo. Like you said, Hollywood has done a great disservice to that image. One thinks more of the Charlton Heston type I think.

    Charlton Heston
    I am sure if Mickey Rooney played the part of Charlton Heston in the Tem Commandment that no one would have liked it as much. Maybe that was the problem the old Jewish rabbi’s had, Jesus did not look like what they believe he should have looked like, so they X-ed him.

    Then the question is if he was the son of God why did he not stop them, the answer to that question is in understanding the prophecies about His mission.
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    Hondo said:

    Charlton Heston
    I am sure if Mickey Rooney played the part of Charlton Heston in the Tem Commandment that no one would have liked it as much. Maybe that was the problem the old Jewish rabbi’s had, Jesus did not look like what they believe he should have looked like, so they X-ed him.

    Then the question is if he was the son of God why did he not stop them, the answer to that question is in understanding the prophecies about His mission.

    LOL
    I don't think he could have pulled it off. I will say I loved Mel Brooks version of Moses with the Ten Commandments from the History of the World Part 1

    Did you see that? He gets called to the mountain and is returning with 3 tablets and starts to say to the crowd "I give to you the 15 (then he drops one tablet) the 10 commandments". Sometimes I wonder if another 5 would not have been such a bad idea ;-)
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    PhillieG said:

    LOL
    I don't think he could have pulled it off. I will say I loved Mel Brooks version of Moses with the Ten Commandments from the History of the World Part 1

    Did you see that? He gets called to the mountain and is returning with 3 tablets and starts to say to the crowd "I give to you the 15 (then he drops one tablet) the 10 commandments". Sometimes I wonder if another 5 would not have been such a bad idea ;-)

    Theres No Easter Bunny ?????
    So does that mean the tooth fairy is out too ????
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    Buzzard said:

    Theres No Easter Bunny ?????
    So does that mean the tooth fairy is out too ????

    Buzz
    I don't believe it either, it's just a nasty rumor!
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    PhillieG said:

    LOL
    I don't think he could have pulled it off. I will say I loved Mel Brooks version of Moses with the Ten Commandments from the History of the World Part 1

    Did you see that? He gets called to the mountain and is returning with 3 tablets and starts to say to the crowd "I give to you the 15 (then he drops one tablet) the 10 commandments". Sometimes I wonder if another 5 would not have been such a bad idea ;-)

    15 Commandments
    I would hope not, Jesus once said in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. I would hope no one tries to add any, we have a hard time just keeping Ten