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Religion
See other Religion Articles

Title: Was the Governor of Tokyo Right -- Is God Punishing Japan? Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/03/29/god-punishing-japan/#ixzz1I5lPI1sw
Source: fox
URL Source: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/03/29/god-punishing-japan/
Published: Mar 30, 2011
Author: mark joseph
Post Date: 2011-03-30 10:14:29 by HAPPY2BME-4UM
Keywords: None
Views: 135
Comments: 3

Just a day after the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a prominent public figure had the reason for the tragedy all figured out, declaring it to be a “heavenly punishment” on the people of Japan. But the pronouncement didn’t emanate from Virginia Beach, Colorado Springs, Nashville or any other hotbed of American Christianity but rather from Tokyo, Japan, from the mouth of its controversial and colorful governor, Shintaro Ishihara.

Michael Kinsley once famously defined a gaffe as “when a politician tells the truth,” and despite his subsequent apology, the fact that a nominally Buddhist politician based in a mostly secular but nominally Buddhist/Shinto majority nation is even thinking such thoughts speaks to something of the universal feeling that most human beings seem to have amidst such tragedies-- that God or the gods express their displeasure with us by sending calamities.

While I don’t want to make the same presumption that Ishihara has made and imagine that I can speak conclusively for God by saying that that’s not what He’s up to, smart men and women down through the ages have often reminded us that at the very least God may indeed allow suffering in order to make us better people and to remind us of who controls the universe and who doesn’t.

“Adversity makes men remember God,” declared Roman historian Titus Livius. “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world,” noted British writer C.S. Lewis.

Some Japanese have already found meaning in the tragedy. One young Japanese man, a victim of hikikomori, a phenomenon which has caused millions of young Japanese to withdraw from society, eschew meaningful work and relationships, stay indoors and sink into a deep depression, reportedly found the strength to leave his room and pitch in to help those who were suffering in the wake of the tragedy.

The tragedy in Sendai is also likely to, temporarily anyway, reduce Japan's high suicide rate which has been averaging 100 per day or 30,000 plus per year, for it's often a tragic irony that those intent on taking their own lives often scramble to save themselves when they’re threatened from without.

Whatever ones views on what role God plays or doesn’t play in disasters like the one that has afflicted Japan, what will ultimately prove the most meaningful to the people of Japan are the deeds of those like David Garrison and Jill Davidson, a Red Cross employee from North Carolina and a nurse from Alaska respectively. The two showed their devotion to God by traveling to Japan and living out the Biblical admonition that “pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress.”

And that's something all Americans should be able to agree on.

Mark Joseph is a producer, author and publisher of Bullypulpit.com. He was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan and travels there frequently.


Poster Comment:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Less than 30% of Americans believe God's retribution moves through natural disasters.

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#1. To: HAPPY2BME-4UM (#0)

W-T-F?!

Punishment from god...

Only an asshole would say such things especially in the midst of the crisis.

Like pat robbenson and Haiti..

titorite  posted on  2011-03-30   10:34:42 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: HAPPY2BME-4UM (#0)

Less than 30% of Americans believe God's retribution moves through natural disasters.

I guess that means at least 70% of Americans haven't read the Bible. Major example: Noah and the flood.

While I don’t want to make the same presumption that Ishihara has made and imagine that I can speak conclusively for God by saying that that’s not what He’s up to, smart men and women down through the ages have often reminded us that at the very least God may indeed allow suffering in order to make us better people and to remind us of who controls the universe and who doesn’t.

“Adversity makes men remember God,” declared Roman historian Titus Livius. “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world,” noted British writer C.S. Lewis.

see www.goodnewsaboutgod.com/killergod.htm

Whatever ones views on what role God plays or doesn’t play in disasters like the one that has afflicted Japan, what will ultimately prove the most meaningful to the people of Japan are the deeds of those like David Garrison and Jill Davidson, a Red Cross employee from North Carolina and a nurse from Alaska respectively. The two showed their devotion to God by traveling to Japan and living out the Biblical admonition that “pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress.”

Beautiful reminder.

"...as long as there..remain active enemies of the Christian church, we may hope to become Master of the World...the future Jewish King will never reign in the world before Christianity is overthrown - B'nai B'rith speech http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/luther.htm / http://bible.cc/psalms/83-4.htm

AllTheKings'HorsesWontDoIt  posted on  2011-03-30   11:05:57 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#3. To: AllTheKings'HorsesWontDoIt (#2)

America could take heed....

Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

bible.cc/ezekiel/33-11.htm

kingjbible.com/ezekiel/33.htm

"...as long as there..remain active enemies of the Christian church, we may hope to become Master of the World...the future Jewish King will never reign in the world before Christianity is overthrown - B'nai B'rith speech http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/luther.htm / http://bible.cc/psalms/83-4.htm

AllTheKings'HorsesWontDoIt  posted on  2011-03-30   11:43:36 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


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