Many of us were told as youngsters that thunder was the sound of the Almighty Deity bowling. The fact that this Intelligent Bowling theory is not taught alongside the heated air theory in meteorology classes is yet another example of how America is fast becoming an “atheism-friendly culture of PC liberalism.”
Sarcasm aside, a favorite pastime of the Christian Right is to ascribe specific weather events to their god, Yahweh. With all of the ridiculous attention that a certain minister associated with a certain Presidential candidate has been getting recently, it seems that the other minister associated with the candidate from the other party, and his weather theology, have somehow been largely forgotten. Those overpaid teleprompter regurgitators seem to have no end of fascination with the effect of black liberation theology on the Presidential campaign, but they don’t seem to care at all about the effect of hurricane theology. Shouldn’t they at least mention that a person whose endorsement was actively sought by the Republican candidate believes that hurricane Katrina was either the result of Yahweh’s anger over the removal of Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip or Yahweh’s anger over a gay pride parade? Although, since that last reason was officially rescinded, I guess they can just continue their efforts to ignore the first one. Heckuva job, guys.
I grew up in Ohio, a state with blustery, snowy, cold winters and humid, hot, storm-riddled summers. I can remember many tornado warnings during many summers when I was young, although I never experienced a tornado myself (thank Zeus!). In all those years, I never once heard anyone suggest that the reason all those trailer parks were always being wiped out was Yahweh’s anger over the rampant atheism or homosexuality or pro-Palestinianism of the people living in them.
And so we have yesterday’s tornadoes in Virginia. Virginia, birthplace of both the late Jerry Falwell and the still living Pat Robertson; as well as home to their respective universities, Liberty and Regent. Virginia, ground zero in the war against homosexual inclusion in Christianity. Virginia, a pro-Jesus state if there ever was one.
So, what was Yahweh’s problem with those people in Virginia whose houses he destroyed? Since we no longer have Falwell around to explain these things to us (the way he explained 9/11), I can only hope that Pat Robertson will step up to the camera and tell us what Yahweh was thinking in sending those tornadoes to the Jesus-loving state of Virginia (or why He regularly sends tornadoes to the red states, which are filled with Jesus lovers). Or maybe John Hagee will step up to the camera and tell us that those tornadoes were the result of the ACLU and/or immigration policy.
Although perhaps Yahweh only uses hurricanes, floods, droughts, pestilence and plagues to punish people. Maybe Satan controls tornadoes, which would explain why they mostly hit pro-Jesus states.
Whatever happens, it is safe to say that one Christian minister will continue to generate a trumped-up media controversy for one Presidential candidate while another Christian minister, and his relationship with the Republican candidate, will go largely ignored by that same media. That “liberal” media.
Maybe Ben Stein can make a movie about that.
One Comment
Wow, I don’t know how I missed this post. Better late than never I guess. I’ve had too many conversations with people about the importance of the Rev. Wright comments. So many people are falling into the political game trap of caring about this.
My first question to anyone is why? Why do you care about what Rev. Wright has to say. Yet there is now outcry against the multitudes of white fundamentalist super church leaders and the political figures they endorse.
It is amazing the way a “faithful” mind is able to dismiss what it wants to. It only matters this time because he is and exciting, young, black man, who is not a career politician playing by the rules. This causes too many reasons for ignorance to find its roots.
The quotes listed in this post are far more disturbing in that they are based in religious fundamentalist distortion, where Rev. Wright’s comments are based in the raw wounds of social injustice that have been left unchecked. I’m adult enough to not agree with them but understand his sentiment(religious part aside).