"Some of them have even mocked Texas for voting for the instruments of its citizens’ deaths."
MAGA mocked California for voting for the instruments of it's citizens deaths.
An 'impersonal God'-well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads-better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap-best of all. But God himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at an infinite speed, the hunter, King, husband-that is quite another matter.
~ C.S. Lewis, Miracles
If there is no God there is no meaning. If you live in a random world where this is "the whole show" you are miserable.
I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself.
It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts
~C.S. Lewis
"Every explanation of every tragedy is about the failures or betrayals of their gods — government and those who control it."
And cards no better than politics if politics can do the trick.
So much of our culture now depends on blame of others. We live in a bigger existence than what humans can comprehend much less control. God is and always will be in control.
“so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45 ESV
ABC reported on Sunday that "we have been unble to establish any link between cuts with NOAA and lack of staffing in predicting the devasting flood". Glad to see ABC is questioning results based on Trump administration decisions after taking the four years of the Biden administaration off from scrutiny. Prayers to all effected.
Another thought on the current tragedy echoing Erick's theme of idolatry and politics, progressives have tipped their hands on this and other disasters to polarize and to push government as the solution in times of crisis. I think as Erick points out, government and even nature in this view becomes akin to a god that we have to pay fealty and make sacrifices to. If not disaster is the result. Because Texas is a Red State and that we have a Republican president making cuts to agencies, the narrative now twists to attribute blame on them. If this was in a Blue State or Kamala Harris was in the White House, the narrative would be how we haven't done enough to cut CO2 emissions. Nevermind that extreme weather events are naturally occurring with or without climate change (I used to live in the Texas Hill Country and can sadly say this is not the first flash flood in the regions history), that the CO2 cuts we do in the US are more than offset by rising emissions in China and India, or that the NWS was over staff with five meteorologists at the time of the flood and issued warnings. We have to have an agenda to press and grandstanding on the victims of this tragedy is the easiest way to do it.
But the internet is not reality. Amidst the tragedy, Texans are putting aside their differences and pitching in to help out their neighbors. As Texans do. There is also a role for evaluating what went wrong and preventing future flash flood events like this that involve reevaluating zoning restrictions for properties along Hill Country rivers or siren alert systems that can go off at night. We as a country need to do a better job of ignoring the online haters and not letting them dictate our thoughts. We need to come together when disaster strikes not take it as an opportunity to own the other side.
Just like the folks in Texas are helping each other, the folks in Appalachia helped each other... everything from helicopters to tractors to pack mules evacuated people and got supplies in.
Victims of hurricanes who lost everything were given $750 and a smug lecture by FEMA bureaucrats. Joe Biden's FEMA was saying that it would take at least NINE MONTHS to get some of those remote mountain roads repaired and functional again.
People rarely worship golden calves anymore, although plenty worship gold and other forms of money. But underrated on the list of common idols are power and authority.
Critical theory is all about the idolatry of power--in the sense of who gets to have it and do whatever with it, not managing power and authority with a sense of accountability.
Well said! Let those who have eyes to see, see; and let those who have ears to hear, hear; these critics have neither eyes to see nor ears to hear, do they don't!
I find it hilarious the group of "Christians" I had jumping all over me about how awful Aligator Alcatraz is and the "disappointment" they felt towards me finding humor in it, then they turn around and blame Trump for the deaths of the little girls in Texas. Can't make this stuff up.
Amen, Erick! People who worship politics can and will walk away from relationships .....it has happened to me. I love the saying, "Do you want to be right or do you want a relationship?" I will choose the relationship every time. Sometimes the other party will walk away and that is okay. I feel sorry for them.
I think we've all had people relationships end over politics. Usually it's the left-winger cutting you off because you don't agree with 100% of what they say.
An excellent writing describing such an awful tragedy. It is such a shame the way ALL the news media operates during a tragedy such as happened at the Camp in Texas, the first thing they do is hit the scene with the intent of finding a babbling mouth Politician who are mostly on the scene for their OWN advancement with their BLAME language at what SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO HAVE AVOIDED THIS TRAGEDY. May the Almighty God of this universe give "Peace and Comfort" to ALL families of the victims and bless ALL the workers on the scene giving what aid is available
"Some of them have even mocked Texas for voting for the instruments of its citizens’ deaths."
MAGA mocked California for voting for the instruments of it's citizens deaths.
An 'impersonal God'-well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads-better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap-best of all. But God himself, alive, pulling at the other end of the cord, perhaps approaching at an infinite speed, the hunter, King, husband-that is quite another matter.
~ C.S. Lewis, Miracles
If there is no God there is no meaning. If you live in a random world where this is "the whole show" you are miserable.
I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself.
~ C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts
~C.S. Lewis
"Every explanation of every tragedy is about the failures or betrayals of their gods — government and those who control it."
And cards no better than politics if politics can do the trick.
So much of our culture now depends on blame of others. We live in a bigger existence than what humans can comprehend much less control. God is and always will be in control.
“so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45 ESV
Until recently many Democrats mocked the phrase, “Thoughts and prayers”. Now they seem to be embracing it, or something similar, again.
I do still wonder what god some of them (Newsom, etc) are praying to?
ABC reported on Sunday that "we have been unble to establish any link between cuts with NOAA and lack of staffing in predicting the devasting flood". Glad to see ABC is questioning results based on Trump administration decisions after taking the four years of the Biden administaration off from scrutiny. Prayers to all effected.
Another thought on the current tragedy echoing Erick's theme of idolatry and politics, progressives have tipped their hands on this and other disasters to polarize and to push government as the solution in times of crisis. I think as Erick points out, government and even nature in this view becomes akin to a god that we have to pay fealty and make sacrifices to. If not disaster is the result. Because Texas is a Red State and that we have a Republican president making cuts to agencies, the narrative now twists to attribute blame on them. If this was in a Blue State or Kamala Harris was in the White House, the narrative would be how we haven't done enough to cut CO2 emissions. Nevermind that extreme weather events are naturally occurring with or without climate change (I used to live in the Texas Hill Country and can sadly say this is not the first flash flood in the regions history), that the CO2 cuts we do in the US are more than offset by rising emissions in China and India, or that the NWS was over staff with five meteorologists at the time of the flood and issued warnings. We have to have an agenda to press and grandstanding on the victims of this tragedy is the easiest way to do it.
But the internet is not reality. Amidst the tragedy, Texans are putting aside their differences and pitching in to help out their neighbors. As Texans do. There is also a role for evaluating what went wrong and preventing future flash flood events like this that involve reevaluating zoning restrictions for properties along Hill Country rivers or siren alert systems that can go off at night. We as a country need to do a better job of ignoring the online haters and not letting them dictate our thoughts. We need to come together when disaster strikes not take it as an opportunity to own the other side.
Just like the folks in Texas are helping each other, the folks in Appalachia helped each other... everything from helicopters to tractors to pack mules evacuated people and got supplies in.
Victims of hurricanes who lost everything were given $750 and a smug lecture by FEMA bureaucrats. Joe Biden's FEMA was saying that it would take at least NINE MONTHS to get some of those remote mountain roads repaired and functional again.
A group of loggers did it in a couple of weeks.
People rarely worship golden calves anymore, although plenty worship gold and other forms of money. But underrated on the list of common idols are power and authority.
Critical theory is all about the idolatry of power--in the sense of who gets to have it and do whatever with it, not managing power and authority with a sense of accountability.
May I quote you? I know of a few forums whose contributors spew pure filth and really need to read this.
Yes
Well said! Let those who have eyes to see, see; and let those who have ears to hear, hear; these critics have neither eyes to see nor ears to hear, do they don't!
Always the nay sayers one must look at motive and there we find the action. Controlling the weather only Warrents extreme laughter.
Amen 🙏
Amen Amen Amen
I find it hilarious the group of "Christians" I had jumping all over me about how awful Aligator Alcatraz is and the "disappointment" they felt towards me finding humor in it, then they turn around and blame Trump for the deaths of the little girls in Texas. Can't make this stuff up.
Well done sir.
Amen, Erick! People who worship politics can and will walk away from relationships .....it has happened to me. I love the saying, "Do you want to be right or do you want a relationship?" I will choose the relationship every time. Sometimes the other party will walk away and that is okay. I feel sorry for them.
I think we've all had people relationships end over politics. Usually it's the left-winger cutting you off because you don't agree with 100% of what they say.
An excellent writing describing such an awful tragedy. It is such a shame the way ALL the news media operates during a tragedy such as happened at the Camp in Texas, the first thing they do is hit the scene with the intent of finding a babbling mouth Politician who are mostly on the scene for their OWN advancement with their BLAME language at what SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO HAVE AVOIDED THIS TRAGEDY. May the Almighty God of this universe give "Peace and Comfort" to ALL families of the victims and bless ALL the workers on the scene giving what aid is available