Natural disasters as divine retribution

There is a controversial view that describes natural disasters as divine retribution.

Examples

Various Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders claimed that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment on America, New Orleans or the world for any of a variety of alleged sins, including abortion, sexual immorality (including the gay pride event Southern Decadence), the policies of the "American Empire", failure to support Israel, and failure of black people to study the Torah.[1][2][3]

The 2007 UK floods were claimed by Graham Dow to be God's punishment against homosexuals.[4]

Televangelist Pat Robertson stirred up controversy after claiming that the 2010 Haiti earthquake may have been God's belated punishment on Haitians for allegedly having made a "pact with the Devil" to overthrow the French during the Haitian Revolution.[5] Yehuda Levin, a Jewish religious leader, linked the earthquake to gays in the military via an alleged Talmudic teaching that homosexuality causes earthquakes.[6]

Levin posted a video onto YouTube the same day as 2011 Virginia earthquake in which he said, "The Talmud states, "You have shaken your male member in a place where it doesn’t belong. I too, will shake the Earth." He said that homosexuals shouldn't take it personally: "We don’t hate homosexuals. I feel bad for homosexuals. It’s a revolt against God and literally, there’s hell to pay."[6]

Third-wave charismatic preacher Cindy Jacobs, of the Generals International ministry, linked the 2011 earthquake in Japan to the United States' Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy regarding gays in the military, quoting the non-canonical Book of Josiah to support her claim.[6]

Chaplain John McTernan said that Hurricane Isaac (2012), like Hurricane Katrina, was God's punishment on homosexuals.[4] Buster Wilson of the American Family Association concurred that statement.[6]

McTernan also said that Hurricane Sandy may have been God's punishment against homosexuals. In addition, WorldNetDaily columnist William Koenig, along with McTernan himself, suggested that American support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict led to the hurricane.[6]

Criticism

Shmuley Boteach denounces such claims since they carry the implication of victim blaming, [7] writing that "For many of the faithful, the closer they come to G-d, the more they become enemies of man." He contrasts the Jewish tradition, which affords a special place to "arguing with God", with an approach to religion that "taught people not to challenge, but to submit. Not to question, but to obey. Not how to stand erect, but to be stooped and bent in the broken posture of the meek and pious".[7]

A Jesuit priest, James Martin, wrote on Twitter in response to Hurricane Sandy that "If any religious leaders say tomorrow that the hurricane is God's punishment against some group they're idiots. God's ways are not our ways."[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rabbi: Hurricane punishment for pullout".
  2. ↑ NPR: Pastor John Hagee on Christian Zionism. September 18, 2006.
  3. ↑ "Some say natural catastrophe was 'divine judgment'".
  4. 1 2 Dowling, Tim (October 30, 2012). "Superstorm Sandy and many more disasters that have been blamed on the gay community". The Guardian. London.
  5. ↑ "Pat Robertson: Haiti "Cursed" After "Pact to the Devil"". Archived from the original on September 6, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fear the almighty wrath: Five natural disasters "caused" by gays".
  7. 1 2 "The Defiant Man of Faith".
  8. ↑ "Hurricane Sandy God's Punishment? Priest Shuts Down Claims as Twitter Users Mock Pat Robertson".
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