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Church blessed by lightning strike, and fire.

This Guy

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This Guy
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Mar 24, 2006
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So lightning appears to have struck the steeple of a Nashville church, and started a fire.

The article headline in the paper read "Members 'blessed' as church survives major fire damage"

There are statements quoted in the article such as "it could have burned everything down", and a few other comments to that effect. It's interesting that the way the fire was reported was someone driving by saw the flames, and called a member, who in turn called 911. Why this first person didn't call 911 is beyond me.

The comments that caught my attention though have to do with the fact that god seems to have blessed this church while striking it with lightning. One such quote- "We could have been here when the lightning hit, but God knew best" this was said by a long time member of the cult..sorry, congregation. A Deacon of the cu..group is quoted in closing the article - "Blessing time,""It's blessing time. We were blessed".

Now, I don't know, but I think if I worshiped a guy that controlled lightning, and he struck my place of worship, I'd think maybe I screwed up somewhere, and got him P.O.'d or something!

These silly Christians. Their God gets all the credit for being good, regardless how bad he screws with them.

Couldn't find a link to the article, but did find a briefer account on one of the local TV station's site - http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/lightning-causes-fire-at-west-nashville-church/127197.htm

Oh yea, both the article and the site indicate that the cul..Church leaders had been inside working on the budget "moments" before the lightning struck. In fact, per the article, it was about 30 minutes before. So, yes, it was minutes, but added up they equal about half an hour. From the paper - "They left about 6:30 p.m., and the skies were clear. But by 7 p.m., rain had drenched the Nashville area. Around that time, someone drove by and saw flames coming from the roof."

When I read the article, it just struck me as so ridiculous. Just thought I'd share ;)
 
"God, thank you for sending Lisa to save us from the moth you sent." - Todd Flanders
 
Read an article by some guy from Berlin who lives right next to a catholic church and convent. He counted a total of 26 lightning rods on those two buildings. He ended the article with something like "A lightning rod, sure, makes sense. But 26 of them?? Is the church so afraid of God?"
 
I’ve told this tale before but it is apropos here.
The little church I got married in got flattened by a tornado.
When it was rebuilt, though I’m a atheist, went to the opening service to show community support.
They rebuilt into a much nicer church and one bunch gets up and goes on how it was the lords blessing another gets up and says the tornado was the evil of Satan.
Wife kicked me to keep me from laughing.
By the way on in that particular tornado 5 churches were blown down.
 
Most people would say that getting struck by lightning is a sign of god's disapproval. At least it is if the someone or something they disapprove of themselves. Otherwise it is seen as a sign of god's approval.

When filming his god movie, Mel Gibson filmed on a hill often struck by lightning under conditions known to produce lightning. When his actor was twice struck by lightning it was interpreted as a sign of approval (afer all, he survived). I suppose putting that slant on it diverts attention from the fact that he endangered his actors by filming under dangerous conditions...

Not long ago lightning struck a statue of Mary on a hill top (South America I think). That there was little damage was interpreted as a "miracle" and sign of god's approval. I'd say lightning stricking a bare hill top and creating a statue of Mary would be a miracle...

A few years back a plane, upon landing, skidded off the end of the runway (Canada this time) and burst into flames. All the passengers and crew survived. It was touted as a "miracle" in the headlines. I was particularly miffed by that. The survival rate for airplane crashes on the ground is over 98%. Thanking god for their survival was in insult to the thousands of people who really responsible: the flight crew and attendants; the people who trained them; those who designed the training and made sure they received it; the regulators, engineers, and technicians who required, designed, built, and maintained the safety systems; and the emergency response teams at the airport.
 
I'm sure smarter folks than me have better words to describe what these folks go through mentally/emotionally, that causes them to slant anything that happens to be a good sign/action on the part of god. My guess is that when you believe some invisible being controls every aspect of your life, and has the best interest of it's worshipers at heart, everything that happens HAS to be for the good.

Last night I was eating at a restaurant I often eat at on the way to work. Most the waitresses know me by name, and I them. One of the waitresses shared her feelings on her sisters death with me. I didn't ask for details, and made little more then sounds during the talk, didn't want to sound rude or otherwise offend an otherwise very nice person (who would have ample opportunity to spit in my food in the future;)). But it seems that her Sister was shot 5 times. Once in the head and 4 in the back, I believe. It seems that her death was god's way of lessening other's fears of dieing, or something like that. Really made no sense to me at all. But again, I didn't want to really get in to it with her, so I didn't ask her to make sense out of it. Again it seems to show that if you believe in the big sky daddy, you have to bend whatever happens around to make it sound good, because he could never do anything to hurt his faithful.

One thing they never seem to point out with these "Thank God" stories is how much nicer it would have been if god had seen fit to keep the plane from crashing, or prevent the lightning from striking, in the first place.

Thanks for your stories :)
 
This Guy said:
...
One thing they never seem to point out with these "Thank God" stories is how much nicer it would have been if god had seen fit to keep the plane from crashing, or prevent the lightning from striking, in the first place
Click to expand...


Lightning has free will. God steps in occassionally to fix the mess before it gets out of hand.

Theologian: Expert in the unknowable
 
This Guy said:
I'm sure smarter folks than me have better words to describe what these folks go through mentally/emotionally, that causes them to slant anything that happens to be a good sign/action on the part of god. My guess is that when you believe some invisible being controls every aspect of your life, and has the best interest of it's worshipers at heart, everything that happens HAS to be for the good.
Click to expand...

They always call to mind Pangloss from Candide and "all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds". Good old Voltaire, how I love him ;)
 
Posted this once before on another thread, but I believe it's appropriate here also.

THE FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF

Pt. 1

1. Something good happened.
2. Thank God.
3. Therefore God exists.

Pt. 2

1. Something bad happened.
2. Thank God it wasn't worse.
3. Therefore God exists.

That's the whole argument when you get down to brass tacks.
 
I want to thank the arsonist who set our beloved church on fire for not making it worse! He is such a good man!

Yeah [rule something]ing right.
 
One of my favorite Rapture Ready quotes:
That same week, I was away on vacation in a terrible thunderstorm. I was hit by lightening that traveled under ground. I became pregnant that night. (yes, I know the day) My Dr said the lightening fixed my hormonal problem. Yes I did praise God and still do everytime I look in my DD's eyes. He does answer prayer.
Click to expand...
:eye-poppi
 
This Guy said:
So lightning appears to have struck the steeple of a Nashville church, and started a fire.

--snip-- five churches taken out with one tornado.
Click to expand...
Could be God's method of urban renewal. It has a certain style to it, don't you think, sorta like the Flood deal?

By the way, don't bowl against God. If He can to that with a tornado, think of how easily He picks up a 7-10 split! :cool:

DR
 
This Guy said:
Oh yea, both the article and the site indicate that the cul..Church leaders had been inside working on the budget "moments" before the lightning struck. In fact, per the article, it was about 30 minutes before. So, yes, it was minutes, but added up they equal about half an hour. From the paper - "They left about 6:30 p.m., and the skies were clear. But by 7 p.m., rain had drenched the Nashville area. Around that time, someone drove by and saw flames coming from the roof."
Click to expand...
God is definitely losing it in his old age. Being half an hour late? That would never have happened in the OT days!
 
Darth Rotor said:
Could be God's method of urban renewal. It has a certain style to it, don't you think, sorta like the Flood deal?

By the way, don't bowl against God. If He can to that with a tornado, think of how easily He picks up a 7-10 split! :cool:

DR
Click to expand...

But shouldn't he get strikes with every ball? ;)
 
Mel Odious said:
Posted this once before on another thread, but I believe it's appropriate here also.

THE FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF

Pt. 1

1. Something good happened.
2. Thank God.
3. Therefore God exists.

Pt. 2

1. Something bad happened.
2. Thank God it wasn't worse.
3. Therefore God exists.

That's the whole argument when you get down to brass tacks.
Click to expand...
Well said Mel - didn't see it previous, but it covers the topic!!!
 
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