A Terrible Reminder that Nature is Dangerous

[Anduril]

http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sflag171.gif
telegraph.co.uk

A terrible reminder that nature is dangerous
27/12/2004

It is no wonder that earthquakes and floods feature so frequently in the Old Testament. They are, in the correct sense, awesome things. When the Earth itself is disordered, we feel a primal fear. Even the most sophisticated people may find themselves crossing their fingers superstitiously, or murmuring imprecations to some ill-defined power. The flood story - the folk-memory of an ancient inundation that wiped away all but a few survivors - was common across Europe, Asia and pre-Columbian America. Modern fears of global warming and rising sea-levels are, in their way, an echo of that same Noah myth: they play on our belief that everything we have built up may be suddenly effaced by forces stronger than we are.

The extent of yesterday's tidal cataclysm makes it hard to think about the individual losses. Our brains are not designed to compute suffering on such a scale. We can relate to a single death. We can even, with more difficulty, feel grief at an atrocity such as that at Beslan. But, when whole villages are extirpated and thousands slain, our minds seem to skim off the surface. We might cling to the more manageable components - the fate of British tourists, for example - but the swallowing up of whole communities is literally unimaginable.

Again, we are reminded of our smallness before nature - heartless, witless nature.

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In Full

http://news.telegraph.co.uk /opinion....op.html (http://news.telegraph.co.uk /opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2004/12/27/dl2701.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/12/27/ixnewstop.html) *

[rangerrebew]

I don't know if this writer actually gets it or was just waxing philosophical but the bottom line to the column is that man is neither omnipotent nor omniscient, that there is a force in this world that is far greater we. I prefer, as did "our fathers", to call this force God. What we do to this world is insignificant compared to the creation of the Universe by God, what He has done to it, and He will finally do with it. We may have some small significance on it but no larger than our significance in the Universe. The author seems to realize that all of our manmade ideals are simply that, manmade, and lack a devine power to do with our world as we see fit. God will do what he will do regardless of our egocentrism. In fact, if one takes a look at the liberal of today, a pattern of regression to ancient days, when man thought the Universe revolved around our puny earth and its inhabitants, becomes apparent. To them, man and science dictate all that exists but this tragedy should remind all people that God will do with us as He sees fit and our bloated egos will have no effect on His decisions.

[Calamity Jane]

Some catastrophy caused the dinasuars extinction, a catastrophy of nature will certainly cause humans extinction as well....you can't stop it. God is the driving force...

[Charie]

'Helplessness" is truly a wretched condition. There are happenings in nature over which we have no control whatsoever so those of us who believe in God put ourselves in His hands.

Have the lefties started blaming the tsunami on President Bush yet?

[Basheva]

Quote[/b] ]Have the lefties started blaming the tsunami on President Bush yet?

Remember last year when we thought President Bush was at his ranch for Thanksgiving dinner and he was really in Iraq to greet the troops?

Well, I have it on good authority that this year when we thought he was at his ranch for Christmas, he was really out in the ocean moving around the tectonic plates.

He really gets around, you know, and there is no limit to the amount of evil he does.

He is definitely power mad.

[papajaxxx]

Basheva said:
Quote[/b] ]Well, I have it on good authority that this year when we thought he was at his ranch for Christmas, he was really out in the ocean moving around the tectonic plates.

He really gets around, you know, and there is no limit to the amount of evil he does.

He is definitely power mad.


Basheva:

I bet within a few days, some conspiracy nut or liberal will be quoting what you just wrote. He will refer others to your posting.

Nothing is too far reaching for Bush's adversaries.

[Froufrou]

Someone will be arrested in coming days for espionage and they will find plans for a weather machine. The 'plant' will be that the machine already exists and is hidden away in the White Plains area or some other highly secure, middle of the desert, no entry military outpost to keep it a SECRET from the innocent and stupid rank and file citizenry...story at 10:00...

[McMahon]

Quote[/b] ]they will find plans for a weather machine

Froufrou, I guess you haven't seen the "ACME Earthquake pills" in the Tex Avery cartoons http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Froufrou]

McMahon - got me again! Don't lose patience with me, God's not finished with me yet? http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I do love to watch Pinky and the Brain, though...what do you want to bet the the Brain is a Democrat...N-A-R-F!

[Basheva]

Quote[/b] ]I bet within a few days, some conspiracy nut or liberal will be quoting what you just wrote. He will refer others to your posting.


PapaJ - maybe I should copyright the post and make some money off of it.

Or better yet just delete it.

On the other hand, everyone knows, (it's common knowledge really) that Republicans are always moving around tectonic plates.

[Froufrou]

For some reason, I have a picture in mind of a man that we recently saw who was wearing a straw hat. The thing that made it funny was that he appeared to have lost the "top" of the crown...and replaced it with tinfoil...~crackle~ beam me up Scotty...

Totally 'nother topic...who was Great Scott?

[rangerrebew]

Come to think of it, I think the earthquake and tsunami were planned in Crawford, Texas and carried out by Israeli agents and I think American doctors are going there just to "harvest body parts". http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif We'll have to check with Jacqass Chirac to see what his sources tell him since France has been such a big doner and the Asian people owe him a debt of gratitude now. http://www.gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Old Man]

[/QUOTE]Quote[/b] ]who was Great Scott

You got me curious Froufrou so I googled it. *A couple theories, but I like this one.

[QUOTE]There was indeed a famous American general named Scott, who did have the title of commander-in-chief of the US Army at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War, though he is best known as one of the two American heroes of the Mexican War of 1846–48 (if, that is, you’re American and not Mexican). This was General Winfield Scott, known to his troops as Old Fuss and Feathers. It seems plausible that he is the source being pointed to, especially as in his later years he weighed 300 pounds (21 stone or 136kg) was too fat to ride a horse and was certainly a great Scott in a very literal sense.
Great Scott (http://www.worldwidewords.o rg/qa/qa-gre4.htm)