As far as signs from God go, things don’t get any clearer than this!
The other day we told you how the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America is in Minneapolis deliberating on whether to lift the celibacy requirement for gay clergy. Amazingly, God has decided to weigh in on the debate. He did this Old Testament style by displaying his wrath. A tornado hit the Central Lutheran Church, which is directly across the street from where they are deliberating, knocking the cross off the steeple and inverting it. You can’t make this up!
Should we say debate over?
ht to The Orate Fratres
August 21, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Perhaps it was an act of God and perhaps it was not. Either way, surrender to Divine Providence since God's ways are much higher than ours. When we bring His ways to our human level of reasoning, we set ourselves up for questions like….why didn't He send a tornado to every abortion clinic. This type of reasoning leads to the type of questioning like…why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? or Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people? It complicates and confuses when we apply human reasoning to divinity.
August 21, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Katie,
You're a liberal. Don't you know that the Hurricane off the coast in recent weather reports is a sign that God is against healthcare reform? Or maybe we need to wait and see if it hits land to know whether God is in favor or against healthcare reform. Hurricane Katrina was because of the Democrats in congress, not the Republican president at that time. I disagree with you Katie, because I want to assign my own beliefs on acts of nature, it justifies them and makes it difficult for my political opponents to reply.
August 21, 2009 at 11:09 pm
We get the weirdest trolls. It's like, am I supposed to agree, and then you say "Gotcha!" ? I have a hard time believing that's someone's honest opinion.
Anyway, point well taken, Katie, there's definite limits to natural signs, and I would never endorse this as a cornerstone to a faith, nor would I try to convert a non-believer on points like this.
I just think we shouldn't assume God never talks to us in natural ways; He loves us too much to remain silent.
And, really, Christians could do a much better job praying for Homosexuals. It's just that age old problem of tolerance vs. acceptance.
August 22, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Yes. Christians should do a better job praying for homosexuals and ALL other sinners as well, including us sinners. As for tolerance…our Lord didn't tell us to tolerate one another, He commanded us to LOVE one another. In the meantime, let's keep our own weaknesses in check by avoiding the near ocassions of sin ourselves (you know, like heterosexual lust…if that qualifies as a sin), while praying for our fellow humans' weaknesses.
August 22, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Love the sinner. Hate the sin.
August 22, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Wow…that's about as crazy as something that happened at a local parish church.
One Sunday our family attended Mass at the parish church across the street from our home. We normally attend the Extraordinary Form nearly 30 miles away, but just couldn't make it.
The entire homily was a total and complete thrashing of tradition, the Latin Mass, the "snobs" who attend them, etc. We were shocked…sitting there in my mantilla, I felt like every eye was upon us…
The following day a terrible storm struck and a bolt of lightning blew the cross right off the church!
Well…my children, particularly the two older boys felt a bit of "Divine retribution" had just been dealt…
Yeah…I had to concur…
Like you said:
Debate over!
August 23, 2009 at 4:46 pm
That's very fascinating, Kimberly.
And it would make the most sense, too, like "This place does not represent the Cross, please move on."
But it goes to show the errors we have too.
And you got me, Anon. We are called to love all sinners; I was being more Conservative than Catholic.
August 24, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Wow Kimberly! So when Christ compells you to "shake the dust from your feet and move on." He must have been referring to spackle as well:) Hehehe!