Following on from Jackthehat's question...

[Whickerman]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Society-and-Cul ture/Religion-and-Spirituality/Question429368. html

Regarding the ridiculous comments by this 'learned' churchman - I'm not exactly a bible basher (not a Christian...!), but even I know that the following passages are in the bible, setting out god's promise never to again flood the earth as a punishment:
"The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma (of the sacrifice)�Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth�I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you�Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth�This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." (Gen. 8:21; 9:1,9,11-15)

[Cetti]

Ah Bishop Whickerman.... well remembered!

You're right of course, the floods are mainly due to the incompetence and greed of man, nothing to do with God - but then He's always been the one to blame when we decide it's not our fault.

Talking of Bishops, it does make you wonder how on earth some ever make it to the top. I'm thinking Durham now - and he wasn't even a Christian.

[Octavius]

To read it in literal sense you state that �never again will ALL life be cut off by the waters of a flood / destroy the earth'. The flood destroyed all species (bar those onboard). Perhaps God initiated this covenant to Noah to reassure him that he would be spared and that in any future destruction there would be remnants of humanity and earth leftover (i.e. not the entire world of people or earth destroyed by flood).

[WaldoMcFroog]

Truly, he is a loving God.

[rubberneck]

Perhaps next time he wishes to punish his creations, He could conceive of an event where some of his creatures don't manage to survive courtesy of a loophole , i.e., fish, water-fowl and the very many other creatures of the seas and waters....:o)

[Octavius]

I dunno, I think with the number of species that are dieing out because of mans ineptitude he just has to sit back and watch really.

[wizard69]

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful
The Lord God drowned them all...