In The Past I Have Argued That Thunderbolts Are A Useful Part Of God's Armoury Which Enable Him To...

[sandyRoe]

...show displeasure at the way things are going down here. Am I right in thinking in this case that this is just a weather event, nothing more?
http://news.uk.msn.com/in-pictures/rios-jesus-statue-damaged-by-lightning283747

[aelmpvw]

perhaps his son did something really naughty to annoy him

[jim360]

So, in summary, when it doesn't suit your purposes to be God it's natural, and when it suits your purposes to be God it's God.

[Kathyan]

It isn't god it's mother nature!

[jomifl]

I'm afraid god is showing his displeasure at man's vanity in either making graven images or putting them in silly places.

[jomifl]

I have the impression that he is finding floods far more effective if UKIP are to be believed.

[mibn2cweus]

I suppose it could be declared a miracle that His noodly appendage was spared.

[modeller]

mibn He said he would accept it .
12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” Matt 19:11

[seadogg]

You could argue that since lightning is the result of a difference of electrical potential between the clouds and the earth's surface it is not a phenomenon directed solely from the heavens above. So Jove chucking thunderbolts was a fraud.

[pixie373]

Surely God has more subtlety than a temper tantrum?

[Psybbo]

Oh, I don't know pixie, remember Lot's wife

[jno]

this sort of thing's been happening ever since God got a Satnav.

[Peter Pedant]

I do not think anything has happened that should alter your obviously valid beliefs

[beso]

My understanding is that lightning is the work of the Arc Angels.

[jomifl]

^ very drole Beso.

[joko]

haha sandy - as jim says - twisting it to suit your needs at any given moment

when has a thunderbolt ever been used to show gods displeasure?

the people that are struck by lightening are generally not especially bad people - why not strike people who deserve it?
why not use it to stop someone doing something terrible?
why does god only use them when there is a storm - quite a coincidence isn't it?
why not use them whenever, during sun or snow?
or does nothing 'displeasing' happen in any other weather type?

and as for striking away at trees and lightening rods etc - well fill your boots god - who cares?
how it that 'showing us'?

[sandyRoe]

"Three days after his consecration as bishop on 6 July 1984, York Minster was struck by lightning, resulting in a disastrous fire which some interpreted as a sign of divine wrath at Jenkins's appointment."
This is an example that even the most devout of the goodly unGodly would struggle to explain away.

[emmie]

perhaps he was cocking a snook at God and got his just deserts, lost part of the thumb, hardly razed off the platform

[emmie]

as to York Minster, this is it's history, from a small wooden building onwards, upwards and downwards, amazing that it hasn't been hit by lightning more times, it probably has but not recorded due to no records kept, or those records destroyed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Minster

[joko]

oh come off it!

'difficult to explain away'? really? coincidences don't exist eh?

it was struck because it is a tall building
if there were a god do you really think he'd waste a thunderbolt because because he was in a huff because he wasnt keen on the person humans chose to represent him on earth!?
so all the other things going on in the world and thats the thing he acted on?
bit petty dont you think?

also that is just one incident - what about the rest?