If Burma and China had happened...

[styley]

a few thousand years ago, do you think it would have been god's doing?

[Postdog]

As a non religious person, this question seems odd. Are you saying God had nothing to do with it now?

[styley]

Well, I'm saying I've not heard his name mentioned in the deaths of an amount of people of biblical proportions and I just find it slightly odd. Like, if the bible was getting written around no would they put those two stories in as it would back up the story against the old non believers.

[brionon]

Absolutely. He was always interfering in them days-Plagues of Frogs and the like.

[bimbo123456]

Newsflash....the bible was written hundreds of years after the major flood in the Middle east. This is also mentioned in Babylonian history. What you have to ask is...will we still remember this in hundreds of years? Somehow I doubt it.

[Lil O'lady]

Lots of evidence exists for huge disasters in the distant past. We just hear more about them nowadays cos of new coverage. If you believe in a universal all-knowing god then this must mean the god was as powerful in the past as at present.

[123everton]

Good reflection bimbo.

[Postdog]

Actually, within a lot less time than that I daresay a lot of big horrible things will happen.....

[jno]

I don't think either the Burmese or the Chinese believe in God, so it probably doesn't make much difference

[123everton]

A bit of a sweeping statement that JNO, in Burma Buddhist temples are the main places people have congregated for shelter (or at least it appears that way) the Burmese are quite devout Buddhists.
China has had (traditionally) state sponsored atheism which has largely translated into secular governance, religious expression was (is) tolerated within reason.
My future wife is Chinese her father was a soldier so she was raised largely by the army, but she is most definitely a Buddhist.
The Burmese know that their goverment has betrayed them (again) and both they and the Chinese know that better quality construction would have dramatically reduced the effects.

[jno]

but Buddhists don't believe in God as such - they follow the way of the Buddha to self-enlightenment, but they don't do it because 'God told me to' - there's no supernatural being involved

[123everton]

The Buddha was a theist his principle God being Brahma, Buddhists view life and death as never ending circle.
What the Buddha was'nt was a monotheist.
Suffering is what Buddhism is supposed to be all about, by that definition they must be well chuffed.

[jno]

you've obviously chosen a patient woman for a wife 123everton - always a wise choice

[123everton]

Touche' with the sarcasm JNO.
The point I'm trying to make is that to say Buddhists don't believe in God as such is not entirely accurate, some do and some don't.
Buddhists are more concerned with the reality of being here now, it's 1 aspect of Buddhism I like.
Trust me when I say I don't take a light hearted view of the earthquake, my future in-laws live in Nanning about (not a million away from the epicentre) they all felt the initial tremors but are thankfully unharmed.
Good retort.

[jno]

I wasn't being sarcastic, 123everton, just cheery; I have the greatest respect for Buddhists. But (please correct me if I'm wrong) I don't think in most cases they would blame an earthquake on a god or gods. Actually, most Christians these days wouldn't either, though I dare say some preachers in the USA deep south might.