Was The Tsunami A Sign From God?

Gold9472

Tired...
Staff member
I've been hearing a lot of "hoo-ha" lately about how Christian Fundamentalists are stating that the Tsunami was a "Sign From God", essentially vindicating their belief that the Muslim religions are "Evil".

Thoughts on those %@$^@#$%^ individuals?
 
Gold9472 said:
I've been hearing a lot of "hoo-ha" lately about how Christian Fundamentalists are stating that the Tsunami was a "Sign From God", essentially vindicating their belief that the Muslim religions are "Evil".

Thoughts on those %@$^@#$%^ individuals?

I find it rather odd to make it about the Christian God being against Muslims, since Thailand is almost entirely a Buddist country ...
 
danceyogamom said:
I find it rather odd to make it about the Christian God being against Muslims, since Thailand is almost entirely a Buddist country ...

image.gif


Countries Hit By Tsunami/Death Tolls/Religious Affiliations

Indonesia
111,171 people died, while more than 127,000 others remain missing. The exact number of victims will probably never be known. The number of homeless is estimated at 800,000.

Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)

Sri Lanka
Toll: At least 31,000 people are known to have died, and thousands more are missing. The number of homeless people is put at between 800,000 and one million.

Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)

India's South East Coast
Toll: More than 8,800 people are confirmed dead in mainland India, 7,968 of them in Tamil Nadu and almost 600 in Pondicherry (see below for data on the Andaman and Nicobar islands). Thousands more are still missing. At least 140,000 Indians, mostly from fishing families, are in relief centres.

Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)*

*I could only find India

India's Andaman And Nicobar Islands
Toll: At least 1,894 of the islands' 400,000 people are confirmed dead and more than 5,500 are missing - 4,500 from Katchall island alone.

Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)*

*I could only find India

Thailand
Toll: More than 5,300 are confirmed dead. More than 1,700 foreigners from a total of 36 countries are among the dead.

Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)

Maldives
Toll: At least 82 people have died and 26 are missing. About 12,500 have been displaced.

Sunni Muslim

Malaysia
Toll: At least 68 people are confirmed dead.

Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia

Burma
Toll: Burma's military junta has put the death toll at 59, but the World Food Programme (WFP) says this may be an underestimate. One WFP employee found 200 households where at least one person was missing. Hundreds of Burmese migrants workers living in Thailand are also thought to have died.

Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%

Bangladesh
Toll: Two people have been reported dead in Bangladesh.

Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

Somalia
Toll: Between 150 and 200 Somalis are thought to have died, with thousands more homeless and many fishermen still unaccounted for. As many as 30,000 people may have been displaced.

Sunni Muslim

Kenya
Toll: One person drowned in Kenya.

Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim 10%, other 2%

note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely

Tanzania
Toll: Ten people were killed in Tanzania.

mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Seychelles
Toll: One person was killed in the Seychelles.

Roman Catholic 86.6%, Anglican 6.8%, other Christian 2.5%, other 4.1%

Sources
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html (I knew that would come in handy)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/4126019.stm
 
Gold9472 said:
image.gif


Countries Hit By Tsunami/Death Tolls/Religious Affiliations

Indonesia
111,171 people died, while more than 127,000 others remain missing. The exact number of victims will probably never be known. The number of homeless is estimated at 800,000.

Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)

Sri Lanka
Toll: At least 31,000 people are known to have died, and thousands more are missing. The number of homeless people is put at between 800,000 and one million.

Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)

India's South East Coast
Toll: More than 8,800 people are confirmed dead in mainland India, 7,968 of them in Tamil Nadu and almost 600 in Pondicherry (see below for data on the Andaman and Nicobar islands). Thousands more are still missing. At least 140,000 Indians, mostly from fishing families, are in relief centres.

Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)*

*I could only find India

India's Andaman And Nicobar Islands
Toll: At least 1,894 of the islands' 400,000 people are confirmed dead and more than 5,500 are missing - 4,500 from Katchall island alone.

Hindu 81.3%, Muslim 12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)*

*I could only find India

Thailand
Toll: More than 5,300 are confirmed dead. More than 1,700 foreigners from a total of 36 countries are among the dead.

Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other 0.6% (1991)

Maldives
Toll: At least 82 people have died and 26 are missing. About 12,500 have been displaced.

Sunni Muslim

Malaysia
Toll: At least 68 people are confirmed dead.

Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia

Burma
Toll: Burma's military junta has put the death toll at 59, but the World Food Programme (WFP) says this may be an underestimate. One WFP employee found 200 households where at least one person was missing. Hundreds of Burmese migrants workers living in Thailand are also thought to have died.

Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%

Bangladesh
Toll: Two people have been reported dead in Bangladesh.

Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, other 1% (1998)

Somalia
Toll: Between 150 and 200 Somalis are thought to have died, with thousands more homeless and many fishermen still unaccounted for. As many as 30,000 people may have been displaced.

Sunni Muslim

Kenya
Toll: One person drowned in Kenya.

Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim 10%, other 2%

note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely

Tanzania
Toll: Ten people were killed in Tanzania.

mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Seychelles
Toll: One person was killed in the Seychelles.

Roman Catholic 86.6%, Anglican 6.8%, other Christian 2.5%, other 4.1%

Sources
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html (I knew that would come in handy)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/4126019.stm

yes, I realize more countries than Thailand were hit ... but my point was not all of the places affected are Muslim ... and with your map - it show that it goes beyond Muslim and Buddist ... some of those are Christian countries as well ...

so if it is a sign from God, maybe he's trying to speak to humanity in general. Telling us to quit all of our petty immature sibling squabbles and get along ...
 
danceyogamom said:
yes, I realize more countries than Thailand were hit ... but my point was not all of the places affected are Muslim ... and with your map - it show that it goes beyond Muslim and Buddist ... some of those are Christian countries as well ...

so if it is a sign from God, maybe he's trying to speak to humanity in general. Telling us to quit all of our petty immature sibling squabbles and get along ...

Ok... now that I've got my edits done, and your quote correct...

Sadly, I haven't really looked at the numbers for the Tsunami... This wasn't to prove to you that only Muslims were hit, etc...

It was more to show me who was affected by the Tsunami...

Because of the thread's purpose, I added the religions, etc... To make it a more interesting "Debate".
 
The thing that I find most interesting about those facts is that India was hit harder than Thailand, yet why is Thailand buried in our brains?
 
Gold9472 said:
Ok... now that I've got my edits done, and your quote correct...

Sadly, I haven't really looked at the numbers for the Tsunami... This wasn't to prove to you that only Muslims were hit, etc...

It was more to show me who was affected by the Tsunami...

Because of the thread's purpose, I added the religions, etc... To make it a more interesting "Debate".

I think the demographics are extremely interesting ... it shows how far reaching this was and how it hit regardless of religion or political beliefs.
 
danceyogamom said:
I think the demographics are extremely interesting ... it shows how far reaching this was and how it hit regardless of religion or political beliefs.

It shows to those religious zealouts out there who think this was a sign from God, that God is angry at a lot of people, that's for sure...
 
Gold9472 said:
It shows to those religious zealouts out there who think this was a sign from God, that God is angry at a lot of people, that's for sure...

unfortunately, I seriously doubt it showed religious zealouts anything. They view God the way they want to, and interpret earthly actions/events in ways that best suits their beliefs and agenda.

so the blanket statement that it was God punishing the Muslims will most likely stick, since that is a very convenient and supportive statement to their beliefs. *sigh*
 
danceyogamom said:
unfortunately, I seriously doubt it showed religious zealouts anything. They view God the way they want to, and interpret earthly actions/events in ways that best suits their beliefs and agenda.

so the blanket statement that it was God punishing the Muslims will most likely stick, since that is a very convenient and supportive statement to their beliefs. *sigh*

Yes, but why do we have "Thailand On The Brain" when India was hit harder?
 
I could imagine certain individuals thinking that those Christians killed did so for cohorting with the Muslims...
 
Gold9472 said:
Yes, but why do we have "Thailand On The Brain" when India was hit harder?

It was a random choice on my part. India would have been just as good of an example since its primarily Hindu ...
 
Gold9472 said:
Don't you mean she?

well ... since I tend to subscribe to the Christian concept of God - no. Their God is quite clearly a man.

I don't think Maab or Isis caused that much distruction in their time. Not even Athena caused that much - and she was the goddess of war ...
 
danceyogamom said:
well ... since I tend to subscribe to the Christian concept of God - no. Their God is quite clearly a man.

I don't think Maab or Isis caused that much distruction in their time. Not even Athena caused that much - and she was the goddess of war ...

I was trying to be politically correct.
 
Gold9472 said:
Did you see WGST's new Avatar? I would have never have known.

yes, I saw it ... I'm glad he figured his life out! Funny, the font on his new avatar looked very suspicially like one you use quite often ... did you help him come to this revelation?

he he he
 
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