Was Japan's tragedy divine punishment?
Referring to the recent disaster in Japan, Tokyo’s governor, Shintaro Ishihara, said: "I think it is tembatsu (divine punishment).”
It was an all too familiar echo of the theological remarks following Hurricane Katrina; that these disasters were somehow attributed to God as a divine punishment for human behavior. Though Ishihara later recanted his statement in an apology, his opinion may likely be shared by others, and we face the all too familiar theological problem of God being the cause of suffering.
I find it curious that our culture is quick to argue against creationism on account of the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting theories of evolution. We seem easily convinced that God was not responsible for creation (I am not arguing for creationism, simply using the example).
However, when disaster of ecological and geological bases strikes, we are quick to put science aside and blame the tragedy on God. We even refer to earthquake or hurricane events as, “acts of God.” Why the difference?
Is it harder to attribute to God something positive like creation, and easier to blame God for something disastrous, like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan? And yet the scientific reasoning to answer why this earthquake and subsequent tsunami occurred is far easier to understand than the process of evolution!
I believe the difference is that a tragedy invokes an emotional response whereas creation invokes our mental reasoning. We may think we are asking why in the face of disaster, in fact that actual word may have been on many of our lips in the past two weeks.
But we don’t ask the question of why to invoke our mental reasoning. If so, many folks would be satisfied to Google the cause of earthquakes and refresh their brains from seventh grade science class.
We ask the question of “why” and often wrongly answer it by blaming God, because people are suffering as a result of the disaster, and there isn’t any geological explanation to end that suffering. And so we cry out “why,” not because we long for a logical explanation, but because we long for a response of mercy and justice for those who are suffering.
We cry out “why” to God because of an emotion. It is an emotion based on our innate sense of justice, and that justice has been disrupted and so we feel for those in need. Use that cry of “why” to restore the justice through service and mercy to others, not to point a finger at God for disaster.
Let us remember as we cry out “why” in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that our question is one of emotion, not one that should cast blame. Blame can rest only upon the scientific understanding of why earthquakes take place. Blame tectonic plates if you need to blame someone.
I don’t know about you, but understanding the geology of it doesn’t suffice my cry of pain for those who suffer. And so we bring our cries of “why” to our communities of faith or friends and families, and we answer not with a drawn out theological explanation, but through our acts of service and mercy.
May your cry of “why” lead you not to blame, but to minimize suffering in the face of so much tragedy.
Darcy Crain-Polly is the Associate Minister at the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor. She can be reached by email.
Comments
Only Solitaire
Thu, Mar 31, 2011 : 1:57 a.m.
I attend a college campus with many international students and thought I would pass this along. I have heard quite a few students from China and Korea express the opinion that the earthquake and tsunami is a punishment for the atrocities which Japan committed in the previous century. So, this idea is really not exclusive to Christianity or even America.
REBBAPRAGADA
Sun, Mar 27, 2011 : 5:53 p.m.
I have to agree with Tim and we need to pay attention to those factors that have clearly aggravated the scope of this disaster. We get exposed to sources of natural radiation and it describes the divine providence and is essential for human survival and existence. But, we have to take precautions and prevent injury and damage that can result from prolonged exposure to solar radiation. The nuclear crisis speaks about man-made radiation.
tim
Fri, Mar 25, 2011 : 3:05 p.m.
This is Japan we're talking about-- earthquake capital of the world--- Maybe Gods gift was intelligent minds so we could figure out the places where natural disasters happen. Greed and and foolishness were the biggest problem here ( building nuclear reactors in the worst place on the planet ).
REBBAPRAGADA
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 5:59 p.m.
The totality of things have been divided by describing the Three Fundamental Distinctions; natural and supernatural, material and spiritual, and animate and inanimate. This discussion is futile as we have not come to an understanding about the meaning of the words that we want to use. What is Divine? What is Retribution? What if God had actually uplifted these people and has given them a state of existence where there is no experience of grief, physical loss, pain, and suffering?
Steve Pepple
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 11:47 a.m.
A comment containing masked profanity has been removed.
REBBAPRAGADA
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 4:26 a.m.
Our planet Earth in its long history of existence has witnessed several major, and minor extinction events. The event that has wiped out dinosaurs from the face of Earth is a natural disaster of much greater magnitude. We need to remember the geological past to gain a proper understanding of the present. Man could arrive on this planet as dinosaurs got eliminated. Whether we like it or not, we exist because of a Power/Force/Energy that bestows Grace/Mercy/Compassion that supports continued human existence. Life originated on our planet billions of years ago and it withstood all challenges and the living substance called protoplasm is essentially the same, and it is apparently eternal.
EyeHeartA2
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 2:38 a.m.
Ironic, considering the history of the divine wind: 'The Japanese word Kamikaze is usually translated as "divine wind" (kami is the word for "god", "spirit", or "divinity", and kaze for "wind"). The word kamikaze originated as the name of major typhoons in 1274 and 1281, which dispersed Mongolian invasion fleets." Although, I guess this might be different than a tsunami.
hlmcc3
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 1:51 a.m.
1 Peter 1:3-9 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! in his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvatioon that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. A friend reminded me of these verses when the tragedy in Japan happened. God does not cause suffering, but allows it so that we can be reminded that our faith which is more precious than any gold, can be refined by suffering and fire. The strongest hottest fires create the strongest and most beautiful metals.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 4:07 a.m.
Nice. Now if only there weren't that pesky little problem that, well, 20,000 people died in Japan. That's 20,000 human beings, all with families and friends. And they were murdered apparently to remind you to worship him? Oh, the egomania of those who choose to participate in this superstitious madness.
Will
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 1:16 a.m.
One of the problems with this post is the assumption that if it is natural it is not divine. In other words, the argument seems to go like this: Science shows that there are natural causes therefore there must be no supernatural causes. The problem is that this is not a biblical view of the divine. The Bible shows God working through nature as well as supernaturally. Jesus speaks of God providing for the sparrows. Does science disprove Jesus? No. God feeds the sparrows by providing seed and insects for them to eat. He provides these things....through nature. Providing a natural cause for the earthquake doesn't remove God.
bedrog
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 1:07 a.m.
Although i am not a believer in their doctrines, some Hassidic Jews subscribe to the idea that God and humanity should be a team to work for the betterment of the world, which was created imperfect by an imperfect god. When god screws up his end of the deal ( by things like pogroms, holocausts...and presumably tsunamis...the hassidim are willing to send him to the back of the room for a 'time out'...known as 'herem' or temporary ostracism , (which can be permanent with badly behaved people in the jewish community , like spinoza or presumably our local synagogue stalkers). While i don't believe in any of this , there is a certain theological elegance and justice to it ( much more so than, say the vindictive god theory or the notion that 'god speaks through all"..(.even if they are obvious idiots??)
Will
Thu, Mar 24, 2011 : 1:07 a.m.
//Blame science for everything bad, and praise your god construct for everything good.// As a Christian, I agree with you. It is not intellectually sustainable to say that an almighty God only acts for nice warm fuzzy things but not for trouble. It is interesting that Christians used to be much more comfortable with God being at work in hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. That is why we call these things "acts of God". The Bible actually shows God ordaining both the good and the bad things that come. The problem with saying that the earthquake is divine punishment is not that God had something to do with it (he did) it is to suggest that it is judgment. Bad things are not always punishments. Jesus suffered wrongful arrest, false accusations, and death even though he had no sin. Job also suffered even though he was righteous. In fact, one of the morals of the book of Job is that the action of God was not due to Job's sin but simply to the mysterious wisdom of God.
Will
Sat, Mar 26, 2011 : 9:49 p.m.
Hi JS, Great questions. No. I am not saying we ignore it. But attempting to distance God from it is not an option either (not if you want to maintain a belief in the God of the Bible). I think that a better way to explain it is to look at a couple of Biblical truths in conjunction with looking at evil. First, Israel's god is the god of the weak and the poor. His is the advocate of the helpless. He redeems those who everyone else thinks cannot be redeemed. He even can overcome death. The Bible contains not only the resurrection of Jesus (that was permanent) but several other temporary resurrections of others (such as Lazurus). In other words, even death doesn't mean that God cannot bring justice and mercy. In other words, God can fix whatever injustices we see. We may not understand how, but he can. Second, we need to remember that God's "mysterious wisdom" is a creative freedom of the one who made all of what we see possible. No one reads a book or watches a movie and constantly resents the author. God is the author of life and he deserves to be granted the freedom to order the world as he chooses (I think this is the point of the book of Job). But God has promised a few things about how this "book" will end. It will end with justice and mercy being true and all people recognizing his goodness. No one (either in hell or heaven) will look back and say, "hey, that was unfair."
JS
Sat, Mar 26, 2011 : 7:38 p.m.
How is "mysterious wisdom" intellectually sustainable?
JS
Sat, Mar 26, 2011 : 7:37 p.m.
Ok, so you're saying that we should ignore all that immeasurable pain and suffering and just chalk it up to "mysterious wisdom"? Sorry, but that just won't cut it.
snoopdog
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 11:43 p.m.
"Blame tectonic plates if you need to blame someone." I am not blaming God for what happened in Japan but from what the Bible tells us, God most certainly could have stopped the earthquake and the following carnage and suffering. So yes, WHY does a benevolent God allow this pain and suffering . Think of all the innocent babies that died, babies that do not know what "sin" is. I think I am going through a phase where I just am not very happy with God right now, suppose some would say he is not very happy with us right now ? Good Day
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 10:23 p.m.
Blame science for everything bad, and praise your god construct for everything good. Yep, religion has the emotional depth and maturity of a three-year-old. If you want to accept that your god construct is all-knowing and all-powerful, then you had better start asking why he decided to murder 20,000 innocent Japanese people last week. Because those tectonic plates didn't, apparently, exist and move without his approval.
bedrog
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 8:42 p.m.
One might add that if the 'divine retributionists'...from osama to fred phelps to jerry falwell and glenn beck --are right in their portrayal of a snitty and perpetually p.o.ed god whose worship guarantees you perpetual contact with him ( and them), i'll take hell in a heartbeat, because that'll be where all the nice folks are hanging out. Of course the whole question is nonsensical..or should be in the home of the "harvard of the midwest".... That it seems to warrant "news" space is itself somewhat disturbing.
FabioFulci
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 8:06 p.m.
Hey whaddya know? A Christian-bashing internet thread. How novel!
ResidentAnvil
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 7:59 p.m.
I applaud you, Ms. Crain-Polly, for having the courage and thoughtfulness to bring up the subject. It cannot be easy to write these posts knowing there is a certain segment of the population that will attack you for merely bringing up the subject of God and/or religion.
REBBAPRAGADA
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.
The Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy state that matter, and energy cannot be created, or destroyed. Man has remarkable powers and his buildings at least some of them had survived the earthquake and the tsunami. Nature can unleash a devastating attack on Man and his existence. It demonstrates the fragility of human life and the vulnerability of human existence. But, neither Nature, nor Man have the ability to create matter, and they can not destroy matter. Only the form, and shape has been changed. As mass is indestructible, it gives me a sense of Hope. There is hope of rebirth, regrowth, rejuvenation, regeneration, and renewal. Things in Nature change with Time but the Laws of Conservation tell me that mass and energy do not change in nature. The immutable, immovable, and eternal nature of mass and energy sustain the objects created by the Creator. My emotional response is that of Compassion in the face of suffering.
silverwings
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 7:15 p.m.
The scriptures of major faiths are packed to the gills with the idea of collective punishment for sin. Pastor Crain-Polly, one of the founding sermons of your very own church spoke of sinners in the hands of an angry god. Why not stick with Occam's Razor and choose this as the simplest explanation? People say that God wipes people out because their religions teach them to do so, exceptions such as yourself notwithstanding.
kalibrahma
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 6:11 p.m.
Japanese people don't believe in a "God," per se. this idea is mutually exclusive from what they consider "divine intervention." it would be more about Karma and their localized polytheistic ideas of what would be divine intervention. Ishihara was referring to Karmic retribution.
Top Cat
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 5:47 p.m.
The only divine punishment I consistently experience is the morning aftermath of too much ale the evening before.
sun runner
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 6:26 p.m.
We should get together at the Corner and discuss. :)
treetowncartel
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 6:23 p.m.
Top Cat, just stay up all night, that will put an end to that type of punishment.
sun runner
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 6:13 p.m.
But beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy! I'm so confused...
ShadowManager
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 5:11 p.m.
What an unintentinal reductio ad absurdum this whole premise is! Was this piece written by a Creationist? I find it curious that our culture is quick to argue against creationism on account of the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting theories of evolution. We seem easily convinced that God was not responsible for creation (I am not arguing for creationism, simply using the example). However, when disaster of ecological and geological bases strikes, we are quick to put science aside and blame the tragedy on God. We even refer to earthquake or hurricane events as, "acts of God." Why the difference?" Hello? It's the Creationists and their ilk...i.e. glenn beck, falwell, and Fred Phelps...who usually always are the first ones to blame these things on God punishing people. Most everyone else just sees them as tragedies.
Michael K.
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 4:52 p.m.
I was raised Christian. I remember struggling in philosophy classes with the traditional Christian questions - " If god is good, why is there suffering." After 30 years as a practicing Buddhist I no longer understand the questions. The Christian world view just confuses me.
Garrett
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 5:38 p.m.
Yay, Buddhism!
fjord
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 4:41 p.m.
...and athletes thank God when they score touchdowns but never blame Him when they drop passes in the end zone. So what's your point? Think for yourself! Reject ancient superstitions and live in the real world!
David Briegel
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 4:33 p.m.
I thought vengance only belonged to George Bush. And Fred Phelps. Atheism, freedom from delusion!
Jim
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 4:30 p.m.
I reject your premise. I think most of the people saying or hinting that Japan had been "punished" by God (Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, others) are themselves supporters of creationism. There really isn't any contradiction at all. As for Shintaro Ishihara, if you check his Wiki page, you will see he's said a lot of other odd things as well. Again, no real contradiction there either.
JS
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 3:59 p.m.
I'm glad he recanted, because what he said is very similar to what that ridiculous Fred Phelps and his idiot followers preach. God is "punishing" society for our "wrongs". Sorry, but that's just not gonna cut it. It would be much more reasonable to say that Earth is "reacting" to the way we have been treating it. On another note, for those that believe in the standard, monotheistic Christian God, how come he gets the credit whenever something good happens, yet he skates by unscathed whenever something bad happens? If God truly is what he's said to be, then isn't he responsible for everything? If he's really omniscient (all knowing) then he knows everything we are going to do so free will is an illusion. Either he is totally responsible for everything and should be held accountable, or he's impotent and unable to control or influence anything. Either way, it's something I think about often and I'm not even religious. I would hope that those who do believe would be asking these logic based questions more so than I, but sadly I don't think that is the case. I find it hard to believe that God blessed us with logical and critical thinking skills and then wants us to forgo their use when it comes to Him...
Steve Burling
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 2:55 p.m.
I don't think you'll find many atheists blaming natural disasters on (a non-existant) God...
Darcy Crain-Polly
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 2:53 p.m.
mgn- I agree, and did not mean to paint Ishihara in a negative light. It should be known that he later recanted and apologized for his reference to tembatsu, but unfortunately there are many who share his opinion that have no intention of recanting.
mgnfcntb
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 1:50 p.m.
It's seems to me Shintaro Ishihara was overwhelmed by grief and looking for a way to give meaning, any meaning to the devastation of his country. I can't blame him. One can't think their way out of grief, one has feel the full brunt of their emotions. I can see how that could lead him to an irrational statement. I was horrified when Fox news said the same thing about Haiti. That was malicious. Context is everything.
bedrog
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 11:12 a.m.
People who believe in "divine punishment" on an indiscriminate scale, as in japan , hurricane katrina, 9/11 etc, are the best argument for atheism: i.e. who would want to worship a god that was so vindictive and cruel and stupidly destructive of his/her/their own presumed 'creation'??
Rob
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 : 11:11 a.m.
What society are you living in? I'm knee deep in creationists.