# Have any religious leaders explained the Iceland volcano as God's punishment?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 20, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763 "2010-04-20T16:43:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/21 "2010-04-20T19:18:28Z")
> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> Paging Pat Robertson! …oh wait, Icelanders are white and Christian. Nevermind.
They have foresaken Loki; so Loki has foresaken them.
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### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/22 "2010-04-20T23:49:42Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#):
>
> The bolded bit [about women corrupting men’s chastity] is even funnier than the bit about increasing earthquakes! 😃
Classically, in Ancient Greece, it was believed that men had no natural sex drive and women were the ones who drove them to such things, much like how the Victorians believed the exact opposite. Some of the humor in _Lysistrata_ is derived from this.
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### Author:  [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/23 "2010-04-21T03:12:11Z")
Actually, over the weekend I was at a meal with a religious group and the “religious leader” said he thought the volcano was punishment for Great Britain. Then he said that of course it’s very unfortunate that so many innocent people were hurt. Then we spoke about all the down to earth stuff about the disruptions in travel and all that. No further mention of the supernatural, IIRC.
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### Author:  [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/24 "2010-04-21T03:26:42Z")
> [@Plan\_B](#):
>
> Actually, over the weekend I was at a meal with a religious group and the “religious leader” said he thought the volcano was punishment for Great Britain. Then he said that of course it’s very unfortunate that so many innocent people were hurt. Then we spoke about all the down to earth stuff about the disruptions in travel and all that. No further mention of the supernatural, IIRC.
Punishment for Great Britain? Jeez, they’re not _that_ bad.
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### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/25 "2010-04-21T04:21:28Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#):
>
> Why would God be angry? They’re white and have a flat tax.
Well they did elect a Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, a **LESBIAN** , Prime Minister. This must God’s punishment for having the audacity to give a woman power, but a woman doesn’t even like men like God intended. Plus she’s a Social Democrat which is just a fancy smancy way of saying _socialist_! At this point it’s clear the only logical solution is to throw Madame Jóhanna into the volcano to appease God’s wrath.
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### Author:  [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/26 "2010-04-21T04:43:46Z")
Iran and Pat Robertson aside, the only prominent Western person I’ve seen lately
attributing earthquakes and such to punishment meted out by a supernational being
for human violation of some precious tenets of religious belief is . . .
. . . [Danny Glover](http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2594693/danny_glover_haiti_caused_by_failure.html?cat=9).
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### Author:  [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/27 "2010-04-21T05:19:19Z")
> [@Malthus](#):
>
> No, but here’s a theory I’d love to test:
>
> [Women to blame for earthquakes, says Iran cleric | Iran | The Guardian](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/19/women-blame-earthquakes-iran-cleric)
>
> 😃
“When you touch me, baby, the earth moves!”
😉
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### Author:  [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/28 "2010-04-23T16:45:06Z")
> [@Squink](#):
>
> You mean, _besides_ [Rush](http://thinkprogress.org/2010/04/17/limbaugh-volcano/)?
I try very, very hard not to think about the kind of stuff my office partner listens to all day…I can’t believe he takes this crap seriously.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/29 "2010-04-23T17:25:11Z")
> [@chappachula](#):
>
> It’s just seems so easy----
> A major earth-shaking event, and such a photogenic one, too,…just _has_ to be God punishing people for their sins, doesn’t it?.
>
> Because, ya know, it just seems the kind of thing that an angry god would do to those evil …(fill in the blank with your favorite hatred here)
In paganism I’ve heard it as from their goddess, not so much in anger, but learning, as mothers sometimes accidentally hurt her children, though they don’t mean it.
> [@](#):
>
> I seem to recall that Hurricaine Katrina was “caused” by gays, etc…
Never heard that one, voodoo yes, gays no, but anyhoo.
> [@](#):
>
> So what are the religious nutjobs telling us about this one?
Basically I’ve heard it explained that man has allowed these doors to destruction to be open by forsaking God. God does not want these things to happen, and would prevent them if we didn’t turn to other gods. Those lesser gods is who the people want to rule over them, so God lets them rule over us, for that is what we requested, which eventually leads to destruction, as that is what those lesser gods do.
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### Author:  [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/30 "2010-04-24T18:33:06Z")
> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> Never heard that one, voodoo yes, gays no, but anyhoo.
[Now you have.](http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/23/hagee-katrina-mccain/)
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### Author:  [@toodlepip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toodlepip)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/31 "2010-04-24T21:18:52Z")
One of our local ministers (Free Church or Free Presbyterian or one of the other gloomy ones) spouted someting about living above pits of fire and brimstone and such things. Not specifically blaming or denouncing anything, just a general reminder that hellfire is never far away, so don’t push your luck by hanging your washing out on Sundays, etc.
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [April 24, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/32 "2010-04-24T21:23:13Z")
I wonder if anybody has reserved the domain names _OdinHatesFags_ or _God Hates Kynsamurskemmtuns_ yet.
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### Author:  [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)
#### Post date: [April 25, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/33 "2010-04-25T21:10:32Z")
The Lord requiteth him who liveth on plate boundaries with volcanoes, earthquakes, and cheap geothermal power. Sometimes He sends mixed messages. 😃
> [@kanicbird](#):
>
> God does not want these things to happen, and would prevent them if we didn’t turn to other gods. Those lesser gods is who the people want to rule over them, so God lets them rule over us, for that is what we requested, which eventually leads to destruction, as that is what those lesser gods do.
Next quarter’s P&L causes volcanoes? I didn’t even think it was conscious!
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/34 "2010-04-26T12:54:53Z")
I would love to hear the Amish blame someone for this.
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### Author:  [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/35 "2010-04-26T13:03:29Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#):
>
> I would love to hear the Amish blame someone for this.
The Quakers would be more ironic. 😉
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### Author:  [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/36 "2010-04-26T18:44:33Z")
> [@Malthus](#):
>
> The Quakers would be more ironic. 😉
The Unitarians might be more ironic still, but as some of them don’t believe in it it’s difficult to say.
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### Author:  [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-religious-leaders-explained-the-iceland-volcano-as-gods-punishment/536763/37 "2010-04-26T20:20:40Z")
> [@Malthus](#):
>
> The Quakers would be more ironic. 😉
I’d settle for the [Shakers.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers)
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