# What role did God play in the tsunami? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 30, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269 "2004-12-30T17:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/21 "2004-12-30T21:30:36Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > It could have been a fart bubble. I mean, think about it; this is God we’re talking about here. If God got a little tipsy, said “ah, fuck it” and let rip, I should think a giant tsunami would be the least of the possible calamities. So wait. Does that mean there was a translation error and Pharoah’s army died in the farting of the Red Sea? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/22 "2004-12-30T21:34:24Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Atheist. > > I just wanted to note that it’s interesting how many people who DO believe in God seem to think they know when He does and does not interfere with human affairs. I’m left wondering what the source of this knowledge is… Subconscious refusal to accept that such suffering and destruction can come of sheer chance? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/23 "2004-12-30T21:35:50Z")
Christian God’s only association with any natural event is to have instructed us as to how we should act in relief of those affected. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/24 "2004-12-30T21:37:29Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > God’s only association with any natural event is to have instructed us as to how we should act in relief of those affected. Atheist, but I like this answer. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/25 "2004-12-31T00:20:22Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > A news story was just posted on [Yahoo](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&ncid=570&e=2&u=/nm/20041230/sc_nm/quake_religion_dc) about this very same question. Some quotes from religious leaders:. Okay, so man needs to be humbled… why did this god choose places like Sri Lanka and India to get the punishment? Why not the US for the Iraq War? Saudi and Afghanistan for 9/11? Sudan or North Korea for the oppression of its people? Western Europe or Japan for their wealth? ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/26 "2004-12-31T07:42:27Z")
Christian. Did God _cause_ the tidal wave? I don’t know. Did he set up the physical conditions which made it inevitable, in the fullness of time? Seems so. Will he make use of it for his own purposes? Absolutely. Just like every other event which affects humans. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/27 "2004-12-31T07:57:23Z")
Agnostic. If there is an omnipotent God, apart from whose command nothing happens in the Universe, then yes, it caused the earthquake and the resulting tsunami, through whatever direct or indirect means you care to describe. Period. Why? Because for reasons known only to it, it wanted hundreds of thousands of people on the coasts of South Asia to die in a short time frame of drowning, dehydration, malnutrition or disease, or at least it regarded those deaths as a small price to pay as a tradeoff for whatever else it was accomplishing with this move. Period. To think otherwise would be to admit the god can not possibly be considered to be omnipotent, if it is considered to exist at all. ---
**Author:** ![Voodoochile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/898d66/32.png) [@Voodoochile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voodoochile)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/28 "2004-12-31T08:19:19Z")
Well, there is no god. The role that the ~idea~ of a god has played is (apparently, judging by some of the recent threads on here including this one) the same as the role that the idea of god(s) has played since known history. Crops fail? It must have been angry god(s). Couldnt have anything to do with agricultural practices. Fire destroys a city? Must have been a god, it couldnt have anything to do with construction practices. Tsunami kills thousands? Must have an angry god, couldnt have anything to do with coastal areas being more pleasant/easier to live in to humans than jungle. Shit happens. If you really insist upon being superstitous, take comfort in the fact that if its some god(s) punishment, then that god must be more mad at other animals than he is at humans, since far more fish and other wildlife died from all this than humans. ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/29 "2004-12-31T08:24:11Z")
Indeterminate religion. A higher power does not directly interfere with the earth, but only with individual minds. The tsunami was solely a consequence of plate tectonics. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/30 "2004-12-31T08:30:19Z")
How come nobody has asked yet if satan had anything to do with this? He’s all about destroying mankind and all … ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/31 "2004-12-31T08:58:15Z")
I find it amusing that in the OP it states > [@](#): > > Assuming you believe in God (of whichever religion) and yet we get > [@yojimbo](#): > > Atheist. > [@photopat](#): > > Atheist. > [@jjimm](#): > > Atheist. > [@John Mace](#): > > Atheist. > [@Lobsang](#): > > Atheist, > [@Voodoochile](#): > > Well, there is no god. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/32 "2004-12-31T08:59:45Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > How come nobody has asked yet if satan had anything to do with this? > > He’s all about destroying mankind and all … Because God is more powerful than Satan, if it was Satan who did it, you still have the question, why did God let Satan do it? ---
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/33 "2004-12-31T09:28:52Z")
Irritated. What’s the point of this debate if those of different faiths are allowed to respond? Doesn’t it just become a “my system of beliefs is kinder/more rational/more driven by X” than yours? This might’ve been a better idea if 1.) People respected the original post and 2.) **filmore** asked others to not challenge other’s opinions (after moving it to IMHO). Unless the OP plans on challenging other’s beliefs that is. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/34 "2004-12-31T10:11:35Z")
> [@Master Control](#): > > I find it amusing that in the OP it states > > and yet we get Oops. Does this prove that atheists are stupid, arrogant, or just can’t read directions? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/35 "2004-12-31T10:23:01Z")
Hey us godless ones are keeping it on the front page 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/36 "2004-12-31T10:29:33Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Oops. Does this prove that atheists are stupid, arrogant, or just can’t read directions? It only proves that people are not respecting the original post. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/37 "2004-12-31T10:39:03Z")
> [@Necro Romancer](#): > > It only proves that people are not respecting the original post. “Arrogant”, then. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/38 "2004-12-31T10:43:18Z")
It’s funny to watch people who seem otherwise intelligent talk about what a made-up being did or didn’t do. “Oooh, OOOH! I say he crashed a big wave to kill all the sinners!” “Well I say he knew it was going to happen, and pitied the victims but did nothing to stop it!” “Oh yeah? Well I know that it was caused by nature but he thought it was a pretty wave and so he rolled with it.” Do you all know how utterly stupid you sound? And no… I don’t care that many people thoughout time have believed in a God. That is no excuse. It’s all utter humbug and if you have an ounce of sense in you you’ll stop jabbering about your silly, petty delusions. Nature happens. There is no reason to make up legends to explain tragic circumumstance. Surely we are beyond this by now? (Or aren’t we?) ---
**Author:** ![cryptic\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@cryptic\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cryptic_j)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/39 "2004-12-31T10:59:55Z")
Surely the point shouldn’t be - why could God have let this happen - or why did God cause this to happen - - but, what can we all learn and gain from this - as human beings - - lets assume that God caused it because he was ANGRY at mankind - - what it should do (and will do for a few months) is bring nations closer together to help the affected people and areas… - - surely this kind of Natural disaster should put people’s selfish views and beliefs into perspective (when it comes to conflicts for money and power across the world ) Sadly, it won’t. It should have happened after 9/11 - but it didn’t… Therefore - if there was a God - he would know this - and so there would be no point in doing what he did. The point is - regardless of the existence of God - we should all be moved to help these people - because as another post stated - - Natural disasters can happen to anyone anywhere… ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269/40 "2004-12-31T12:10:35Z")
Christian. Technically, speaking why the tsunami happened is none of my business – see Job in the Old Testament for why I believe this. Since I’m also inherently curious and can’t resist and interesting puzzle, especially the one the title of this thread presented when I saw it yesterday, here’s my WAG. God does not interfere in the laws of physics. He made them; He doesn’t break them. Besides, the times He did break the laws of physics to produce major miracles (I’m thinking of the ones in the Bible), they didn’t have that big a long term effect on human behaviour. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and plate tectonics are all covered by the laws of physics. To interfere with that would be to disturb the workings of the world He so carefully created. Many, many years ago, my great uncle was killed in an earthquake in India. His wife, my great aunt, was trapped under a wardrobe for three days. She left India, eventually wound up in South Africa, married a wonderful and colorful fellow and enjoyed her life. She might well have done so if her husband hadn’t been killed – she was that sort of person – but her life would have been very different. We mortals don’t know. As I’ve been typing this, coverage of the tsunami has been on the news, including the story of a woman who could not physically hold on to both of her sons, so she let go of her five year old. She was lucky. He survived. Yesterday, I heard of an older couple only one of whom survived. Now, stories of people looking for word of ones they love is on the web is on the news. I’d weep, but that will accomplish nothing. Instead, I’ll pray and contribute to relief efforts. CJ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-role-did-god-play-in-the-tsunami/282269.md?page=3)