# Will God ever intervene in a large, direct, videotapable way? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 4, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010 "2002-09-04T18:51:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/1 "2002-09-04T18:51:49Z")
Under what circumstances will God start screwing with the natural order in a way scientists can’t explain? He more or less let the Holocaust slide. He’s let innumerable atrocites ocurr. Bloody hell, he won’t even answer e-mail. So, what would it take for God to intervene noticably with human affairs. Or, to put it another way, what event happening unchecked by divine agency would convince you that Elvis Has Left, and probably Never Was In, the Building? ---
**Author:** ![bhb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bhb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bhb)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/2 "2002-09-04T19:05:11Z")
According to some of my Christian friends God doesn’t actively interact with us due to our “wickedness” and he had to withdraw from us because we are not pure… then again I thought accepting Jesus was supposed to make you pure, so why he doesn’t show himself to Christians(physically show himself that is), who knows. My guess is, the generally response from the religious type to this post would be, that God does reveal himself physically but, you can “feel” him. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/3 "2002-09-04T19:16:24Z")
It doesn’t work that way. God doesn’t intervene to PREVENT bad things from happening, He only intervenes to CAUSE bad things to happen, like plagues and floods and stuff.😉 ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/4 "2002-09-04T19:20:08Z")
Well, if the a crack appeared in the sky and a huge hand came out of it, then I might be prepared to reconsider my opinions. Unless of course another explanation was readily apparent, like David Copperfield being in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/5 "2002-09-04T19:35:37Z")
Most of the devout Christians I’ve known have felt that they see the active hand of god in every sunrise, every flower, child’s laugh, ray of sunshine, rainbow, etc. Must get kind of exhausting after a while. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/6 "2002-09-04T20:14:01Z")
While **Ethilrist** meant to be witty, that’s the answer, in a nutshell. “Why should _I_ have to take care of all that crap? You kids made the mess, now clean it up!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/7 "2002-09-04T21:56:08Z")
> [@](#): > > what would it take for God to intervene noticably with human affairs _–shakes magic 8 ball–_ “Cannot tell now. Ask again later.” ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/8 "2002-09-04T22:49:11Z")
I respect the feeling you’re talking about Ethilrist, I just don’t share it. I do think the world is an amazing place. I just think it’s even more amazing that it happened on it’s own. ---
**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/9 "2002-09-04T22:59:51Z")
:::looks up from his pile of paperwork:::: Catholic Mass. Transubstantiation. You can bring a video cam, but it’d be considered rude. :::::looks up again::::: Why’s everyone staring at me like that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/10 "2002-09-04T23:17:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by robertliguori \* > \*\*Bloody hell, he won’t even answer e-mail. > \*\* Care to enlighten me as to his address? He and I have some things we need to work out. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/11 "2002-09-05T00:00:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by interface2x \* > \*\* > Care to enlighten me as to his address? He and I have some things we need to work out. \*\* [http://www.god.org/](http://www.god.org/) * * * On the OP, surely God would act to prevent a disgruntled physicist from using a “charge-inversion ray” to convert a couple of cubic kilometers of Montana range land into its antimatter equivalent. Otherwise, the utter destruction of humanity and the earth itself would put a crimp in His plans. -This is just meant as a starting point for discussion. I’ve no evidence that there are any disgruntled physicists in Montana, much less ones in possession of a diabolical device. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/12 "2002-09-05T01:09:09Z")
[Smirks] So the only thing that God would stop are those that would prevent people from being alive to notice. How delightfully logical. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/13 "2002-09-05T01:10:56Z")
> [@](#): > > ## \*Originally posted by Squink \* \*\* > > On the OP, surely God would act to prevent a disgruntled physicist from using a “charge-inversion ray” to convert a couple of cubic kilometers of Montana range land into its antimatter equivalent. Otherwise, the utter destruction of humanity and the earth itself would put a crimp in His plans. > \*\* Well, how do we know he hasn’t already? After all, we’re still here aren’t we? ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/14 "2002-09-05T01:13:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*While **Ethilrist** meant to be witty, that’s the answer, in a nutshell. > > “Why should _I_ have to take care of all that crap? You kids made the mess, now clean it up!” > > 🙂 \*\* Ahh, God is in the Union, eh? ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/15 "2002-09-05T06:50:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Epimetheus \* > Ahh, God is in the Union, eh? Yeah, and He doesn’t work on Saturdays. ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/16 "2002-09-05T07:32:13Z")
To answer the main subject line of this post directly, the answer is simply no. You might as well ask if James Gardner from the book _The Tommyknockers_ or Bart Mancuso from the book _The Hunt For Red October_ will magically materialize and take care of them pesky starships or commie bastards. _Popular_ works of fiction are, after all, still fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/17 "2002-09-05T10:35:36Z")
What **Ethilrist** and **Polycarp** said. God doesn’t _have_ to screw around with the laws of nature. He made them in the first place, they work just the way He wants them to. Human wickedness, though it undoubtedly grieves Him, is not something He will intervene to prevent; to do so would be to violate the free will that He Himself gave us. (Thinkers of much higher calibre than myself have generally agreed that God is not big on self-contradiction). As for what’s called physical evil - natural disasters and the like - well, these things can be avoided or prevented if we come to a better understanding of God and His Creation. (Including, of course, the natural laws governing that Creation. I think it’s part of my Christian duty to have faith _and_ practice the scientific method.) So, the answer to the question “Why doesn’t God do something about physical evil in the world?” is “He did; He made us.” So, that’s why I’m not expecting any Industrial Light and Magic style special effects extravaganzas from the Almighty in the foreseeable future… and why the lack of them doesn’t worry me. ---
**Author:** ![Karellen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/779978/32.png) [@Karellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karellen)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/18 "2002-09-05T11:16:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by robertliguori \* > **Under what circumstances will God start screwing with the natural order in a way scientists can’t explain** What, the Patriots winning the Superbowl didn’t do it for ya? ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/19 "2002-09-05T11:51:34Z")
Well, Steve Wright, I’m afraid that’s a cop out. So, God created the world, with natural laws, and people to work things out for themselves. Congradulations, you’re a deist. The problem be that if your observation of God is based on observation of the physical universe, you come up a little short. If you can find a holy scripture that backs up the assertion that God doesn’t mess with physical reality given provocation, by all means submit it. Of course, you will then have to prove its veracity. ---
**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010/20 "2002-09-05T12:01:51Z")
I can see it now: Deep voice: “Coming soon on SKY, When God intervenes… 5” Montage of buildings uncollapsing and small furry animals being rescued. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-god-ever-intervene-in-a-large-direct-videotapable-way/127010.md?page=2)