de rerum natura: Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God

There is something inside me that deeply wants to see a pattern in this. I want to believe that we are being punished for global warming or electing W. or some other such nonsense.

Of course, this is what the Bible says...

8 "Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

9 Do you have an arm like God's,
and can your voice thunder like his?

10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.

11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,
look at every proud man and bring him low,

12 look at every proud man and humble him,
crush the wicked where they stand.

13 Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave.

14 Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.
--Job 40

Not that it is terribly satisfying.

Some of you may know I have made a fairly regular correspondence with a young woman who is a teacher in New Orleans. I ask you to pray for her. This is the last I heard from her.

Thanks. I've got the washer filled w/water & unplugged am making tons of ice. All the stores are closed & the National Guard is standing by in the SuperDome. When the storm is over, if the power goes out, I'm a ten-minute walk to the French Quarter full of hotels w/back-up generators.

Oh, boy.

Since this is turning out to be a post full of quotations, let's look at several other found objects...

From: "Janna Swets" <notjannasemail@hotmail.com>
To: mateo_lind@hotmail.com
Subject: your blog twin
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 16:33:24 -0400

Don't you think it is kind of weird that there is someone out there with the same blog name as you and almost the same blog address? (www.lucretius.blogspot.com)?

From: "Matt Lind" <mateo_lind@hotmail.com>
To: notjannasemail@hotmail.com
Subject: your blog twin
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2005 18:33:24 -0400

I suppose so, sort of. But not really, because the book "De Rerum Natura" was written by Lucretius, and the title means, "On the Nature of the Universe." I guess great minds think alike. I suppose this is proof that small minds do as well.

Lastly, we have an overly pompous satire I wrote about a year ago. Enjoy it like you would rewarmed Mac 'n Cheese.

Falwell makes gaffe, again

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA—Popular televangelist and conservative media darling Jerry Falwell stated yesterday that, “God has withdrawn his veil of protection from this country due to the oppression of the poor by the Republican administration.” This comment was in reference to the record four hurricanes which recently hit the state of Florida. Florida was crucial in the election of our current Republican president. Such a series of devastating hurricanes has not been seen since 1886, when the President’s home state of Texas was smote by God’s wrath.

Falwell made his comments on the 700 club, a Christian talk-show hosted by fellow televangelist and media mogul, Pat Robertson. Several prominent Republicans have spoken out with anger about the inappropriateness of Falwell’s remarks. Ralph Reed, formerly of Christian Coalition, and currently one of Bush’s campaign advisors, stated, “Mr. Falwell clearly is not reading the same Bible I have. The Bible is clear about condoning the unregulated free market.”

Rev. Rich Plutocrates of First Suburban Church located in the Mall of America, in Minneapolis, MN was outraged. “The Bible is clear in its teaching. Christians do not have to pay their workers a living wage as long as we give them all the old cans of soup my wife buys but I don’t like and my kids’ smelly old coats.”

Even former President Jimmy Carter expressed concern about the level of discourse. “I would not have dedicated myself to providing housing for the poor these last few years, if Jesus’ ministry did not mainly concern itself with condemning gay marriage and supporting gun rights. I mean, there are just a few isolated passages of scripture discussing social justice. This is not the kind of public discourse which will foster understanding.”

Falwell made his remarks in light of hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, which have devastated Florida and the Gulf Coast, taken over 100 lives, and cost nearly $20 billion dollars in damages. Falwell was even so brazen to suggest that the $20 billion dollars is pocket change compared to the tremendous tax cuts and corporate subsidies the current administration has doled out to well-to-do Americans.

Falwell cited the Bush Administration’s own statistics on poverty, suggesting that more Americans are in poverty now than when Bush took office four years ago. The televangelist expressed concern that the president has taken more vacations than any president in recent memory, while millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet by working two jobs, quoting Mark 1:43-44, “Whoever wants to be the greatest among you must first be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.”

He also mentioned that the federal minimum wage has its lowest buying power in history since its institution. His other concern was that most poor families pay a far greater percentage of their income to the government than the richest one percent of Americans, when one factors in sales and other taxes and fees.
Falwell supported his comments by stating that Jesus spent more time condemning the love of money than any other sin. He also quoted a variety of scripture, including James 5:4, “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you.” He also mentioned Amos 5:18, “You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain,” and Deuteronomy 15:7-8, “Do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.” Falwell even cited Jesus’ own words in the New Testament, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” Lastly, Falwell condemned the unregulated free-market by quoting Exodus 22:25, “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest.”