Where You Get to Believe in Physics

You've all heard the stories. Big natural disaster, loss of life and property, and the religious turn to their leaders for explanation. And instead we get garbage like this [via the Mad Priest]. Another example is when we heard a sermon (not at my current parish!) just after the big earthquake & tsunami in Indonesia a year or two ago. The priest said he thought the destruction & death was the result of "living in a sinful, broken world."

In the comments to the posting at the Mad Priest's, I found:

There was a wonderful series of interviews with church leaders a few years back after a swath of hurricanes went through Honduras. All were asked "Why these terrible storms." The local evangelical church leader said, "God is punishing the people for their waywardness." The Italian incumbent noted, "God is testing His people." The Episcopal Bishop (Leo Frade, now in Florida) said, "It's hurricane season."

--- the Rev. Br. Tobias S. Haller (BSG)

Doncha love it ?! It's like my t-shirt says, "The Episcopal Church: Where you get to believe in dinosaurs" (and, I'd hasten to add, "where you get to believe in physics, too." ;)