Natural disasters on evil people (For the religious Jews out there)

[Dr. Dan]

The following quote was sent to me in regards to a comment I implied that sometimes natural disasters take place in areas where people have acted in evil ways such as the Tsunamis and Hurrican Katrina.  What are your opinions of this and how should I respond to this person, if at all?

Maimonides (1135-1204) simply said that we may not say that God does so and so because a human does so and so. This has been normative Judaism. There is no tit for tat in our religious belief system. Jews have become too Christianized in their theology.

[Dr. Dan]

Help, I need a response here...I meeting this guy for lunch on wednesday!

[Nolandforshalom]

The torah said an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Who are we to say that G-d doesnt do that as well?

[New Yorker]

The following quote was sent to me in regards to a comment I implied that sometimes natural disasters take place in areas where people have acted in evil ways such as the Tsunamis and Hurrican Katrina.  What are your opinions of this and how should I respond to this person, if at all?

Maimonides (1135-1204) simply said that we may not say that G-d does so and so because a human does so and so. This has been normative Judaism. There is no tit for tat in our religious belief system. Jews have become too Christianized in their theology.

Well I'm not religious, but even I can say look at the biblical events. Sodom and Gomorrah, the entire world with the Noah's flood, the plagues upon Egypt, the great earthquake that made San Francisco with all it's deviants sink into the sea, oh wait, that last one hasn't happened yet. 

[Dr. Dan]

The following quote was sent to me in regards to a comment I implied that sometimes natural disasters take place in areas where people have acted in evil ways such as the Tsunamis and Hurrican Katrina.  What are your opinions of this and how should I respond to this person, if at all?

Maimonides (1135-1204) simply said that we may not say that G-d does so and so because a human does so and so. This has been normative Judaism. There is no tit for tat in our religious belief system. Jews have become too Christianized in their theology.

Well I'm not religious, but even I can say look at the biblical events. Sodom and Gomorrah, the entire world with the Noah's flood, the plagues upon Egypt, the great earthquake that made San Francisco with all it's deviants sink into the sea, oh wait, that last one hasn't happened yet. 

So are you saying that Maimonedes is wrong?

[New Yorker]

The following quote was sent to me in regards to a comment I implied that sometimes natural disasters take place in areas where people have acted in evil ways such as the Tsunamis and Hurrican Katrina.  What are your opinions of this and how should I respond to this person, if at all?

Maimonides (1135-1204) simply said that we may not say that G-d does so and so because a human does so and so. This has been normative Judaism. There is no tit for tat in our religious belief system. Jews have become too Christianized in their theology.

Well I'm not religious, but even I can say look at the biblical events. Sodom and Gomorrah, the entire world with the Noah's flood, the plagues upon Egypt, the great earthquake that made San Francisco with all it's deviants sink into the sea, oh wait, that last one hasn't happened yet. 

So are you saying that Maimonedes is wrong?

Yes, I suppose I am, if you go by the bible stories, G-d doesn't seem to passively sit by and allow wide spread repeated extreme wickedness to go unpunished. But then I'm no religious scholar, just a guy with an opinion, and honstly, when it comes to religion, a really uneducated opinion.

[Dr. Dan]

The following quote was sent to me in regards to a comment I implied that sometimes natural disasters take place in areas where people have acted in evil ways such as the Tsunamis and Hurrican Katrina.  What are your opinions of this and how should I respond to this person, if at all?

Maimonides (1135-1204) simply said that we may not say that G-d does so and so because a human does so and so. This has been normative Judaism. There is no tit for tat in our religious belief system. Jews have become too Christianized in their theology.

Well I'm not religious, but even I can say look at the biblical events. Sodom and Gomorrah, the entire world with the Noah's flood, the plagues upon Egypt, the great earthquake that made San Francisco with all it's deviants sink into the sea, oh wait, that last one hasn't happened yet. 

So are you saying that Maimonedes is wrong?

Yes, I suppose I am, if you go by the bible stories, G-d doesn't seem to passively sit by and allow wide spread repeated extreme wickedness to go unpunished. But then I'm no religious scholar, just a guy with an opinion, and honstly, when it comes to religion, a really uneducated opinion.

good answer except for the fact that you think Maimonedes was wrong..I think he was right..but somehow, both views are right.

[Dr. Dan]

I'm going to guess that nobody here can dispute Maimonedes. It seems that he's right and everyone else who thinks otherwise is wrong.

[Lisa]

Dan, I think some rabbis would agree with you.  Remember that Hurricane Katrina came shortly after the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif. 

Also, I went to a Hineni lecture a few months ago given by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, who said in essence that these bad things are happening, measure for measure when the world goes against Israel.  She also brought up Hurricane Katrina, along with the French riots.  France has given money to the moose-limbs, and they've pressured Israel.  So in return, they've gotten riots.  Their own policemen referred to it as an intifada. 

[Dr. Dan]

Dan, I think some rabbis would agree with you.  Remember that Hurricane Katrina came shortly after the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif. 

Also, I went to a Hineni lecture a few months ago given by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, who said in essence that these bad things are happening, measure for measure when the world goes against Israel.  She also brought up Hurricane Katrina, along with the French riots.  France has given money to the moose-limbs, and they've pressured Israel.  So in return, they've gotten riots.  Their own policemen referred to it as an intifada. 

Ok I will say two things in regards to this:

1. A mortal..a human being has to be careful when attempting to equate Gd's natural disasters and human's evil ways.  Coming to definite conclusions can be an act of arrogance and in actuality go against Gd. Who are we to be able to interpret His actions?!  Is death a punishment? Is suffering a punishment? Maybe it's a blessing. Maybe suffering in one's life for a period time leads to good things..maybe suffering for 2000 years leads to good things...On the other hand, we should prefer life and no suffering over the opposite when given the choice.  But when good things happen to bad people one can easily say, "Oh, we were right this whole time look at us."

2. On the other hand, being evil, being Gdless, makes you forget about the important things in life.  You forget to repair the levees. You forget that they are broken..and then when that big hurricane comes, the righteous, the evil, and the innocent alike get consumed by that flood.  Therefore, for a community to be evil has a direct consequence when a disaster stops by.  However, I will say that a lot of the time, if it is meant to be, the righteous will be spared a lot of the time. However, it is not for any of us to judge anything or draw definite conclusions. We can say, "Perhaps Gd did it for this reason, but who am I to think for Gd?"