Sophs Journal # 3--due Thursday, Oct. 11
Listen carefully to this video of Mr. Jerry Falwell, a minister and founder of Liberty University; and Pat Robertson, a former minister and televangelist, speaking two days after the 9-11 catastrophe (the text of the video appears below).
Both men had (Falwell is deceased now) strong, conservative, religious opinions: anti-abortion, anti-gay, and anti-feminists. Both men fought for allowing prayer to be said in public schools. The ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union, the group to which the men refer] fought to keep prayer out of public schools, so they were seen as enemies of God by Robertson and Falwell. This is just a brief summary to explain the political and historical context of the two men's words.
Robertson and Falwell are firm believers in God's providence--God as the provider and God as the punisher, too. They are not unlike the early Puritans in this way.
Here is a transcript of the video (with some additional words before the video begins):
Here is a transcript of the video (with some additional words before the video begins):
JERRY FALWELL: And I agree totally with you that the Lord has protected us so wonderfully these 225 years. And since 1812, this is the first time that we've been attacked on our soil and by far the worst results. And I fear, as Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense, said yesterday, that this is only the beginning. And with biological warfare available to these monsters - the Husseins, the BinLadens, the Arafats--what we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be minuscule if, in fact--if, in fact--God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.
PAT ROBERTSON: Jerry, that's my feeling. I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what they can do to the major population.
JERRY FALWELL: The ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this.
PAT ROBERTSON: Well, yes.
JERRY FALWELL: And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way--all of them who have tried to secularize America--I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen."
PAT ROBERTSON: Well, I totally concur, and the problem is we have adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government. And so we're responsible as a free society for what the top people do. And, the top people, of course, is the court system.
Respond to one of the three prompts:
1. Do you agree with or disagree with Falwell and Robertson? Explain your answer in a thoughtful response. You may choose to discuss any or many of the ideas that they expressed in this video.
2. Relate a personal story in which you believed God played an important role in answering a prayer.
3. Discuss an incident that occurred in American history where someone, or some group of people, were persecuted for their religious beliefs OR for not having any religious beliefs. Explain your feelings on this incident.
posted by JTF @ 9:57 AM
51 comments
51 Comments:
I agree with Falwell and Robertson on many of their points and ideas. God has kept us safe and watched over us our whole life. We cannot expect him to be perfect because we have not been perfect. Everyone has their flaws and issues and sins at one point in their life. September 11th 2001 was a sad day in U.S. history but unfortunately it probably won’t be the last. With all the technology available today, weapons are very deadly. Falwell and Robertson are pointing out that things like these will continue to happen if we deny god and rebel against him. God does not like it when we abort human life, especially innocent. All the pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays and lesbians that are trying to make an alternative life style and secularize America have caused multiple problems and arguments in America and all over the world. God’s love is everlasting but there should be set rules that say what you can and can’t do. There is too much freedom of choice in today’s world and it just leads to countless issues and in some cases death. When we obey god and believe that he will guide us through life and keep us safe, then we will live a happy life free of terror, crime, and problems. We should love god as he loves us. We should not destroy human life or go against his will because it may lead to very bad things.
On the whole, I disagree with the points that Falwell and Robertson made in the video concerning 9-11. I don't believe that God would let such an atrocity like 9-11 occur just because humans made a few mistakes. Personally, I believe that abortion should not be allowed any where in the world, but I don't believe that God would punish us for that by letting the great tragedy of 9-11 happen. Even if abortion and homosexuality were illegal, it would not have stopped the people that caused 9-11 from doing what they did. Also, I don't think the blame should be put on the American Civil Liberties Union because, again, they could not, alone, stop the attacks, and that organization was right to fight to keep prayer out of public school. As Americans, we are given the freedom of religion through the First Amendment to the Constitution, which means that the government can't force prayer among public schools. Again, God wouldn't cause such a tragedy just because public schools are refusing to force prayer upon their students. Final judgment will come at the end of time. We are not punished now. Innocent people did not die because God was angry at humanity. Works of evil in the world, such as the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, weren't done by the hand of an angry God. They were done by wicked people.
On October 6, 2006, tragedy struck the Amish community of Nickel Mines in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Charles Carl Roberts IV stormed into a one-room schoolhouse, armed with a loaded gun. He shot ten girls, five of whom died. The other five suffered injuries but survived. He then turned the gun on himself while still inside. It is said that the man was angry at the Amish because of their strong faith in God because he was mad at God. He lost his only daughter twenty minutes after birth, so he absolutely hated God. Because of this hatred, five more sets of parents had to endure the pain that he went through; except they know that the deaths of their children were at the hand of someone else. It breaks my heart that a man would do this to innocent little girls between the ages of six and thirteen. Even though I don’t particularly agree with the Amish community’s way of thinking, that doesn’t mean that I think they deserve what they got. No one should be persecuted for what they believe because who’s to say that what you believe isn’t the truth? What would you think if someone burst into a school and killed someone in your family because of what you believe? Would it make you think differently?
What was amazing was the response of the Amish community. They actually went up to the wife of the gunman and said, “We forgive you.” They said that they should not think evil of the man because he was then in front of God. They lived knowing that they should not place judgment on other people because that is God’s job, not ours. And for that, I am in complete awe of them.
Rest in peace Naomi Rose Ebersol, age 7; Marian Stoltzfus Fisher, age 13; Anna Mae Stoltzfus, age 12; Lena Zook Miller, age 8; and Mary Liz Miller, age 7; the victims of this catastrophic event.
I think that God played an important role in answering a prayer when my mother's friend's daughter was going to have a baby. Right after the baby was born, the doctors knew there was a problem. He was put in neonatal care with a feeding tube. My mother told our family to keep him in our prayers, so we all prayed that he would recover and live a healthy life. After a while on the feeding tube, the doctors told the mother that there was almost no hope for her baby to survive. It seemed that our prayers were not being answered, but we continued to pray. A while later, the mother was told that there was no hope, so she and her family gathered in the room with the baby. Everyone in the room was crying, including the nurses. They took the baby off of the feeding tube and the baby began to look toward his mother. He appeared to be hungry, so the doctors let the mother try to feed him. He was able to be fed, and everyone in the room became hopeful. He was getting better and better every day, and he was doing really well by the age of six months. Over the summer, when we were eating at a restaurant, we noticed that my mom's friend's daughter and her son were sitting at the table next to us eating lunch. The baby was healthy as ever. I really believe that God answered our prayers because we really prayed and hoped that he would be okay. Even with what the doctors thought was a 0% chance of survival, the baby lived and was a true miracle.
I do not agree with the beliefs of Falwell and Robertson. They believe that our God provides for us and punishes us. I do agree that God provides for us and loves us, but I do not believe that he ever punishes us. I think that they are trying to find a reason for why this tragedy happened and the easiest thing for them to do is say that it's God's fault. They also say that certain people in our society are the ones at fault and we are all being punished for their mistakes. I agree that these people might be doing things that are against the views of the Church, but God would never do anything to harm us because of that. Falwell and Robertson also blame the government for this, stating that God is angry because they do not allow prayer in public schools. Among other things I disagree with in that statement, I do not believe in an angry God. It also seems to me that they think they live perfect lives to God and should not have to take any of the blame they are putting on others. I do not believe that there is even a reason as to why this tragedy occurred, and it isn't right to say that anyone deserves something as terrible as this.
I strongly agree with the opinions of Falwell and Robertson; I believe that America is throwing God out of our lives in many ways, and it needs to stop. I find it horrible that public schools no longer allow prayer, and that the government has taken God out of the Pledge of Allegiance; this country was created because people wanted to worship and give praise to God, and now the government is removing God from many things. I also agree with Falwell and Robertson about how horrible abortion is, and I find abortion to be just as equal as murder; doctors are killing innocent, defenseless babies. People may refer to the babies as just fetuses, but those fetuses are alive, and being killed. If the mother doesn’t think she can handle a baby, then she should put the baby up for adoption, rather than having it murdered. Also, women shouldn’t even be getting pregnant until after they are married, and a couple cannot be married unless they both agree that they are open to having children. Speaking of marriage, I believe that gay marriage should not be allowed; marriage is defined in the Bible as “a man… joined to his wife” (Matthew 19: 5). Homosexuality is also defined in the Bible as an abomination to God: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind, because it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22). This passage means that men should not have intercourse with men as they would with women, because it is an abomination to God. Personally, I believe that America is going from “one nation under God” to a nation without God; God is being removed from schools, our pledge, and abominations to God are being accepted as moral.
In this video there were many topics discussed. There were some very good points made by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. I think that they are both right in the area of as a country we have done a lot of things that are against the Bible and what God wants. I don’t, however; think that it is right for them to say that abortions and gay marriage are more wrong than anything else. In God’s eyes He holds everyone accountable for their sins no matter what they are. I also do not think that it is right to say that this terrible event that occurred is a punishment from God, because God does not send bad things, Satan does. Even though I do agree that abortions and gay marriage is wrong, I do not believe that God would punish our country as a whole for something that not everyone was a part of. I do not think that anyone in our country is to blame for 9/11. It was a terrible event that occurred, but there was nothing that we could have done to stop it. I do agree with the Bible and what it says is right and wrong, but not everyone does. So there might be other people out there that think it’s us Catholics fault that 9/11 occurred. Everyone may have their own thoughts and opinions about what happened, but I believe that that horrible event that occurred was not sent from God.
I do not disagree with Falwell and Robertson in saying that God created the attacks on the Twin Towers, but I do disagree with who they are blaming. God very well may have been punishing humans by allowing the 911 terrorist attack to occur, but it was not because of those listed in the video. The strict Catholic mindsets of the two men may lead them to blame lesbians, gays, abortionists, feminists, and pagans, but it is completely false. God loves all people equally, whether they have an alternative life style or make choices that may be questionable. God even loves sinners, like Falwell and Robertson. If they are accusing the lesbians, gays, abortionists, and feminists, and pagans, they are accusing them because they believe that they are going against God and sinning. However, by being judgmental and persecuting these people, according to the two former ministers’ logic, the attacks were also “helped” by Falwell and Robertson. They are also extremely biased as they bash the court simply because the court is in cooperation with their opponent, the American Civil Liberties Union. Basically, these two men are blaming the government because prayers are kept out of public schools. God very well may have been punishing people by the allowing tragedy, but I do not agree on those who were chosen as scapegoats by Falwell and Robertson.
I do not agree with Falwell and Robertson. The ACLU was doing the right thing by not trying to force religion on everyone, especially those of other beliefs. If you want to go to a school that teaches religion, you go to a private school! God would not punish all of humanity for acts of single people, and most acts that Falwell and Robertson pointed out weren’t even justified sins (feminism and homosexuality). God is all loving, not full of wrath. He will always be forgiving and would never murder anyone himself, sin is the consequence of free will, that God has no control of.
One time when God played a part in answering a prayer was when my family and I thought my dog had a brain tumor. He had gone to multiple vets who said he had a tumor. After praying, my dog went back to the vet and they said it wasn’t a tumor, just a minor thing (that I can’t exactly remember). God answered my prayers by making sure my dog was okay.
In history, Jews were mass murdered in Germany just because of their religion. I think that everyone should have the right to choose their own religion and not be punished for it. The Holocaust was a terrible thing and hopefully people have learned from it, allowing people to have religious freedom.
1. I disagree with what these two guys are saying because I think they have the completely wrong idea. People who get an abortion are not responsible for the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Just because someone is gay or a feminist doesn't mean the terrorists came for them.
2. When I was 6 or 7 years old I fell out of a tree and split my chin open. As I was rushed to the emergency room I made a silent prayer to God that everything would be OK and it did.
3. In these modern times people persecute, not largely organized but in small ways, people of the Muslim faith because they associate them with terrorist because they have the same religion. I don't think that is necessary because all Muslims aren't terrorist. They are stereotyping for no reason.
1. I disagree with Falwell and Robertson on their views of the causes of 9-11, as well as their views on all people. Just because someone is gay or a feminist or had an abortion it does not mean they are any lesser than these men. In my opinion, everyone is equal in the eyes of God. These two men exhibit a perfect example of prejudice—judging someone without reason. The feminists, gays, and those who have had an abortion probably face the same everyday problems that Falwell and Robertson do, and they probably have a lot more in common with these men than is expected. I think that having feminists and gays and other similar groups in the world is important because it diversifies the population. Having different people with different religions and values is much more exciting and interesting than having everyone be the same. The world would be so boring if everyone was like Falwell or Robertson. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I believe that these men have no right to blame these groups of people for such a terrible crime.
I completely disagree with the words of Falwell and Robertson. In this video, they are stating that they believe God punished America with the tragedy of 9-11 because of anger towards Americans. They are blaming the feminists, gays, abortionists, and pagans for making God unhappy with His people and causing him to punish them (which is very much a Puritan mindset). This, in my opinion, is not who our God is. First of all, our God is a God of love, peace, and acceptance towards all of humanity. In other words, God has equal love towards all of his people and does not discriminate based on personal opinions or sexuality. He loves all of his creation identically. Secondly, our God is not a God who would physically punish his people with violence. He is not one to inflict pain and suffering on any of his creation because he is unhappy with it. He is too loving and forgiving to choose to kill his beloved humanity. Finally, the horrific incident on 9/11/01 was not God’s choice. It was a horrible choice of the terrorists of Al Qaeda, who are a people of war and destruction. Catholics are called to believe that God is not at all involved in the creation of any evil in this world: not terrorist attacks, not wars, not unhappiness, not sickness. Sin is the result of human conflict only, and God, though he though he is fully aware of it, is not responsible for it.
1. I disagree with them. They say that the gays and lesbians, abortionists, and pagans are to blame for the terrorist attacks that happened in 9/11. But in theology class, the teacher always says that God gave us free will. Well with the free will that everyone has been given, they can choose to do whatever they want. They are saying that because they used their free will in a negative, terrorists attacked innocent people. I think this is wrong, especially since they seem to think that our democracy should be a theocracy.
2. A few years ago my grandfather was really sick. I see him all the time and the thought of him not being in my life is something I never want to have to imagine. He was really sick and in the hospital and I felt helpless. I got to my knees and begged God to let me spend more time with my grandfather and six years later I still get to see him. He had a very speedy recovery which never happened for his condition and I know God had something to do with it.
3. I think the holocaust was a terrible event. People were persecuted for their Jewish faith which is very wrong. People can’t help the way they feel and what they believe and just because someone has a high political or military power, doesn’t give them the right to decide someone’s fate due to their religious beliefs. It is ok for people to disagree on the faith in which they believe, but to put someone to death over it is horrible. I don’t think death over religion should ever happen and it is a truly horrible thing.
1. In my opinion, the view Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson was wrong in some ways when they were talking in the aftermath of 9/11. Their beliefs singled out certain groups and said that they were the cause of the attacks on the country. Falwell and Robertson were really looking around at any group possible to become scapegoats for the whole situation. In this situation, no one is really to blame and if you would have to blame anyone, it should be the country as a whole. Falwell and Robertson are going against the faith that they so devoutly follow when they are casting out these groups of people and discriminating against them. If what happened on 9/11 and the events that followed was a punishment by God, he is punishing all of us for not following his word completely and not going to Church, not just certain groups. The one idea in this video that I do agree on is the fact that God is gradually getting erased from society because different people have different beliefs. I believe that we should be able to include God more and mention him when we are in public. I believe that the way the way Falwell and Robertson made the groups they mentioned scapegoats for the entire country’s sorrow was wrong, but I believe that they do bring up a good point that the country is eliminating God from society.
1. Falwell and Robertson raise good points in this conversation. The world is not what it used to be. With laws such as separation of church and state controversial topics have arisen. Prayer is kept out of Public school, abortion is being legalized, women’s rights have improved, and alternative lifestyles are becoming accepted. None of these things were even heard of just a few years ago. My personal beliefs both agree and disagree with their feelings on these topics and whether or not these things should be accepted. I do not agree with them however in saying that 9-11 was God punishing humanity for these reasons. In my opinion 9-11 was a terrible act of hatred that should not have happened. We are told in the Bible that our God is all loving and all forgiving. In my opinion those innocent lives were not taken out of punishment. These men think the main problem with society is these few social issues; however in my opinion the real horror is that there are people in this world who find it socially acceptable to take the innocent lives of so many. I do agree with Falwell and Robertson in their belief that society is not what it used to be; however to say such a sinful act was committed by God is not even a question to me.
I disagree with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, who argue that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 occurred because of God’s anger with America’s secularism. Although I believe that God is active in our lives and that things happen for a reason, I do not think that every aspect of a person’s life should be seen as either a gift or a punishment from God. I do not believe that the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 were an act of God’s anger. To me, God is loving and caring and would never cause such pain and destruction to show that he is angry. The terrorist attacks were terrible and upsetting, but that does not mean that they happened because of God’s anger. Humans, who have free will from God, organized the terrorist attacks. If I decided to steal from someone that I do not like, does that mean that God was angry with them and that they deserved to be stolen from? I disagree with Falwell and Robertson because I believe that bad things are always going to happen in life. We cannot see everything bad that happens to us as a sign that God is angry with us. God is loving, and no matter what trials we may face, we need to remember that God is there to help us.
In 1649, a religious toleration act was passed in Maryland. This was known as the Maryland Toleration Act. This guaranteed religious toleration to any and all types of Christians. This would include Baptists, Catholics, Puritans, etc. However, this “toleration” act declared death to anyone who denied the divinity of Jesus. This included Jews, atheists, etc. In a sense, this “toleration” act made religious life less tolerable than before. I believe it is wrong to pass a “toleration” act but not be tolerable to all people. A toleration act should guarantee equality and toleration to all types of people such as Christians, atheists, Jews, etc. Calling the Maryland Toleration Act tolerant is very ironic. It sugarcoats the fact that the act promoted persecution to someone with different beliefs than you. The Maryland Toleration Act should have tolerated people of all kinds.
After hearing what was said by Falwell and Robertson I am in complete agreement with them. I truly believe that God will only let things on Earth get to a certain point before he has to intervene, and that is what I believe happened on 9-11. God had to get his children back in line and on the right path. Things just escalated to far off God’s path for America. Especially with all the gays, lesbians, and abortionist who took things to a new level of bad. Even worse than that, people threw God out of public schools completely. God was not just thrown out of public schools, but out of some of these kid’s lives because at home they may not have been exposed to God, but at school they were. It is because of these various things that I believe God did lift the curtain up and let this horrible event happen to America. One thing I do have to add is that I also believe God will only let things go so far. On 9-11, the twin towers were not close to being full of all the people that work there because of various reasons. Also God did not let anything more happen to America after this event, but he did get across the message that we need to straighten up. In conclusion I am not a puritan, but I do believe in God’s providence somewhat. He will bless us when we do his will and when we do not he will get us back on the right path by doing what he feels is necessary to do that. At the end of the day we just have to remember whom our creator is, and that he can give life and also take life.
I found this video clip very interesting. I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with the men’s points-of-view. I agreed with the basic belief that God is present and has control over our lives. I believe that God created us all in his unique image and likeness. I also believe that God has a plan for each of us that we must, overtime, learn to understand. We were given certain talents, features, and abilities unique to each of us. I do agree that God ultimately has control over each of our lives, but God has also given us the gift of free will. This is where I disagree with the men. Yes, I agree that God has used his powered to punish us before like in the story of Noah and the Ark; however, God made a covenant though the rainbow with Noah that he would never do any detrimental acts like that again. I believe that God is a loving and compassionate Father who will forgive us of our sins. I do not believe that God is full of anger and wrath making him want to punish us from our sins. God calls us to repent for our sins and live out the Gospel messages. I also agree with the men that life is a gift and abortion is destroying this gift. I disagree, however, with them blaming those who have undergone abortions, gays and lesbians, and the feminists. If God loves us all as his children, a belief I uphold, why would he punish us regardless of abortion or sexuality? I believe that God is merciful and compassionate. He would never turn away anyone who seeks mercy and lives a pious life. These people are not to blame for the acts of terror committed on that infamous day. I do not believe that God plans our demise; rather, I believe that God plans for our lives in glory with him, whether we choose to live this life is our choice. This choice does not affect others and does not cause terroristic actions, but influences the path of life upon which we embark. Basically, I agree with the men’s belief in an omnipotent God, but not with their ideas of an angry and vengeful God and their hatred towards abortionists, gays and lesbians, and feminists.
I disagree with Falwell and Robertson’s views. God is a just God and will exact his justice. In the Old Testament God’s justice was evident and frequent. Those who did not follow the Law were punished either by the Israelites themselves enforcing the Law or by God’s divine power. Deuteronomy is filled with Laws describing what you should and should not do and the punishments to be sentenced if you commit those crimes. As punishment Achan and family were killed. This is the basis of the Falwell and Robertson’s views. While I do believe that God is a just God and people will receive their punishment I disagree with their views. God doesn’t keep score. God does not judge everyone by the acts of few. While terrible things do happen, and 9-11 was a horrible tragedy I don’t think it was because people have different opinions than what the Bible says. In my opinion these things happen because of humanity’s overall sinful nature. We bring our own pain on ourselves. God will protect us from what we cannot handle if we follow him. The tragedies of this world are consequences of our own sin that we bring on ourselves. They are not the divine hand of God smiting those who do not follow His Law.
*Ring* *Ring* I picked up the house phone. It was from Gene, a woman who helps my grandfather with his everyday living. She told me some news that was not so easy to hear. “Your grandpa is in the hospital. He wasn’t feeling too well so he checked in. They examined him to discover what was wrong. They found that he has a serious infection in his foot that may require surgery to remove it.” The infection Gene spoke of is known as Gangrene, which is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerably large amount of body tissue dies. The man was 91 years old. He was completely healthy and moved around without the assistance of a walker. He was in great shape. This news stunned me. I could only hope and pray that I was dreaming. I soon realized it was not a dream, but it was, in fact, a reality. Over the next few days in school, I tried to cope with the fact that this was really happening and that my grandfather may not make it. It was a struggle, but I prayed everyday in class that he would make it out alive. I realized that it would take a miracle, however, for his foot to make it out alive. Despite this, I still prayed for a miracle that he and his foot would, indeed, make it out alive. One week later, which just so happened to be a few days before my grandfather’s birthday, I received a phone call at home that the infection, which the doctors were certain would require amputation of his right foot, was not as serious as they had originally thought. The condition would not require amputation of his right foot and he would be able to return home from the hospital the next day. My prayers to God were answered. It was an absolute miracle. The previous week the doctors spoke to my mom to try to calmly explain to her that they were 99% certain that my grandfather’s foot was not going to make it, but God’s providence works in many mysterious ways and performs great miracles that will have you scratching your head. I try not to question God’s work. It’s better to not question why good things happen, but rather to just be glad that they happen.
Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson’s conversation after the tragedy of 9/11 shows their true belief in God’s Providence and saving grace. There are some aspects of their opinions that I agree with, including their fight against ACLU to allow prayer in public schools. I believe that children in the public school systems should have the option to pray and express their faith, but it should not be completely decried and frowned upon. Their views on abortion also run parallel to my personal beliefs. Many churches in the United States consider the act of abortion a major sin: killing an unborn child is the same as murdering our neighbor. Isn’t murdering someone a capital crime in our country and punishable by a life sentence to jail? So why is abortion legal? The fact that a baby is unborn does not make it okay to kill him/her.
In contrast, Falwell and Robertson’s firm beliefs of the Puritan ways also cause friction with many Americans. Their anti-gay and anti-feminist beliefs contradict the Bible’s message that all humanity is made in God’s image and likeness and he loves all of creation. A person’s sexuality should not make them a sinner. These radical beliefs also make Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson true followers of the Puritans’ ways. They believe that all events in life come from God’s Providence. Any positive actions or events that occur lead them to believe that they are being rewarded by God because He is pleased with them. However, any negative actions or events that occur cause them to think that they are being punished for undesirable actions in the eyes of God. In this case, Robertson and Falwell believe that God allowed 9/11 to occur because of a number of sins committed by Americans. They blame 9/11 on the ACLU for not allowing prayer in the public schools, the pro-abortionists, and the gays and lesbians. Falwell states, “The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad.” I strongly disagree with Falwell because God does not punish His people with such tragedies because of His anger towards us. It is not “God’s will” that 9/11 occurred. Robertson feels that it is our fault as a free society because we have allowed our government to make the sins of abortion and homosexuality legal, but this also allows religious toleration at the same time. I agree that Americans have sinned in many ways, but do not feel that 9/11 was a punishment from God.
God has played many important roles in my life, especially in answering the things I have asked for such as a healthy body and a healthy family. More specifically though, when my nana was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, I prayed and prayed that she would be okay and that she would make it out of this. Every night I prayed for it and my whole family joined me and she got better… for a while. After about a year of her getting better and the cancer recessing, it came back and eventually took her life. This was a crushing blow to our family as individuals and personally because she was such a huge part of our lives, she would be at every major event in our lives. Every summer we would stay at her house down in Lewes and she would cook every meal trying as hard as she could, tasted delicious every time. The point of this, I guess is that God does not always answers your prayers in the way that you want him to, sometimes he does things that he knows will make you stronger. Even though it can be hard sometimes to accept that what he does is for the best we still must have faith in his choices and stand behind them one hundred percent.
I both agree and disagree with what Falwell and Robertson said. I agree that what happens in the world is a result of God and that he both punishes and provides. But, I don’t believe that any one person or group of people causes this to happen. These men put the blame on what many people may call the outcasts of society. They were looking for a scapegoat. They don’t seem to think that they themselves did anything wrong.
The night before District Championships, I prayed that I would have a good meet. A few weeks earlier, I had a horrible meet at State Championships. My dad was disappointed in me, my coach was disappointed in me, and I was frustrated at myself. I tried to put it behind me, but it wasn’t easy. I prayed all three nights before I swam the next morning. God blessed me with an amazing meet those three days. I dropped in every event and made it back to finals in almost everything. God really answered my prayers.
During the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali was drafted into the United States army and refused to serve because it was against his religion. He was later put in jail and his boxing title was taken away. I do not feel that this was justified. Other people have to respect different religions. Today, Muslim women are allowed to take their driver’s license picture with their headdresses on in some states. Both of these actions are on the extreme side. We must find a way to meet in the middle.
I agree with Falwell and Robertson. I don’t believe to the extremes that they believe, but I do believe there is some truth in the point they are making. I believe, although God loves us endlessly, that there is no way that he is in any way pleased with humanity. As we evolve as a civilization, we grow farther and farther away from God. We live in a generation where people choose to wait hours in line on a Sunday to get the newest technology instead of going to church. We live in an America where it is more important to be politically correct then to stand up for what you believe in. I think God often takes a back seat to political correctness in this day and age. The way God is being taken out of public schools is a perfect example. It seems as if saying God in a public school is like saying bomb in an airport. I don’t know that I would say 9/11 was caused by God to punish us, because human beings have free will to do whatever they want, even if that means flying a plane into a building and killing thousands. However, I would say that I don’t think God did anything to stop it. Why should God try to help a country that, in essence, hates him? That is my question and I am really starting to doubt there is an answer.
1. When I listened to this video for the first time I immediately pressed the replay button because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. These two grown men were actually blaming innocent people for the cause of 9/11. Now I do understand that they are against people being gay but does that really anger God? I grew up being taught that our God is a loving accepting God, who adores all of his children. Just because someone is attracted to the same sex does not mean God would willingly let these terrorists bring such agony to a nation. I can see that pro-abortionists may sadden God, but in no way would he take out his grief on innocent people. Times have changed since the Puritan days, we now know that God is fair and just. It would be absurd to believe he would cause such pure terror in his children’s lives just because of the mistakes of others. So I do not agree with these men, I believe that God would never punish a whole mass of blameless people for how some others live their lives. There are just some truly corrupt people in the world like the terrorists. They were trained to show no mercy and to fight until death. They had the choice to turn away from sin and God would have willingly welcomed them into his Kingdom. God did not manifest before them in any way forcing them to kill people because there are gays and pro-abortionists in the world. In a time of tragedy in our country we should not be playing the blame game on each other rather we should try to help one another feel safe again.
I can honestly say that I have never thought about if God caused 9/11. I have certainly never thought that God caused it to punish us. However, I can say that I definitely disagree with Falwell and Robertson. They obviously forgot that God gave humans with the gift of free will. We can choose whether or not we want to follow in the ways of Christ. The terrorists attacked us of their own free will. They will never be forgiven for what they have done by most. Also God created us individually and uniquely, so we cannot blame people for being different. Although the Catholic Church does not believe in gay marriage, why can’t we let people just love who they love? And I think it is ridiculous how they try to blame it on feminists too. Women need to stand up for themselves in a world where men have the upper hand. I will say that I am pro-life. How can you kill a human, with a full life ahead of it, before it even has a chance to live? But again, God created people with free will. He cannot be surprised when people turn away from him. But he loves us completely and will always forgive us, so I just cannot believe that he would kill so many innocent people, people who had families, friends, and dreams. Maybe the reason Falwell and Robertson believed this is because it is easier to blame a tragedy on someone or something, whether it be God or abortionists or the ACLU. It is easier to be angry than to feel the terrible weight of grief. It does seem that Falwell and Robertson are so blinded by their perception of God and Christian virtues that they ended up being almost complete opposites of who Christ, who accepted everyone, wants us to be.
Personally, I disagree with Fawlwell and Robertson. I think that, just as the puritans did in the late 1600s, they are viewing things as God's providence that simply aren't. Frankly, it's all about point of view and perspective. From Fawlwell and Robertson's perspective, the terrorist attack on 9/11 was orchestrated by God as a way to show that he is still relevant and that the government should not have abandoned him. However, that is not what it was about. That is Fawlwell and Robertson twisting the events of 9/11 to fit their needs. Take it from Al-Queada's perspective. They don't even worship our God, so they would never do something for him. The terrorists attacked because they hate America. Also they did it to let the governments of the world know what they were capable of, and to fear and not mess with them. It is scary to think about how easy it was for them to pull this off, but it was not a wake-up call from God.
1. I disagree with Falwell and Robertson because they are blaming gays, abortionists, feminists, and others that have chosen to live a different lifestyle. In my opinion there is no specific lifestyle that a person should have to live. I am a Catholic Christian and I am okay with gay marriages, but things like abortion is something that I can disagree with. I believe in God, but I also believe that we change along with the times. It has been thousands of years since Jesus walked the Earth. Life itself has changed and who’s to say that God didn’t change his mind about the way the world is supposed to be. To blame those who live different is wrong. We as human beings make mistakes, but until we can completely judge ourselves as a person and become perfect, we have no right to judge others whether it’s by appearance, race, religion, sex, or anything else for that matter.
2. When my grandmother was very sick, I believe that God answered some of our family’s prayers. What I mean by some is that some days were better than others for my Nana. With my grandma’s sickness, she was paralyzed and couldn’t do anything on her own. We had to feed her soft, mushy foods because Nanny couldn’t chew. My job was to wipe her glasses when they got dirty and wipe her chin and mouth when she drooled. She also couldn’t speak. I was very young when she was suffering, so even the littlest jobs to others were very important to my grandma and me. My family would pray to God every night that a miracle would happen and Nanny would wake up the next morning talking and automatically out of pain and suffering. Some days even the smallest of miracles would happen. Nana would open her arms to us as we gave her hugs. When we came to visit and we walked in the door, she would have the biggest smile on her face as if seeing her children and grandchildren made her the happiest woman in the world. With these small acts of God we thought she would keep improving each day, move a little bit more, make a few more sounds as if trying to formulate words.
When the bad days came and Nanny was in more and more pain, the family prayed even more, dedicating masses in her honor, hoping that God would hear our call for help. We hoped that when he finally received our pleas, he would work his magic and make everything better, end my grandmother’s suffering, my pop’s and mother’s worrying. As our hope was running out and my grandmother became sicker, we would turn to prayer, asking teachers at school and friends to keep our grandmother in their special intentions. When the time came and my grandmother passed away, we were all devastated. Even though we had prayed and prayed, I wondered if the power of prayer wasn’t strong enough to keep her here with us. Often times I would blame God for what happened to my grandma, mad that God hadn’t acted fast enough in trying to save her or that he did not use all of his powers to make her pain go away. But when I really do think about our prayers and how God acted, he did save my grandmother. He saved her in a way that she wasn’t suffering anymore. Unfortunately God’s way of healing was taking Nanny away from her family. But now she is in a better place where she can look down on all her children and grandchildren and be proud of us from afar. So although we may not like the outcome of God’s response to our prayer, he does answer it and all that matters is that who we are praying for receives God’s healing responses.
1. I totally and completely agree with Falwell and Robertson. Under the topic of abortion, I cannot comprehend how someone could kill their own child who is breathing inside them. I don’t care what anybody says, that’s committing murder. How someone could be prochoice and against murder is just appalling to me as is being prochoice and saying you’re a Christian. I don’t understand how you can say you believe in what God says but go completely against it when he clearly states, “Thou shall not murder.” Things like this just makes our world closer and closer to getting God out of it because if you’re denying one law from God, you’re opening up the door to allow people to deny others. If you think one wrong thing is okay, it makes you more open to other secular ideas such as these. I believe this is the same thing with the gays and lesbians. Even if they are not Christian, they’re destroying the thing that our country was built on. Our founding fathers meant for this country to be a God-fearing country, following the laws given to us thousands and thousands of years ago. I think everyone in this country is scared to offend anyone of different race, sexuality, or gender so they tend to accept things that are not right in the eyes of God or even accept things that are not right in their own eyes. I’m not saying that gays should be terrorized or made fun of, because God wouldn’t want that either. In my opinion, legalizing gay marriage in a country with the foundation of God is outrageous to me and I can’t come to rationalize how this would be seen as okay in any way.
2. When my little brother was born, I believe God had an important role in answering a prayer. My mom was told that he was to have mental issues, club feet, Down syndrome, and all these other difficulties. I prayed that he and my mom would be okay, and that everything would work out in the end. When my brother was born, he had a slight version of club feet, but barely noticeably. He did not have any issues with Down syndrome or mental disabilities. It was all God’s doing.
3. I think people are still persecuted for their religious beliefs. I think Jews and Muslims are still persecuted. Muslims I think are persecuted more directly. Using the word “Jew” is now an offensive term. Some people call cheap people Jewish when they’re not literally Jewish, but that’s just the stereotypical Jewish person. Some people call other people Jews with the intention of offending them. On the other hand, people of the Muslim religion have done many things to hurt our country. Most terrorists are Muslims so therefore people come to hate and persecute people of the Islamic faith. Most of the people or nations who are trying to destroy our country are Islamic, yes, but not all Islamic people are trying to terrorize or destroy our country. Many are American citizens and go about their days just like Christian people, just have a different God. They tend to all be labeled as terrorists when most of them aren’t. Not all of them are the same. I do feel bad for them but at the same time, when I see a Muslim person I tend to think the worst just because of the history of people of that faith and this country. This is a totally unfair assessment of the religion because a Christian person could do something like this and make news all around the country, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to go do something like that next solely because I am of the same faith.
1. I totally and completely agree with Falwell and Robertson. Under the topic of abortion, I cannot comprehend how someone could kill their own child who is breathing inside them. I don’t care what anybody says, that’s committing murder. How someone could be prochoice and against murder is just appalling to me as is being prochoice and saying you’re a Christian. I don’t understand how you can say you believe in what God says but go completely against it when he clearly states, “Thou shall not murder.” Things like this just makes our world closer and closer to getting God out of it because if you’re denying one law from God, you’re opening up the door to allow people to deny others. If you think one wrong thing is okay, it makes you more open to other secular ideas such as these. I believe this is the same thing with the gays and lesbians. Even if they are not Christian, they’re destroying the thing that our country was built on. Our founding fathers meant for this country to be a God-fearing country, following the laws given to us thousands and thousands of years ago. I think everyone in this country is scared to offend anyone of different race, sexuality, or gender so they tend to accept things that are not right in the eyes of God or even accept things that are not right in their own eyes. I’m not saying that gays should be terrorized or made fun of, because God wouldn’t want that either. In my opinion, legalizing gay marriage in a country with the foundation of God is outrageous to me and I can’t come to rationalize how this would be seen as okay in any way.
2. When my little brother was born, I believe God had an important role in answering a prayer. My mom was told that he was to have mental issues, club feet, Down syndrome, and all these other difficulties. I prayed that he and my mom would be okay, and that everything would work out in the end. When my brother was born, he had a slight version of club feet, but barely noticeably. He did not have any issues with Down syndrome or mental disabilities. It was all God’s doing.
3. I think people are still persecuted for their religious beliefs. I think Jews and Muslims are still persecuted. Muslims I think are persecuted more directly. Using the word “Jew” is now an offensive term. Some people call cheap people Jewish when they’re not literally Jewish, but that’s just the stereotypical Jewish person. Some people call other people Jews with the intention of offending them. On the other hand, people of the Muslim religion have done many things to hurt our country. Most terrorists are Muslims so therefore people come to hate and persecute people of the Islamic faith. Most of the people or nations who are trying to destroy our country are Islamic, yes, but not all Islamic people are trying to terrorize or destroy our country. Many are American citizens and go about their days just like Christian people, just have a different God. They tend to all be labeled as terrorists when most of them aren’t. Not all of them are the same. I do feel bad for them but at the same time, when I see a Muslim person I tend to think the worst just because of the history of people of that faith and this country. This is a totally unfair assessment of the religion because a Christian person could do something like this and make news all around the country, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to go do something like that next solely because I am of the same faith.
1. I totally and completely agree with Falwell and Robertson. Under the topic of abortion, I cannot comprehend how someone could kill their own child who is breathing inside them. I don’t care what anybody says, that’s committing murder. How someone could be prochoice and against murder is just appalling to me as is being prochoice and saying you’re a Christian. I don’t understand how you can say you believe in what God says but go completely against it when he clearly states, “Thou shall not murder.” Things like this just makes our world closer and closer to getting God out of it because if you’re denying one law from God, you’re opening up the door to allow people to deny others. If you think one wrong thing is okay, it makes you more open to other secular ideas such as these. I believe this is the same thing with the gays and lesbians. Even if they are not Christian, they’re destroying the thing that our country was built on. Our founding fathers meant for this country to be a God-fearing country, following the laws given to us thousands and thousands of years ago. I think everyone in this country is scared to offend anyone of different race, sexuality, or gender so they tend to accept things that are not right in the eyes of God or even accept things that are not right in their own eyes. I’m not saying that gays should be terrorized or made fun of, because God wouldn’t want that either. In my opinion, legalizing gay marriage in a country with the foundation of God is outrageous to me and I can’t come to rationalize how this would be seen as okay in any way.
2. When my little brother was born, I believe God had an important role in answering a prayer. My mom was told that he was to have mental issues, club feet, Down syndrome, and all these other difficulties. I prayed that he and my mom would be okay, and that everything would work out in the end. When my brother was born, he had a slight version of club feet, but barely noticeably. He did not have any issues with Down syndrome or mental disabilities. It was all God’s doing.
3. I think people are still persecuted for their religious beliefs. I think Jews and Muslims are still persecuted. Muslims I think are persecuted more directly. Using the word “Jew” is now an offensive term. Some people call cheap people Jewish when they’re not literally Jewish, but that’s just the stereotypical Jewish person. Some people call other people Jews with the intention of offending them. On the other hand, people of the Muslim religion have done many things to hurt our country. Most terrorists are Muslims so therefore people come to hate and persecute people of the Islamic faith. Most of the people or nations who are trying to destroy our country are Islamic, yes, but not all Islamic people are trying to terrorize or destroy our country. Many are American citizens and go about their days just like Christian people, just have a different God. They tend to all be labeled as terrorists when most of them aren’t. Not all of them are the same. I do feel bad for them but at the same time, when I see a Muslim person I tend to think the worst just because of the history of people of that faith and this country. This is a totally unfair assessment of the religion because a Christian person could do something like this and make news all around the country, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to go do something like that next solely because I am of the same faith.
I believe the world should be able to choose to follow whatever path they want. Those people should not be discriminated against for doing what feels natural for them. It’s not fair to all those trying to express themselves. Telling a guy who is gay that they can’t be gay is like telling someone in the NFL that they can’t play football. It’s just not right. Our Constitution doesn’t say anything about how that’s illegal, so why should it be treated as so. If it did become illegal then it would go against what our founding fathers created and setup up our nation as. If you don’t support it, then you don’t need to be rude about it. If you do, then good for you. Go on living your own life. Don’t discriminate against other people and hurting their self-esteem. They don’t deserve that and you wouldn’t want it done to you.
1. I disagree with Falwell and Robertson. I do not believe in their strong, conservative opinions about God’s providence. Their views seem to be very black and white, when there is a lot of gray in the world. I believe that God did not punish us on 9-11 for what goes on in the world. They talk about God protecting us wonderfully over the last 225 years and now we’ve been attacked. They say that we have been attacked because of the abortions, gay people, lesbians, etc. in the world. There could have been things like this many years ago, so why would God start punishing us now? Taking prayer out of some of the schools doesn’t take prayer out of our lives, so why would this be a reason for punishment? I believe that 9-11 happened because of the hateful terrorists, not God punishing someone who made Him angry. I believe in a loving and caring God, not one who disciplines us for what we do. Do these two men think that God will continue to punish us for what they believe is wrong? I don’t believe God’s providence means that God will chastise us for our mistakes. Right or wrong, good or bad, we must trust that God is with us in our lives.
Because of religious toleration throughout most of the history in the United States of America, there have been few examples of persecution of religious groups. Although this religious toleration, one example includes the judging of Jehovah’s Witnesses. During World War II, his witnesses were intimidated, beaten, and imprisoned for not saluting the flag or serving in the armed forces. They believed they should get their First Amendment right, so they filed a Supreme Court case. They argue in twenty three supreme court cases and eventually they get the First Amendment right they were looking for. They were denied the right of what they believed in religion for so long. In my opinion, I think the first amendment should always be upheld no matter what the circumstance is. It is a right we are given as citizens of the United States of America. No matter what our religion, ethnic group, ect., we are given this right and it should not be taken away from us. Religion is important to almost all cultures of the world, and you should not be able to take that away from anybody. This story in particular, we have the right whether to pledge the flag or not, if you do not religiously believe in doing so that is your choice, and it is not up to the government to force you to do so.
1. I strongly disagree with both of those men's points. Although I believe God plays a part in our every day lives, I do not believe in a God who would ever deliberately punish His people. I find it hypocritical of them to say that the people of America should conform to whatever religious beliefs that they have because America was founded upon not only religious but general freedom and equality of all people.
2. There have been a few instances where I firmly believe prayer helped. For example, when my Baci was suffering from cancer, I really believe that all the prayers from everyone helped her recover. She would say the same thing too.
3. In the 1630s, the Puritans came over from England to avoid religious prosecution for trying to reform the Church of England. This basically started the foundation of this country. Many Quakers and other Puritans were being imprisoned and put to death for their acts of religious reformation. I believe that no one should ever have to face death as a penalty personally. I am not much of a religious person, so I do not have any strong feelings towards this scenario other than that I believe it is wrong that people had to lose their lives for standing up for something in which they believed.
I somewhat agree with Falwell and Robertson that it was God's providence that resulted in the 9/11 incident. I believe in the saying, "everything happens for a reason" and sometimes that reason may be because God wanted it to happen that way. God is very powerful. He controls what happens to us and he created us so if he wanted to "lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us what we probably deserve" he can easily do so. God controls our destiny and we should listen to him and love him. The reason I don't totally agree with Falwell and Robertson is because I believe that God loves all people, even pagans, abortionists, feminists, and gays and lesbians. I don't think God would punish us in cruel ways. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father welcomes his son back into his home after he took his share of his inheritance and left. The father threw a party when his son returned. This parable teaches that even if we stray from God and get tempted by the devil, God forgives and still loves the sinners. Instead of punishing us, he forgives us and welcomes us into his Kingdom with open arms.
I absolutely 100% disagree with Falwell and Robertson. I do not try to disrespect their opinions or any religion and their beliefs at all, but I feel that people should make their own decisions based on themselves and the outcomes of that decision. God or “God’s Providence” should not be too influential in choices, especially national choices, considering more than 80% of the US population does not have the same conservative opinions as these two men. Also, in a poll in 2008, only 73% of the population of the US is Christian. The freedoms of the US (especially the freedom of religion) are one of the main reasons America is so successful. Without these freedoms, our population would be tremendously different. Without the constitution and its understanding for freedom, the US would be significantly different and probably much less significant. Our freedom is what makes us great. I believe that the United States of America is the greatest nation in the world solely for this reason. Without these beliefs and acceptance, the US is not nearly as unique and special as we are now. I completely disagree with the ideas of prayer in public schools as well. It is completely understandable in denominational schools, but not in public schools. I agree with the ACLU in this conflict completely. Falwell saying that he points in the face of everyone who has different beliefs than him and blames them for the occurrence of 9/11 is very ignorant and rude. I feel that this comment is inappropriate and it bothers me very much. He is basically saying that his opinions are right and everyone who disagrees with him is wrong and was part of the cause of almost 3,000 deaths. That is wrong and very disrespectful. Although I respect these two men’s opinions and their right to express their opinion, I disagree with them completely.
Dring WWII te Jewish group were persecuted by the dictator of Nazi Germany known as Hitler. He despised Jews and had them killed. I find this to be a very despicable act. The world also saw this as a reason to go to war. The world took sides on this matter and fought over it resulting in many deaths. Being a person who believes in the freedom of speech, I find Hitler to be a horrible person. Jews should of had the right to believe what they wanted, but they were not lucky enough to live in a land of freedom of speech and religion. This whole event was horrible and causes me to think about the freedoms I've been given and take for granted.
I totally disagree with Falwell and Robertson. It is just preposterous to think that because people live different life styles than us Christians that it automatically makes them an enemy of God. First off, we are taught as Christians that our Lord loves everyone. We are taught that He is a God of love, care, mercy, and forgiveness. So on the basis of that alone, it is ridiculous for us to believe that God could even have an enemy here on Earth. Also, I firmly believe that God made everyone in his own image and likeness, and that everyone is made perfectly. Whether you are gay, straight, male, female, Christian, Islamic, or anything, it doesn’t matter, for every person is made in God’s image and likeness. If someone is “different” from us, it doesn’t mean that they are necessarily a bad person, it just means they lead their life on the contrary to how we lead our lives. Also, God is not a God of violence or punishment, so it is absurd to even say that God “let” the attack of 9-11 occur. God himself gave us free choice. He gave us the responsibility of making our own decisions. If we make a bad decision, God will not come down and smite us, but instead will hold out his hand of forgiveness. The main thing to remember is that we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, and the word neighbor means everyone, not just the Catholics or the good-doers, but also the atheists and the sinners. We should not and cannot condemn others. Jesus said himself, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Often in life when you first look at or watch something, you do not quite fully understand it. At my first viewing of this video I strongly disagreed with the opinions of Falwell and Robertson. However, when I watched the newscast again my view changed.
Although, I do not completely agree Falwell and Robertson, I do not completely disagree either. I sort find my view in the middle of the spectrum. I am a practicing Roman Catholic, and I do believe that God has supreme powers as well as is a God of love, and forgiveness. I firmly disagree that, in the case of the September 11th terrorist attacks, God played a role in the murdering of about three thousand innocent Americans. I do consent, however, that God was present during the horrific tragedy, but I believe he was present in the good, and not the evil. I think God was expressed through the heroic acts of the Americans that risked their lives for their neighbors, as well as through the miracles that occurred, which led to a mother or father, son or daughter, to evade casualty. God was not the reason for the 9/11 attacks, the hatred and pure evil of the terrorists who planned, assisted, and carried out the horrendous acts were. Though I disagree with Falwell and Robertson on the issue of Divine Providence, I do concur with their conservative religious views. I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman, as well as I am strongly against abortion. I also agree with the fact that God has been “thrown out” very much in America, whether it be in schools or government. This most definitely needs to be changed, considering the United States of America, our country, was founded on Christian principles.
My overall opinion of the video is that Falwell and Robertson have the right Christian virtues, however I believe that they took message of God in an extreme way. Instead of being a God of punishment, I believe the Lord is one of forgiveness. Those who do wrong, such as the terrorist involved in September 11th, will be punished, for they chose their fate. However those who are homosexual, for example, I believe were born they way they are, in God’s image. They are certainly not to blame for a horrific event such as 9/11, the ones who are at fought, once again are those who exhibit evil, through their choice. Hopefully, God will be accepted widely once again in the United States of America, for the original morals that America was founded on must be restored in order to guarantee a future as great as the past.
Falwell and Robertson both had strong opinions about why 9/11 might have occurred, but I would have to disagree with their opinions. My reasons for disagreeing are based on what I have learned through religious faith. Falwell is stating that God was mad at certain Americans who “are trying to make an alternative lifestyle”, so he decided to punish us. I don’t believe that the terrorist attacks can be blamed on the people who “have tried to secularize America.” How could one blame such a big incident that affected America on a group of people with certain beliefs? It is not their fault that a group of nefarious and corrupt foreigners decided to attack America. God meant for us all to have our own unique lives and opinions. When discussing who is to blame for the attacks, I’m sure there have been many fingers pointed, but there isn’t one person or group that could be at fault. Many people have their own opinions. Some people blame the government, others blame the “pagans, abortionists, and the feminists….” Everyone has his/her own faults and mistakes. Original sin is a part of life. God does not like to punish us. He doesn’t plan on making humans suffer throughout the world. It is a part of life that we must accept and try to improve. No disrespect to Jerry Falwell, but there were probably fingers pointed at a group with his same beliefs, too.
#3
I disagree with Falwell and Robertson. I do not believe fully in the idea of God’s Providence. I do not believe God would do such cruel things to us. He is not a vengeful or spiteful God; He is a God of love and compassion. He may not agree with what we are doing all the time, but he would not take revenge on us and do something as terrible and awful as what took place on 9-11. Our God could never be associated with something as cruel and evil as what took place on 9-11, and anyone who believes he was is completely and totally wrong. Nevertheless, I do not completely disagree with what Falwell and Robertson are saying. I believe what we are doing is wrong and sinful and completely and fully against God’s will and plan for us. People today are throwing God away. We are growing farther and farther away from God when we should be doing the complete opposite. We should be doing our best to follow God’s will and do what is right, stay away from sin, and help those in need. God is an all-loving, which means He will love us no matter what and He will never do anything to hurt us.
QUESTION #1
I disagree with Falwell and Robertson. I do not believe fully in the idea of God’s Providence. I do not believe God would do such cruel things to us. He is not a vengeful or spiteful God; He is a God of love and compassion. He may not agree with what we are doing all the time, but he would not take revenge on us and do something as terrible and awful as what took place on 9-11. Our God could never be associated with something as cruel and evil as what took place on 9-11, and anyone who believes he was is completely and totally wrong. Nevertheless, I do not completely disagree with what Falwell and Robertson are saying. I believe what we are doing is wrong and sinful and completely and fully against God’s will and plan for us. People today are throwing God away. We are growing farther and farther away from God when we should be doing the complete opposite. We should be doing our best to follow God’s will and do what is right, stay away from sin, and help those in need. God is an all-loving, which means He will love us no matter what and He will never do anything to hurt us.
I really like Vermeer’s painting of The Girl With The Pearl Earring. The picture is exactly as the title suggests, just a girl with a pearl earring on a black background. You can barely see her ear, but you can see her pearl earring shining through the blackness. It captures a bright light, the same light seen in her eyes. The way she’s looking over her shoulder is very “in the moment”. She’s not posed like the Mona Lisa, it’s as if vermeer held a camera in his hands, called her name and as she turns her head, he takes the perfect picture, a natural picture. Her lips are very pigmented and softly parted but no teeth are showing. It’s as if maybe she wanted to say something. Maybe instead of being called, she turned her head to say something. She also has tired eyes. It must be late at night because she has shadows under her eyes. This just makes the painting look that much more natural, more “in the moment”.
I disagree with much of what Falwell and Robertson said in the video. Both of them firmly believe in God’s providence, the idea that God rewards and punishes people for what they do by sending signs such as prosperity or the burning of a house. I do not agree with this belief since it was already disproved over two hundred years ago when Benjamin Franklin created the lightning rod to show that lightning was electricity and not a sign of God’s anger. The terrorists who crashed planes into the towers of the World Trade Center and other important buildings were radicals from the Middle East, not a small taste of the punishment that Americans deserve. When talking about 9-11, Falwell and Robertson blamed abortion, gays, feminists, and the ACLU to explain why the terrorist attack even happened. Some of what they said, like abortion, is wrong, but it is not a reason why radical Muslims would crash planes into buildings. I doubt that God would “send” the terrorists to the United States to reveal his anger because it basically removes those people’s free will to choose to hijack the airplanes. Reason can disprove much of what Falwell and Robertson discussed in the video, and I feel that they have a belief in an idea that has been refuted many years ago.
In the past, God has answered many of my prayers. I not only pray for myself in troubling situations, but also for others when I feel it is necessary. God plays a major role in my life and I pray to him every day. The prayer that I thank him the most for answering would have to be one of my first prayers to him. When I was little, my mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It was not as severe as other cancers, but as a young girl I was petrified at the thought of losing my mother. I had faith in the knowledge and skills of the doctors who were taking care of her, but even as a young girl, I knew God is in control of everything. Luckily, God looked after my mother when she was going through this difficult journey. God had answered my prayers for her health and safety and she is now living a normal, healthy life. I still pray for her health and well-being often to reassure to God the importance of her in my life. God has continued to answer my prayers throughout life. God was the provider in my case of God’s providence unlike the catastrophe of September eleventh. Although the attack was seen as God’s punishment towards Americans, the attack could have been worse. Robertson and Falwell blamed the attack on the American Civil Liberties Union for prohibiting prayer in public schools. Everyone is held accountable for the court system’s decision since it reflected upon everyone in the public school system. God’s providence punished Americans on September eleventh, but did we deserve it? Did we need that reality check in our lives to make us realize that God is in control? Those who are living in the likeness of God are blessed with answered prayers and I am blessed to have had my prayer answered.
I disagree with Falwell and Robertson. I believe that their logic is unsound. Just because all these bad events occurred does not necessarily mean that God is the cause of it. Disasters are a natural force to be reckoned with, but they are rarely random and seemingly God-influenced. Falwell and Robertson also blame the maelstrom of problems in America on a variety of people. These people included: pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, and lesbians. Their logic is really messed up here because they have absolutely no proof whatsoever that these people caused hurricanes and terrorists attacks. Their logic states something along the lines of this. All these people (sinners) are sinful. All sin evokes God’s wrath. All disasters are caused by God’s wrath. Therefore, sinners cause disaster. Logically tested, this is invalid. Logic aside, my very own spiritual beliefs do not match up with Falwell and Robertson’s vision of God. They see God as a great provider and punisher. God provides us with good fortune when we do not sin, but if we fail, he will rain wrath and punishment on all and all shall fall to hell. I was taught, and I believe, that God is a benevolent force who forgives almost all. This includes sinners. If they repent, then they are forgiven and welcomed into the Kingdom of God. Only the truly wicked and evil will go to hell. For the secularizing America part, I believe that as other religions grow and develop, we should respect them and not shove Christianity down their throats. While prayer should be allowed in public school, the teachers should not make overt statements about religion and force it on the children.
I disagree with Falwell and Robertson. I believe that their logic is unsound. Just because all these bad events occurred does not necessarily mean that God is the cause of it. Disasters are a natural force to be reckoned with, but they are rarely random and seemingly God-influenced. Falwell and Robertson also blame the maelstrom of problems in America on a variety of people. These people included: pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, and lesbians. Their logic is really messed up here because they have absolutely no proof whatsoever that these people caused hurricanes and terrorists attacks. Their logic states something along the lines of this. All these people (sinners) are sinful. All sin evokes God’s wrath. All disasters are caused by God’s wrath. Therefore, sinners cause disaster. Logically tested, this is invalid. Logic aside, my very own spiritual beliefs do not match up with Falwell and Robertson’s vision of God. They see God as a great provider and punisher. God provides us with good fortune when we do not sin, but if we fail, he will rain wrath and punishment on all and all shall fall to hell. I was taught, and I believe, that God is a benevolent force who forgives almost all. This includes sinners. If they repent, then they are forgiven and welcomed into the Kingdom of God. Only the truly wicked and evil will go to hell. For the secularizing America part, I believe that as other religions grow and develop, we should respect them and not shove Christianity down their throats. While prayer should be allowed in public school, the teachers should not make overt statements about religion and force it on the children.
Overall I do not agree with the views and beliefs of Falwell and Robertson. I do not think that God would purposefully plan for thousands of people to die so we can turn back to him. The views of these Falwell and Robertson discriminate against many different types of people. I do not think that it is ok to try and force a set of beliefs on someone or to try and change how someone lives to please ourselves. I believe that God created us all different for a reason. If God wanted us to all have the same views and opinions he would have made us that way. I would not want anyone to force their views on me, so I would never want to force my views on someone else.
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