First off, the content here really drew me back to Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. I grew up in Louisiana, so it's a bit of a sensitive point, but I seem to remember religious people (including Mormons) pointing at how historically wicked New Orleans has been. You raise some really difficult issues - it's easy to see a punishing God thousands of years ago, but much more conflicting to think of that element now. I'm with you - suspend judgment and simply help. But what really stuck out to me here was this example of salient vs. focal learning - it's dead on. The design itself seemed simplistic, but I liked the use of blue in the image and link.
I am not sure how I feel about this. It I am not sure that we believe that the Nephites and Laminites were wiped out by natural disasters. They wiped each other out-person killing person. The only time that I can think of a natural disaster being a punishment of God is at Christ's death. I don't believe we can say it was the punishment of God because then we would have to say the same about all natural disasters (the tsunami in Thailand, the earthquake in China, the extreme cold snap in Europe this winter etc.). The point being that, I am not sure I agree with the premise that LDS believe that God punishes people through natural disasters? I had not thought about this before though.
I think that Julie's point was more about how we jump to conclusions about others beliefs when we often don't think about how our own might be perceived. I have thought about this issue, especially as it pertains to reconciling things like what happened to American Indians and how it was prophesied to happen. I think it's important to remember that, though some of these things may be of God, we can still have compassion, there are still good people who are hurt (probably the majority), and that we are also commanded not to judge others lest judgment fall upon us.
First off, the content here really drew me back to Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. I grew up in Louisiana, so it's a bit of a sensitive point, but I seem to remember religious people (including Mormons) pointing at how historically wicked New Orleans has been. You raise some really difficult issues - it's easy to see a punishing God thousands of years ago, but much more conflicting to think of that element now. I'm with you - suspend judgment and simply help. But what really stuck out to me here was this example of salient vs. focal learning - it's dead on. The design itself seemed simplistic, but I liked the use of blue in the image and link.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how I feel about this. It I am not sure that we believe that the Nephites and Laminites were wiped out by natural disasters. They wiped each other out-person killing person. The only time that I can think of a natural disaster being a punishment of God is at Christ's death. I don't believe we can say it was the punishment of God because then we would have to say the same about all natural disasters (the tsunami in Thailand, the earthquake in China, the extreme cold snap in Europe this winter etc.). The point being that, I am not sure I agree with the premise that LDS believe that God punishes people through natural disasters? I had not thought about this before though.
ReplyDeleteI think that Julie's point was more about how we jump to conclusions about others beliefs when we often don't think about how our own might be perceived. I have thought about this issue, especially as it pertains to reconciling things like what happened to American Indians and how it was prophesied to happen. I think it's important to remember that, though some of these things may be of God, we can still have compassion, there are still good people who are hurt (probably the majority), and that we are also commanded not to judge others lest judgment fall upon us.
ReplyDelete