Seeking the Hand of God in the Waters 


It's reminiscent of the Susan Sontag obituaries, with reference to her book, "Illness as Metaphor", where she argued that sickness (like disaster) is simply a fact of life and in no way a divine judgment of the sufferer. 

Here's an interesting reflection on religious thinking about events like the recent Tsunami, and another one in Spain back in 1755, with some interesting web links, as well.

It's reminiscent of the Susan Sontag obituaries, with reference to her book, "Illness as Metaphor", where she argued that sickness (like disaster) is simply a fact of life and in no way a divine judgment of the sufferer.

But there does seem to be a pantheist "divine" judgment involved, as in the Darwin Awards, when our own behaviors hasten our demise. I read that Sontag was a smoker, and some have argued that imprudent coastal development contributed to the number of deaths around the Indian Ocean. Certainly there could have been better communication of the earthquake and inevitable tidal wave.

But it's clear that we "play the odds" at our own risk in this world, in a game of both chance and skill, with nature as both the dealer and the house. Einstein would not approve of depicting it this way, but the game seems to pay well, most of the time, when it isn't twisted around by craven dealerships (governments) and false houses (churches).

"Your God can sink 15 pool balls in a row, but my god takes just one shot and sinks all the balls, in all the games." -- Robert Chambers, journalist, 1844.  

Posted: Fri - December 31, 2004 at 08:54 a.m.         | |

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