Florida's Hurricane Charlie

If he were smart he would wait until after hurricane season to make that claim.

Maybe a bit of humility is called for here? This kind of boasting is called blasphemy, at least that's how we Lutherans were raised to believe.

I think some residents of Pensacola used to think their town was free of hurricanes due to divine protection. I suspect that this attitude fed opposition to adequate building codes for the Panhandle.

Mr. Waters answered item 4 with item 3.

Is God protecting the G.O.P
Or Crist protecting his own with his Almighty Winds

http://blogto2010.blogspot.com/

Waters' purpose is not to make sense. It is to follow the dictates of Quinn and Meacham to make fun of American Christians, particularly Republican American Christians, thus appealing to the secular progressives, who are supposed to have their own 'corner' elsewhere in this magazine.

Nice he prayed and it worked.

Too bad he had to make a show out of it like most "Republican American Christians we know."

When I was young I prayed for a new bike.

Then I realised God did not work that way.

So, I stole a bike then prayed for forgiveness.

Crist would do well to get reconcilled and offer his experience to those in his congregation.

I've tried praying to win the lottery and get me out of poverty. So far it hasn't worked. Do you think that maybe if Governor Crist puts a prayer for me in the wailing wall next time he's there I'll win? Hey, three seasons without a deadly hurricane? Why not?

Charlie should be immediately impeached or recalled. Obviously, he's either a liar or religiously disabled. Time to rid political office of incompetent, vote-pandering garbage like Crist.

Why is there such a frenzy to attack Gov. Crist? Why does the media hate/fear moderate Republicans? It looks like they prefer the GOP to have more Palins. The more bogeymen/women the better.

If you have lived in Florida a long time you are sick to death of hurricanes and property insurance. After every hurricane they jack up prices and so do the utilities. If Charlie is responsible for Florida's good fortune, we don't care how he achieves it.

LEAVE IT TO AN AMBITIOUS POLIITICIAN -- A GOVERNOR NO LESS -- TO TELL GOD WHAT TO DO. HYBRIS? BLASPHEMY? A GUY CAN GET INTO TROUBLE THAT WAY.

It never ceases to amaze me, in this day and age, that "people of faith" do not consider themselves to be idiots! Get a grip people! Prayer has nothing to do with hurricanes -- they are a factor of ocean levels and atmospheric conditions. If hurricanes were punishment for bad behavior, Florida would have disappeared years ago. Faith and prayer are uneducated responses to events that people refuse to investigate, research and understand. If you must talk to yourself (pray), do it to end poverty, hunger and illness. These are far worse catastrophes than a short season of possible hurricanes.

I'll tell you what is wrong with it. It is one thing for a local fool to beiieve in superstitions such as prayer and voodoo, their lunacy usually affects only their immediate family; for example parents who withhold medical care from their child in lieu of prayer and the child dies because of it (GOD's WILL!), it's quite another for a government leader whose decisions affect millions to do the same. That person is a public hazard and should be removed from office.

On August 24 at 9:21 PM Tosch wrote:
When I was young I prayed for a new bike. Then I realised God did not work that way.
So, I stole a bike then prayed for orgiveness. Crist would do well to get reconcilled and offer his experience to those in his congregation.

This is a very deep statement that makes a lot more sense than trying to reconcile the idea of an intervening god who acts to change the world weather when one egomaniac invokes her name. Just think about how screwed up the universe would be if individual beings could claim such power. Think about the arrogance of someone who would presume to claim such power.

If I wanted a god who acted like Santa Claus I would believe in Santa Claus. Some other commenter is whining about making fun of Christians. We don't have to make fun of Christians. All we have to do is leave people like Charlie Crist, who claims a direct line to a Christian god, speak for himself. Don't blame me if I draw the conclusion that "Christian" means somebody who believes in Stone Age myth and Medieval supersition.

I pray to the Cosmic Errand Boy in the Sky to open the cold, intolerant, hateful hearts of Abrahamic fundamentalists everywhere. Oh, yeah ...... and a Mercedes Benz, too (if it's not too much trouble.)

For those of you much younger who may have never heard it:

"Mercedes Benz" - Janis Joplin

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
I’m counting on you, Lord, please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?

Everybody!
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?

That’s it!

Here's a thought that turns things on their head - It's a sign that we live in a fundamentally post-Christian society or, at least, that those who still take Christianity seriously are the least educated. I suspect that this kind of cynical and transparently self-serving nonsense from a politician would have once been met in this country with cries of outrage by many, as it should be. Today people shrug. Politics and religion don't mix and it's inevitably the latter that gets sullied. So maybe those serious Christians still left have good reason to despise the Republican party in particular.

Why didn't Charlie Crist ask God to balance the state budget? Floridians have grown accustomed to Hurricanes, but laying off teachers and police officers, closing schools and after care are much more detrimental to the fabric of our society down here. Not to mention had Crist been able to balance the budget he would still have his job rather than quitting when the going got tough. What would Jesus have said about that?

Oh me of little faith rambling on again... maybe I'll pray that God can enlighten me one day... after I get that house in the Keys that I've been asking him for of course...

Waters wrote:
"4. I know plenty of people of faith -- including me -- who pray for God's protection for family, friends and other fellow earthlings, so what's wrong with a politician doing the same thing?"

Well here's the thing, if you believe that YOU have the ability to summon God, on demand, to do your bidding, no matter how benevolent the request, then YOU assume a power. Its power by proxy, in the case of the Governor, taking credit for an act of God, thus elevating the Governor to a higher level, like an ancient witch doctor who can summon rain, prevent famine, etc, by pleading with high authorities. That is all the Governor is doing here but it is a dangerous mentality and so I would question his ability to be Governor.

And why would God care about the Governor's request and not simply look with mercy upon the people of Florida on His own? What christians never ask themselves is why it is that the more fundamental the christian religious views are in an area the more likely that area is to be hit by tornadoes and hurricanes. The heathanist Northeast part of the nation is a picture of atmospheric tranquility compared to the bible belt. Maybe those people in the bible belt pray so much they just get God annoyed, not to mention Him looking at more than just what was prayed for. Maybe if they stopped praying God might not also notice the high divorce rate, out-of-wedlock child births, crime, homophobia, racism, etc.

First of all, why believe Charlie actually even put a piece of paper in the Wailing Wall? The guilty always squeal the loudest. Meaning - in his case - boasting about an event which his PR person probably madeup.

coloradodog,
Thanks for the song, its been a while since I heard it. Oh, and you forgot the "a he he he" at the end as she laughs. Ah Janis, God must have loved her because he took her so fast.

coloradodog,
Let's also toss in a little of Janis' "I Need a Man to Love Me" for Christ. Wonder what GOD has to say about that?

How is mental illness defined?

Does he bang his head on the wailin' wall?

It's sickening for me to see people claim God's intervention on their behalf when something positive happens (or something negative fails to), then never fail to do the same when something bad happens. They try to have it both ways, and (surprise) both ways support their viewpoint regardless of inconsistency.

How nice it must be to live in an idyllic universe where God is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, created Man in his own image, gave Man dominion over all other creatures on this earth, and placed Man's home at the center of the universe.

I'm sorry, but - no matter your beliefs - Crist's claim that his prayers at the Wailing Wall protected Florida is quite simply the height of hubris. I wonder also if Florida gets hit with a big one over the next couple months, will he sheepishly suggest it was that very hubris that brought down God's wrath? Please tell me the man was must making a joke in poor taste and he does not actually believe that it was his specific actions that led God to spare Florida. Because it quite frankly would terrify me beyond belief to have someone like that (arrogant, egocentric, etc.) in a position of power at the head of an entire state (insert your Palin joke here).

It's sickening for me to see people claim God's intervention on their behalf when something positive happens (or something negative fails to), then never fail NOT to do the same when something bad happens. They try to have it both ways, and (surprise) both ways support their viewpoint regardless of inconsistency.

How nice it must be to live in an idyllic universe where God is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, created Man in his own image, gave Man dominion over all other creatures on this earth, and placed Man's home at the center of the universe.

I graduated from a catholic college in New Hampshire that required everyone to take two semesters of both philosophy and theology,(St. Anselm College), One of the few things that managed to stick with respect to my survey of philosophical thought was the fallacy "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc". It means 'After this, therefore because of this'. That is, simply because if Event A event took place after Event B, it establishes the chronology, not a cause and effect relationship. It's like the argument about pot being a so-called 'Gateway Drug'. Since most, if not all, heroin users first tried pot, it therefore follows that pot use is a 'gateway' to hard drug use. Of course most heroin users probably also drank milk...
Gov. Crist had better hope that his prayers keep storms from Florida's door, because the state insurance pool doesn't have nearly enough money in it to deal with a catastrophic storm. After all, it's more important that you have low taxes than you be pprudent...

This is so sad. It's not blasphemy. It's idiocy of the sort we usually get from Pat Robertson. We need not go through all sorts of mental contortions to explain or justify Crist's claim. Crist harbors religious superstitions and he was pandering to equally superstitious voters. Crist's claims are pure nonsense, so why not just acknowledge that instead of trying to turn them into something profound?

The storm missed Florida, which has experience in preparing for and responding to hurricanes, and hit Maine where it killed 5 people.

Those people died as a direct result of Governor Crist's prayer.

If he were giving himself the credit it would be blasphemy, but it sounds like he's giving the credit to God. This Lutheran gives thanks for answered prayers all the time. Heck, that's just good manners. :)

Charlie Charlie Charlie....We all know that you are pandering to the wackadoodle Base that Hates you because you are a closeted gay man...Under your insane theory maybe it would be a bad Omen to elect someone named Charley to the Senate. Dont worry, I will do my best to make sure you and your insane pandering NEVER get there because it is fated to be a disaster....Then you can be free to be your real self.

How come Chuck has to fly all the way over to Jerusalem, at taxpayers' expense, to stick a note between some old stones, just to get God's attention? Does God not answer prayers sent from Tallahassee? Or if the Wailing Wall were in some hell-hole of a place, do you think Chuck would bother to trek there too? Probably not. To me, this has the odorous smell of just another free vacation on the taxpayers' dime.

I'm praying that The Good Lord, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, will see fit to raise Gov. Christ's I.Q. to at least 85.

Wow! The behavior of the Creator of the Universe is controlled by Governor Crist. Why would he run for the Senate when God will already do what Charlie asks? Seems like being a mere senator would be more than a couple of steps down the power ladder.

Sam888 wrote: "If he were giving himself the credit it would be blasphemy, but it sounds like he's giving the credit to God. This Lutheran gives thanks for answered prayers all the time. Heck, that's just good manners. :)"

Do you think that when you pray for an action, and God turns His attention to you and grants the action, then you are claiming to influence God? What do they call those who claim to directly influence God? And if he's giving the credit to God, why mention his own action of prayer? Does he think he was the only one praying to keep hurricanes away? Does he think only he can pray on a state level? It seems that way since he makes the direct connection between *his* prayer and God's actions.

And have you considered the consequences of your own prayers? As someone else noted, 5 people died in Maine as the hurricane veered away from Florida and went to Maine. Did Crist cause those deaths or was that just God being God? I know Crist did not ask that 5 people die in Maine, but if it was his prayer that caused the storm to miss Florida and instead hit Maine, who is responsible for the deaths? Or is this just a detail to be ignored in the grand scheme of pretending to have almightly power at one's beck and call?

Vote for me! I have God's power in my little hands!

I agree its not blasphemy. Its pure narcisitic arrogance and christian chest thumping.

Nanook here, from Canada. If I shove feathers in my ears, stick my tongue out and repeat "There's no place like home" while clicking my ruby red heels and whirling around, people would say I was completely crazy for claiming that God had somehow intervened on my behalf because I had done so. But stick a piece of paper in a stone wall halfway across the world and then claim divine intervenion (in hindsight), and you will certainly be elected governor of the great state of Florida. And you Americans wonder why we're so damned happy to be Canadians. I must be off to worship the Great Northern Beaver, eh? He demands a sacrifice of virginal wood chips or he will bring a snowstorm from hell upon our frozen heads.

bobdog3 wrote: "I must be off to worship the Great Northern Beaver, eh? He demands a sacrifice of virginal wood chips or he will bring a snowstorm from hell upon our frozen heads."

And the nice thing about prayer is that to prove it works you only have to show it worked once, in hindsight of course.

It unfathomable that there are still people who believe that prayers work (other than to put at ease the mind of the pray-giver).

Nobody is picking on moderate GOP looneys. It is the Christian belief that "with prayer all can be forgiven" that allows the greedy and self serving folks of our market places to steal and deprive others, and feel good about their millions.

Feeble mindedness does not make prayer right. It doesn't work for sick children, it doesn't work for earthquakes nor vulcanoes; Christianity is merely another cult designed by men to control and influence the ignorant masses.

God wanted me to write this, he told me so last night!

Isn't Charlie Crist a member of "the Family" cult that Ensign, Sanford, Vitter, Coe, and many other political criminals pray for?

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/07/21/c_street/

This God stuff is out of control. I'm sure God likes Florida more than, well, any other place on Earth. I guess there are no gay people in Florida, otherwise he'd wipe it out. Right?

I think prayer is a good thing, but to equate it to some "divine" intervention - the casual relation is beyond rational thought. Crist is getting dangerously close to George W - our sophomoric inane President who claimed to have a direct line to the Almighty. We lived through enough pain during his tenure, we don't need another person in a position of power to wreak havoc on our nation again.

Peasants in India believe in tree spirits.

Peasants in the USA believe God protects them from hurricanes.

Worse, we let these people drive AND vote!

"I suspect that this kind of cynical and transparently self-serving nonsense from a politician would have once been met in this country with cries of outrage by many, as it should be. Today people shrug. Politics and religion don't mix and it's inevitably the latter that gets sullied."

Real Christians don't vote Republican.
Fear, Hatred, Distortion and Division is all Republicans have to offer.

It's DELUSIONAL for any of you clowns to believe anything like this!! You folks have had too much KoolAide from pappy's pig farm down in crawford...

Lordy, God has been busy. He made Carrie Prejean lose so she would carry out her mission. I guess the hungry and the sick will have to wait.

A message to all Christians who have been subjected to hurricanes since 2006 - God hates you, a lot. You should move to Florida. He'll like you more if you do. And your trailer will escape the ravages of God's evil winds. Unless, of course, Governor Crist doesn't get re-elected. Then you just wait and see what God does to you. One prayer from Crist and the hurricanes of four years will descend upon you. But don't worry. Look for a guy named Jack. He's got these beans...and they're magic, just like Jesus...and if you eat them during a full moon with a black cat at your side, no hurricane will dare touch you and Jesus will love you forever and ever, amen. What a bunch of maroons!

Ol' Charlie better watch his step. Hurricane season lasts until November 1st. Plenty of time to go...

I guess he prayed away the gay too.

This is exactly the cr.p that is killing Christianity: The over-reliance on magic.

Evidently, Jesus being a really smart guy with really impressive insights into how to live life is just not good enough for these idiots.

Jesus must necessarily be magical, or otherwise, they simply won't believe any of that Bible stuff.

I would like to think that this is just sheer ignorance and can easily explain the nonsense that Birthers and Tea Party nuts believe, but I'm not so sure.

I suspect that there really is a sizable US population that believes Harry Potter could be real.

I'm a firm believer in prayer but when a politician starts using it I can't help but think about George worst administration in history Bush saying God wanted him to run for president. God doesn't make mistakes like that.

"I know plenty of people of faith -- including me -- who pray for God's protection for family, friends and other fellow earthlings, so what's wrong with a politician doing the same thing?"

LOL

I know plenty of people who believe in astrology -- who do not act against the astrologer's advice when it comes to their lives.

What's wrong if a politician did the same?

Tell you what. Let Charlie Crist reject and return all federal aid that is doled out every time a storm or a hurricane wreaks devastation in Florida. Instead, let us reimburse him for a trip to Jerusalem once a year to make his prayers.

I bet you the most ardent of faith-holders do not have the conviction to accept that cost-reduction.

You know why?

Because it does not work, and they know it!

Is this for real? And Crist is considered a moderate in the party that wants to lead us into 15th century.

They routinely ignore (or even mock) science, which is why it was left for Obama to start dealing with climate change during a recession (thanks for nothing, Reverend Bush).

TWENTY FIRST CENTURY, FOLKS. GET YOUR THUNDER-AND-LIGHTNING-SCARED CAVEDWELLING MINDS AROUND THAT PHRASE, PLEASE.

And let's not forget the horrible advice the Almighty has apparently been doling out of late. Mr. Bush told the Palestinian foreign minister that "God told me to liberate the people of Iraq".

Nearly one million deaths, two trillion dollars and one absolutely appreciative Iran later, is anyone abuzz over the wisdom of Bush's Divine Adviser? Of course not. We sweep "his" bad decisions under the rug and act like they never happened. That's how we keep religion alive here, several centuries into the Age of Reason.

The use of prayer to seek intervention for such personal gain seems to miss what is at the core of Christianity itself. The one prayer purportedly taught by Christ himself includes the words "Thy will be done..."

In simpler terms, you could articulate this intercession as "not what I want, but what you want." If God's will manifests itself in a hurricane-free season or a half-dozen destructive tropical cyclones making landfall, the good Governor should be equally thankful. The long-term, forensic view almost always reveals that unexpectedly good things result from the very unwelcome things you may be praying to avoid.

It may be that something as simple, and as difficult to explain, as "the secret" may drive these storms. If so, the current way of reporting to harp on the least likely (but most destructive) outcomes - is the way to get storms and not to avoid them. But that is way of television news.

What do we want the most?

Exciting news or dull weather?

Could you ask the governor if he could pray that I stop farting so much? It would be much appreciated.

I love how most of the liberal aetheists and supposed Christians blame God when something bad happens or say "where was He?" and when something good happens you say "you're a religious zealot for believing He had something to do with is"... Seriously?? Despite what you believe or don't believe, there have been no hurricanes hitting FL the past 3 years and that is a fact and something to be grateful about no matter the reason, divine or coincidence. Lighten up.

I am a firm believer in Prayer. Last January 2008, I became a firm Christian (a true believer) and was baptised through water immersion. The moment I exited that water, the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders and my life changed forever.

Even though I was going through some very difficult times I made prayer an everyday occurrence. As I left my home in California for new surroundings in Florida my life changed in ways I have heard about but never witnessed.

Florida being very hot and humid, made it highly uncomfortable until I started praying for rain last year. Within days, the heat subsided and Florida which was under drought conditions , saw one of the highest rainfall years from that point forward.

This summer I asked God for cooler temperatures but less rain because Florida has terrible draining problems throughout the state. And this summer is bearable and rains only when it needs to, and so far no hurricanes. So Charlie, you are right, prayer does work when everybody prays for the same thing. I don't believe in the tooth fairy, but I do believe God is fair.

I have found when I pray for others and in unselfish ways, God hears me when I call. May God always have a place in my life and yours as well.

I think Florida should take a lesson from the Mid-west, if you don't want tornadoes, don't build trailer parks, simple as that. Florida has a history of rebuilding and REbuilding and RE-REbuilding low-cost, low-quality homes. If they got SMART, and started utilizing pre-poured slab construction, with good site drainage and built-in pumping technology in case the Big Water DID come, and made that the state building code, then it really wouldn't matter the next time Mother Nature rolled a 3-way split right across the peninsula. Puny watery carbon-based earthlings...believe in invisible people and don't study meteorology...what WILL they do the day the Mothership lands? Gibber in superstitious fear, clutching their religious symbols?

Governor Crist, you owe a big explanation to all Floridians: where were you and what were you doing when Andrews was coming to get us in South Florida?

This man had his bills piling up and went to see a cleric. The cleric told him to pray. But minister, said the man, I never have prayed and don’t know how to! Then the cleric said, just write what you need in a piece of paper, like Governor Crist did and send it to God. He will answer your prayers.

The man went home and wrote: God, please I need $1,000, if I don’t get money soon my family is not going to eat. Put the paper in an envelope addressed to God and sent it by mail. A man working in the Post office saw this strange envelope and out of curiosity opened it. He felt a great pain for this poor family and took the only $500 he had of his own money, put in an envelope and sent it back.

When our indebted man received the response, he couldn’t believe it. He opened the envelope and found the $500. Then he wrote another letter to God: Thank you God, I received the money. I need $1,000 more, but please use a money gram, those m*** f*** in the postal office are opening the mail.

THIS is a GOP moderate? He's about as rational as Mullah Omar.

I'm sure many others have pointed this out, but if God loves the prayerful, why is Oklahoma always getting whacked by tornadoes?

Why does the Mississipi constantly flood its bible-thumping denizens, while the Hudson, Ohio, Potomac etc meander peacefully through the Sodom and Gomorrah of the North?

And by the way, if I were a Floridian Christian, I'd be pretty insulted by Crist's claim. Florida was hit by lots of hurricanes before he came along, so is he saying that God was down on Floridians before he interceded? Or that Christian Floridians who unsuccessfully prayed God to spare their homes pre-2006 were just not as holy, or as influential with God, as Crist is? Jesus H. Crist.

Prayer is a way of living closer to God; it's not " Daddy, buy me a pony. "

It's the Obama Effect.

I think the Gods are happy now that American have atoned for their sins.

Why does he tempt the Gods?

I think that the Democrats are about to answer his prayer asking God to provide a means to heal the sick.

When I was young I was told we were to "fear the lord, our god". I didn't understand what there was to fear from the Christian god. With this kind of hubris on exhibit, I now understand why the old Testament God could get so pissed off.

bourassa1:

"Jesus H. Crist"

Funniest line from the whole thread. Can't believe it took that long to appear!

Maybe they should start stoning misbehaving kids to death in Florida, at least till the end of hurricane season. The "Lord" commanded just that in Deuteronomy 21:18-21, but the Christians keep trying to pretend it isn't in the Bible in order to pass themselves off as civilized people in this day and age. They are thumbing their noses at the Big Daddy when they let those kids off with just a grounding or a smack on the butt.

Bloody executions of your kids. That's all the Lord asks of you, Christians. Is that really so much? Are you saying your Book might just contain some Bunk? LOL

I would feel a lot better about Charlie Christ and his prayer requests if he were praying to be a better person with better understanding of himself and how he could be a better Governor.

This would involve examining and challenging his own biases and shortcomings and allow him to make the needed changes in his own beliefs and behavior.

His current idea of assuming he can have direct influence with God to prevent hurricanes could prevent him from fulfilling his sworn duties as Governor to do what is needed to mitigate hurricane problems.

Would he suggest that any citizen could cancel his or her Automobile liability insurance because he prayed in the proper manner that he or she would never have an accident?

I believe that we can and should change ourselves and our behavior through prayer, not assume that we have supernatural powers over natural phenomena.

"Waters' purpose is not to make sense. It is to follow the dictates of Quinn and Meacham to make fun of American Christians, particularly Republican American Christians, thus appealing to the secular progressives, who are supposed to have their own 'corner' elsewhere in this magazine."

Chatard,

Believe what you wish. But can you please give us answers to questions 1 and 2? 'Cause, honestly, most of us don't get it.

The governor and apparently the citizens of Florida who put him in office need a good dose of that famous Christian theologian, Father Edward Schillebeeckx. In a few words that should be printed on the front page of every Florida newspaper every day, he set forth the reality of god (if there is one):

from his book, Church: The Human Story of God, Crossroad, 1993, p.91 (softcover)

"Christians must give up a perverse, unhealthy and inhuman doctrine of predestination without in so doing making God the great scapegoat of history" .

"Nothing is determined in advance: in nature there is chance and determinism; in the world of human activity there is possibility of free choices.

Therefore the historical future is not known even to God; otherwise we
and our history would be merely a puppet show in which God holds the strings. For God, too, history is an adventure, an open history for and of men and women."

The governor and apparently the citizens of Florida who put him in office need a good dose of that famous Christian theologian, Father Edward Schillebeeckx. In a few words that should be printed on the front page of every Florida newspaper every day, he set forth the reality of god (if there is one):

from his book, Church: The Human Story of God, Crossroad, 1993, p.91 (softcover)

"Christians must give up a perverse, unhealthy and inhuman doctrine of predestination without in so doing making God the great scapegoat of history" .

"Nothing is determined in advance: in nature there is chance and determinism; in the world of human activity there is possibility of free choices.

Therefore the historical future is not known even to God; otherwise we
and our history would be merely a puppet show in which God holds the strings. For God, too, history is an adventure, an open history for and of men and women."

The governor and apparently the citizens of Florida who put him in office need a good dose of that famous Christian theologian, Father Edward Schillebeeckx. In a few words that should be
printed on the front page of every Florida newspaper every day, he set forth the reality of god (if there is one):

from his book, Church: The Human Story of God, Crossroad,

1993, p.91 (softcover)

"Christians must give up a perverse, unhealthy and inhuman doctrine of predestination without in so doing making God the great scapegoat of history" .

"Nothing is determined in advance: in nature there is chance and determinism; in the world of human activity there is

possibility of free choices. therefore the historical future is not known even to God; otherwise we and our history would be merely a puppet show in
which God holds the strings. For God, too, history is an adventure, an open history for and of men and women."

test

The governor and apparently the citizens of Florida who put him in office need a good dose of that famous Christian theologian, Father Edward Schillebeeckx. In a few words that should be printed on the front page of every Florida newspaper every day, Schillebeeckx set forth the reality of god (if there is one):

from his book, Church: The Human Story of God, Crossroad, 1993, p.91 (softcover)

"Christians must give up a perverse, unhealthy and inhuman doctrine of predestination without in so doing making God the great scapegoat of history" .

"Nothing is determined in advance: in nature there is chance and determinism; in the world of human activity there is possibility of free choices.

Therefore the historical future is not known even to God; otherwise we and our history would be merely a puppet show in which God holds the strings. For God, too, history is an adventure, an open history for and of men and women."

I've got no problem with Crist claiming God is protecting FL from hurricanes due to Crist's appeal, as long as he remains consistent. So, when a hurricane does hit FL, he should admit it is due to God's anger at Charlie Crist.

“Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a substitute for the lost faith in ourselves.” - Eric Hoffer