Is Mother Nature More Powerful than God?

21: You believe America is a God fearing country, and that the Almighty protects those who believe just as you do. But it's never crossed your mind that the majority of tornadoes, hurricanes and floods all occur in the Bible Belt.

This was on a list someone sent me called, "You know you're a conservative if......."

I've been pondering all summer about the drought in Texas and Oklahoma. Ranchers are having tp sell their cattle because they can't afford to feed them. Crops are non-existent. Dirt as dry as dust. Wild fires. Scorching heat. Death and destruction.

And this is where the politicians come from who don't "believe in" the changing climate patterns all around us. 98% of scientists agree that humans are contributing in a huge way toward the warming of the planet. But Congressmen from oil country don't "believe in" climate change. Rick Perry is just the latest ignorant dude to call it a hoax. James Imhofe from Oklahoma got that lie started years ago. They must travel around their own states, don't they? They must see the reports on TV about crop losses, devastating weather patterns and widespread hunger right under their noses. Or do they? Maybe they don't "believe in" those either.

I've just spent the last few days in Branson, MO. Now this really is "God and Country" territory. Any day or night of the week you can pick from musical shows depicting the old white man version of God carrying an American flag or at least crossing its path on the 40 ft high screen behind the musicians. I look carefully at the older white couples driving cars with "Jesus loves you" bumper stickers and wonder if they have any idea what's actually happening to the country they claim to love so much. They want us to "Pray for Our Troops," but do they have a clue why we're at war in Iraq and Afghanistan? I don't know. Maybe they keep up with the news, but I suspect it's Faux News.

There was a joke going around years ago about a man stranded on the roof of his house surrounded by flood water. Three times, others offer to rescue him, and three times he said God would save him. Of course he drowned. When he got to the "other side," he asked God why he didn't rescue him, and God said, "Well, I sent you help three times and you turned it down."

Maybe the natural disasters we've been suffering through these past few years should be taken as a warning that we need to change our ways or suffer even more diastrous consequences. If God can't get the attention of hard core non-believers like Rick Perry and the Texas billionaires, maybe Mother Nature will whack them in the side of the head and wake them up. If She doesn't, I'd certainly like to have a go at it.

August 2011