“God is punishing Australia”

[Antz12]

Yesterday in field service our brother taking the group paraphrased a news item he had come across.

 

He stayed that the report was from a pastor in USA and was in relation to Australia’s current bushfire crisis.

 

The paraphrase went something along the lines of: “the bushfires that Australia is experiencing is punishment from God.” (These bushfires have resulted in at least 27 deaths and over 2100 homes destroyed thus far. The crisis is still on going in all but two states of Australia)

 

The brother then gave us Jer 29:11 as a nice scripture to counter any discussions.

 

My question is, has anyone else heard this report or have a news link to it, can anyone verify this at all please?

 

TIA, to my kind and loving family.

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

This was said in Australia too...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/18/israel-folau-says-bushfires-and-drought-are-gods-punishment-for-same-sex-marriage-and-abortion

Just Older

[New World Explorer]

So according to them ....Is God hurting and punishing 500 million animals that perished during fires? 

 

And if they say YES, what those animals are guilty off? 

 

 

Another “false teaching” promoted by those who are mislead. 

[Hinata]

The Australian fire had become a quite an issue worldwide. So of course it has become a news topic here too.

 

While I haven't seen any such claim in the official news here, in the comments made by users in one of the internet news, people have been saying topics like that "God do not exist." (For allowing stuff like so to happen.) Or someone else saying "since human have destroyed the nature so much, it is not a wonder why God would allow such event," or "if God is allowing such suffering, he must be evil."

 

It really does seem that the famous logic "If there exists omnipotent and omniscient God, why do suffering exist?" work quite well here.

[Thesauron]

Did anyone warn them beforehand that God would punish them by means of bushfires?

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2019601

[Loopy]

I used my search engine on this subject. The only thing I could find is some sports figure (rugby) is preaching this is God’s wrath. His reasoning is the acceptance of same sex marriage.....But wait, if that’s the case, the whole earth would be on fire. 

 

Here’s just a small piece of the article. 

 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/117489806/israel-folau-fire-and-droughts-in-australia-are-gods-punishment

 

Sacked former Wallabies star Israel Folau says the ongoing bushfire crisis in Australia is punishment from God, adding to the blame being thrown around the country.

 

In a sermon posted on Facebook, Folau claimed the crisis, along with the ongoing drought, were both punishments for legalising same-sex marriage and abortion.

 

"God's word says for a man and a woman to be together, one man and one woman in the covenant of marriage to be together.

 

 

 

 

[Ludwika]

We could use Abraham's words at Gen 18:25, "it is unthinkable of you...." Since these fires are indiscriminate, and climate change is man made, and man is ruining the earth, not Jehovah God, why blame God? 

[BenJepthah]

The same dumb things are said in the United States whenever a city is hit by a hurricane. 

     The good news for us is it makes an easy conversation starter .