In the Book of Isaiah, God speaks of building a garden...

a vineyard more specifically. He plants the choicest grapes, landscapes and contours the fields, puts up hedgerows to protect it from predators, wild animals, and passing theives. In the center, He builds a tower...from which to look at the beauty and survey the progress of the harvest.

Unfortunately, all God ever gets from the vineyard is sour grapes.

This was an analogy for Israel and her betrayel of the blessings God had bestowed upon her. Likewise, we could also apply the same analogy to America. We have been blessed and at one time had the highest standard of living, education, productivity, manufacturing, wealth, health, etc.

However, as the USA has strayed from it's founding Judeo-Christian beliefs, our country has fallen from grace, so to speak. We now reap the biiter grapes of wrath we have sown.

Likewise in so many Old testament books of the Bible... we see God punishinf people that have turned away from Him or have forgotten where their blessings flow from... Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the 12 minor prophets... all speak of the Wrath of God as his people stray from Him.

Now... we see massive drought, massive debt, massive corruption, debauchery, tragedies as our morals continue to slide and as we become "enlightened" with the power of self and Man. Natural and manmade disasters plague our country... just as they plagued Israel and Judah... revelling in sin even as the enemies tear at the walls and barge down the gates...

Moderators... not sure if this goes in Religion Conspiracies, Fragile Earth, or Faith...move as you wish.

my question, and this is not about IF there is a God...

Is God punishing the United States of America as we drift further and further away from God and His Words?

Originally posted by AlreadyGone

Now... we see massive drought, massive debt, massive corruption, debauchery, tragedies as our morals continue to slide and as we become "enlightened" with the power of self and Man. Natural and manmade disasters plague our country... just as they plagued Israel and Judah... revelling in sin even as the enemies tear at the walls and barge down the gates...

I'm not a big religion kinda person . . . but keeping it in the spirit of your original post, I don't think there is any kind of supreme being punishing the fine folks of the US, or anywhere else in the world rather we're punishing ourselves.

Be it pure greed or sheer stupidity, we've repeated the same cycle over and over and over and that's how we've gotten to the snippet that I yoinked from your post.

Blaming it on the wrath of God is the easy out . . . realizing we've done all this to ourselves is the tougher job . . . but until we take responsibility and own the mess we've made, we're doomed to keep repeating it until extinction.

Shouldn't you be standing on a corner with a sign saying that the world is ending?

Its not god doing anything, its the natural consequences of corruption. It happens time and time again, its human nature.

Yes. God is punishing America because of your mistreatment over the years of blacks, hispanics and gays. And because you keep electing idiots as President. And because you can't make a decent cup of tea.

Happy now?

no....as has been done for several centuries..."wealth" is simply moving out to use, and exploit, the next group. china is the next "america"...as america was the next "england"...as england was the next "rome"....each was/is or will be an empire. "wealth" is the master, discreet, subtle, flexing its power over long periods of time, so the worlds various groups barely notice its quiet rule.
as with each of these empires, it was the deteriorating economys of the time that caused their downfall.

In the strongest language possible, the Bible says because of iniquity the land will vomit out its inhabitants. Once the people of the land accept inequities, things such as homosexuality and child sacrifice (abortion) are signs that God has already given many over to a reprobate mind. This reprobate mind will accept further and further evils until they are destroyed. So yes to your question. Many today show that reprobate mind - fighting for the right to murder babies, to murder their elderly and to promote anal and lesbian sex as if it's natural - and by doing so, they have chosen evil and the death that follows. Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by God Himself. This judgment is simple:  they are given over to their passions.  That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins (Romans 1:24).  As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing, and then they go and promote it and condemn others who don't participate in their sin.  So, without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will be no repentance and trusting in Jesus.  Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness.  Without forgiveness, there is no salvation.

Originally posted by AlreadyGone
In the Book of Isaiah, God speaks of building a garden...

a vineyard more specifically. He plants the choicest grapes, landscapes and contours the fields, puts up hedgerows to protect it from predators, wild animals, and passing theives. In the center, He builds a tower...from which to look at the beauty and survey the progress of the harvest.

Unfortunately, all God ever gets from the vineyard is sour grapes.

This was an analogy for Israel and her betrayel of the blessings God had bestowed upon her. Likewise, we could also apply the same analogy to America. We have been blessed and at one time had the highest standard of living, education, productivity, manufacturing, wealth, health, etc.

However, as the USA has strayed from it's founding Judeo-Christian beliefs, our country has fallen from grace, so to speak. We now reap the biiter grapes of wrath we have sown.

Likewise in so many Old testament books of the Bible... we see God punishinf people that have turned away from Him or have forgotten where their blessings flow from... Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the 12 minor prophets... all speak of the Wrath of God as his people stray from Him.

Now... we see massive drought, massive debt, massive corruption, debauchery, tragedies as our morals continue to slide and as we become "enlightened" with the power of self and Man. Natural and manmade disasters plague our country... just as they plagued Israel and Judah... revelling in sin even as the enemies tear at the walls and barge down the gates...

Moderators... not sure if this goes in Religion Conspiracies, Fragile Earth, or Faith...move as you wish.

my question, and this is not about IF there is a God...

Is God punishing the United States of America as we drift further and further away from God and His Words?

God is just making sure you all know what true wrongness is and the people of US/world as a whole have not learned the lesson that they should not play around with ego/duality and hate and especially not the pyramid of power. The faster everyone gets it and learns the lessons the faster the change will come.

While some drift away from religon for different reason either on side seeking god without human smallminded thinking or the side of following their wants/egos. Some find gnosis and get proof of god and get an personal relationship with god. Have faith if you want. I think god is very happy with the amount of souls finding him every day and the increasing understanding of human conciousness.

Namaste

Or maybe it's just because we're such a lazy pathetic greedy bunch of whining snivellers, we sloth around in our own misery, waiting for the next president . . . congress . . . Jerry Springer Miracle Dude . . . winning lottery ticket . . . a sign from Jesus or Bhudda or the Maple Syrup Bottle Lady or whoever to provide a quick-fast-fix to our problems so we can go about creating them again because we haven't learned doodly over squat since the first cells divided in some cesspool swamp bog somewhere shortly after the dinosaurs started their transformation into oil.

Own up to it folks . . . Jesus didn't buy you that seven bedroom house and remortgage it to buy the boat and the sixty twelve hundred dollar freakin' sneakers . . . WE DID.

It's all about the bucks . . . just ask the guys in the funky underwearsuits guarding the vault at the Vatican.

Face it . . . this little blob of cosmic snot is inhabited by a bunch of greedy, lazy, pathetic losers . . . and it ain't never gonna change.

End of story.

"you reap what you sow"

Originally posted by WhoKnows100
In the strongest language possible, the Bible says because of iniquity the land will vomit out its inhabitants. Once the people of the land accept inequities, things such as homosexuality and child sacrifice (abortion) are signs that God has already given many over to a reprobate mind. This reprobate mind will accept further and further evils until they are destroyed. So yes to your question. Many today show that reprobate mind - fighting for the right to murder babies, to murder their elderly and to promote anal and lesbian sex as if it's natural - and by doing so, they have chosen evil and the death that follows. Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by God Himself. This judgment is simple:  they are given over to their passions.  That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins (Romans 1:24).  As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing, and then they go and promote it and condemn others who don't participate in their sin.  So, without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will be no repentance and trusting in Jesus.  Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness.  Without forgiveness, there is no salvation.

The truth in your words is remarkable.

Now if only the people in the US would turn back to God and ask for forgiveness.

And for the gay pride people. The bible does say Adam and Eve not adam and steve.

The only place you see homosexuality is in animals.Nothing can be said to make me think different.

If you do not like it to bad that's the bottom line cause stone cold said so.

I don't believe in the God of the Old Testament. That is the vengeful God.

I believe that God is trying to help us make ourselves better, not punishing us.

So, I think that it is up to us to improve our country. It is up to each and everyone of us to make the country a little better each and every day.

Originally posted by grayghost

Originally posted by WhoKnows100
In the strongest language possible, the Bible says because of iniquity the land will vomit out its inhabitants. Once the people of the land accept inequities, things such as homosexuality and child sacrifice (abortion) are signs that God has already given many over to a reprobate mind. This reprobate mind will accept further and further evils until they are destroyed. So yes to your question. Many today show that reprobate mind - fighting for the right to murder babies, to murder their elderly and to promote anal and lesbian sex as if it's natural - and by doing so, they have chosen evil and the death that follows. Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by God Himself. This judgment is simple:  they are given over to their passions.  That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins (Romans 1:24).  As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing, and then they go and promote it and condemn others who don't participate in their sin.  So, without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will be no repentance and trusting in Jesus.  Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness.  Without forgiveness, there is no salvation.

The truth in your words is remarkable.

Now if only the people in the US would turn back to God and ask for forgiveness.

And for the gay pride people. The bible does say Adam and Eve not adam and steve.

The only place you see homosexuality is in animals.Nothing can be said to make me think different.

If you do not like it to bad that's the bottom line cause stone cold said so.

edit on 8-8-2012 by grayghost because: (no reason given)

edit on 8-8-2012 by grayghost because: spelling

Wrong!

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

And many a soul's wedding vow comes from the vow of a lesbian!

“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

The Book of Ruth, Chapter 1

If all you get is sour grapes make sweet raisins. God should know that surely?

*Sayeth Suspiria chuckling that there IS actually a seedless grape/currant called Corinthians*