|
I've been delinquent in keeping my blog current so let me get started again with something a little lighter (well maybe its light, maybe its not...you decide).
My friend Laura passed on a very intersting web-link to me yesterday. According to a senior Muslim cleric in Iran, immodestly dressed women are to blame for increased seismic activity in his country. "Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which (consequently) increases earthquakes," says Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi. You can read more here .
Yikes! Is that really how it works? I had not previously seen the connection between fashion and the movement of the earth's plates. And why precisely is it women's immodesty and not men's dirty jokes that are to blame? What happens (and I'm sure this never happens so its just a hypothetical) when young men lead women astray in Iran? Tornados?
Now before I go too far in making light of Sedighi's comments, let's remember that many Christian leaders have made similar statements on catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina or 9/11. My post (Jan 15th, 2010) on Pat Robertson's assessment of Haiti bears striking resemblance to the statements coming out of Tehran. AND, accroding to Jewish and Christian scriptures, sin and immorality can eventually lead to the judgment of God. Read any one of the minor prophets and you'll soon see my point. But how much do humans really know about why God allows specific things to happen?
So...what do you think? How far can one Muslim or one Christian go in making statements like these onGod's behalf?
|
