Common responses to Danny Nalliah and the Victorian bush fires

Danny Nalliah published a press release stating the bush fires in Victoria were a judgement of God on the state of Victoria because of the horendous abortion laws passed their recently.  A general stament was originally made in November 2008 here.  You can read a subsequent press release that restates and elaborates on both the fires and his statement that they were God’s judgment.

The following are quotes sourced from various websites in the wake of the tragic Victorian bush fires.  I have collected them because them describe fairly well what seems to me to be the general mindset of Christians on the topic of ‘God and national judgement’.  Some quotes are from non-Christians (I assume) but still they convey what seems a common view amongst Christians.

As a follower of Jesus, I totally distance myself from the condemnation that Danny has claimed. Many of the bush fires happened because crazy people lit fires – those people are probably male and have never even had an abortion. Dannys’ view is so far from what mainstream Christians think, it’s virtually ridiculous (not to mention utterly insensitive).

The comments made by Pastor Danny Nalliah are some of the most offensive and inappropriate I have ever read.  So, your god kills? What about “thou shalt not kill”?  These outdated and antediluvian comments are best left in the dark ages where they originated.

So this guy’s god (no, I won’t dignify the noun with a capital) will kill children already here and loved? And why? Because blobs of protoplasm were removed from the lives of grown humans – who made agonised choices not to turn them into unwanted children?? This is not a god to be respected, and the messenger should be ashamed of himself.

Are the Bush Fires the Judgment of God?
God rain on the just and the unjust. Christians have their problems just as non-Christians do.
We have a Wonderful Saviour and Lord. Jesus the Messiah is not a vindictive God. He feels the pain just as much if not more than those who suffered such catastrophes.
Our Beloved Lord Jesus has told us that these catastrophes would happen. Matthew 24:4-7.

Pastor Danny Nalliah obviously doesn’t know his bible – read Luke 13

Is he aware of the churches and Christian centres that were burned to the ground?   His comments are highly insensitive and quite frankly “unchristian”

It’s a disgrace that such an individual would think such comments were worthy of sharing with anyone beyond his own ‘flock’. And secondly it’s a disgrace that Australia’s mainstream media would actually report such commentary justified as news. Such hate-filled commentary shouldn’t be published or given any air time.

Do such Christians really believe God punishes the innocent to teach the guilty? Jeremiah contradicted that idea more than 2500 years ago.

Is there no end to this man’s arrogance and impertinence and zealotry?  This man cannot go unscathed and his cruel zealotry unchallenged. … I once received human excrement in the mail from a hate-filled zealot. Even that was less offensive than this offering from Pastor Danny Nalliah. – Derryn Hinch

“To link the death and the suffering of bushfire victims to other political events is appalling, heartless and wrong.” – Peter Costello

References:

http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2009/02/abortion-laws-t.html?program=612_evenings