Condolences to the victims of the Indonesia quake

[Hand of Evil]

According to scientists, the Earth's axle has MOVED 0.002" (or 6 cm) (!!!) and the quake MOVED a few islands off the coast of Sumatra by as much as 30 METERS!

They claim the climate of the world won't change, but astronomical calculations will need to be remade...

Yep, we're just tiny specks of dust in the big picture...

if you want to read more...

Scientists: Quake may have made Earth wobble

The deadly Asian earthquake may have permanently accelerated the Earth's rotation, shortening days by a fraction of a second and caused the planet to wobble on its axis, U.S. scientists said Tuesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/12/29/quake.wobble.reut/index.html

 

[johnsemlak]

I found this quote from the New York Times rather moving:

link

text removed; sorry, it was not my intent to provoke a religious discussion

 

[Kodam]

Hi!

Deaths are up to 80.000-100.000. Thats one of the worst catastrophes in human history ever.
On the oper sea, the waves just didn't look special at all and the next moment the buildings stood in the water up to the roof!

Horrible.

Kodam

 

[Krug]

It's like some telethon where everytime I check the news site it's a new tally.

 

[Sebastian Francis]

I found this quote from the New York Times rather moving:

Interesting quote, but it is certainly religiously loaded (or secularly loaded, more to the point). The author is basically saying that this quake proves there is no God and no purpose to our existence.

I'll stop now before we violate the "no religion" clause.

 

[tarchon]

Interesting quote, but it is certainly religiously loaded (or secularly loaded, more to the point). The author is basically saying that this quake proves there is no God and no purpose to our existence.

Saying that tectonic plates are oblivious to human existance is not at all a statement as to the existence of god or metaphysical human purpose, positive or negative. In fact, I think one would find that people who believe in the sentimentality of tectonic plates are in a very small minority, regardless of their religious beliefs.

 

[Truth Seeker]

It's like some telethon where everytime I check the news site it's a new tally.

.....

 

[Sebastian Francis]

Saying that tectonic plates are oblivious to human existance is not at all a statement as to the existence of god or metaphysical human purpose, positive or negative. In fact, I think one would find that people who believe in the sentimentality of tectonic plates are in a very small minority, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Oh, come on. Read the whole quote. Obviously, nobody believes that tectonic plates are sentient (I think you meant "sentient" rather than "sentimental" ), but the writer had a definite anti-religious worldview. Which is fine, of course...I was just pointing it out.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Oh, come on. Read the whole quote. Obviously, nobody believes that tectonic plates are sentient (I think you meant "sentient" rather than "sentimental" ), but the writer had a definite anti-religious worldview. Which is fine, of course...I was just pointing it out.

Firstly, I think he actually did mean sentimentality as he wrote. Sentient would be nonesense. Secondly, I really can't see the religious loading or lack thereof in the quote. Thirdly, is there a point of bringing up such a discussion in this thread?



On another note, I just learned today that two more of my friends, not close but nonetheless friends, are among the missing. I hope they turn up okay.

 

[tarchon]

Oh, come on. Read the whole quote. Obviously, nobody believes that tectonic plates are sentient (I think you meant "sentient" rather than "sentimental" ), but the writer had a definite anti-religious worldview. Which is fine, of course...I was just pointing it out.

The mere fact that someone doesn't mention God in a statement about life and nature does not mean that they deny God. If you don't assume that, it sounds like a perfectly agnostic comment on the ephemerality of life and the emotionless power of nature. If you've never seen that same comment made by numerous religious persons of all faiths throughout history, you haven't read much.