Source: Current TV
URL: http://current.com/shows/joy-behar/videos/was-superstorm-sandy-an-act-of-god-or-global-warming/
Date: 08/11/2012
Event: Everything is "happening bad in the world, now, with climate change"
Credit: Current TV
People:
[Joy Behar is holding up a copy of the New York Post, which has the headline "Sandy, now snow & ice: GOD HATES US! ... but we have an angel" and which features a picture of Miranda Kerr modelling underwear for Victoria's Secret.]
Joy Behar: This is the cover of the Post today. "God hates us". I mean, what are they talking about, here? Do you believe that there's -
Edward Beck: God does not hate her [indicating the picture of scantily clad Miranda Kerr. Laughter.]
Joy Behar: No.
Anthea Butler: God loves her.
Shmuley Boteach: You know, that's quite a, quite a cover - I don't know what they want you to focus on. You know, the "God hates us" or whoever's on the cover.
Edward Beck: Why would people, though, blame Sandy on God?
Joy Behar: I know...
Edward Beck: Why not blame it, though, on global warming, abuse of the environment -
Joy Behar: Because it's the Post, that's why.
Edward Beck: - people's bad choices...
Shmuley Boteach: Let's be clear, a lot of people do have this model that sin leads to punishment, and unfortunately it has alienated so many people from the idea of a loving God, a beneficent God. This is a God of vengeance. The fact is the word -
Edward Beck: But good people got punished too.
Shmuley Boteach: Well, except that -
Joy Behar: Exactly.
Shmuley Boteach: The word "Israel" means "he who wrestles with God". Every time something bad happens, we're supposed to wag a finger at God, the way Abraham did, the way Moses did, and say "How could you treat innocent, righteous, decent people this way?"
Joy Behar: And what's the answer?
Shmuley Boteach: The answer is that we don't want to know the explanation, we never want it to happen. Let's say I [inaudible] in explaining -
Joy Behar: It keeps happening.
Shmuley Boteach: No, but if I said to you -
Joy Behar: Do you have an ongoing argument with God?
Shmuley Boteach: - if I said to you that the reason why a hundred innocent people died in Hurricane Sandy, would you suddenly say "Oh, that's the reason - it's not a tragedy any more." It's still a tragedy. It shouldn't happen. We don't want an explanation. We want it not to happen.
Joy Behar: Let me ask you this - is it a sin to destroy the Earth? Which is what we're doing, in this world.
Anthea Butler: Well, I think it is.
Edward Beck: Definitely, it is.
Joy Behar: I mean, isn't that a sin against God?
Anthea Butler: Absolutely.
Joy Behar: If you believe in God, and you deny global warming and climate change, like some of those people -
Anthea Butler: This is the problem.
Joy Behar: Rush Limbaugh is one of the first ones - we talked about him, before - the first one. Every scientist says we have climate change, but Rush Limbaugh says the opposite. And the people that listen - the dittoheads who listen to him agree with that.
Anthea Butler: Well, yeah.
Joy Behar: They say that we're making this up. Meanwhile, everything is happening bad in the world, now, with climate change. Go on, sorry.
Anthea Butler: No, but this is the problem. You know, it's like you can have a God that's going to be, you know, like the fire, brimstone kind of God.
Joy Behar: Yeah.
Anthea Butler: But you don't also have the kind of God that you want to say "I want to take care of this creation". You know, if you're going to go on - God created the Heavens and Earth. If that's what you believe, then take care of the creation.
Edward Beck: Right.
Anthea Butler: Don't blame God for the stuff that's happening, because it's global warming, because we burnt up everything, we keep flying around, with cars and everything -
Edward Beck: And that's an ancient Biblical notion.
Shmuley Boteach: Strange to hear that, because God does say that He'll protect the innocent. I mean, does - to let God off the hook - [everyone is speaking at once.]
Anthea Butler: I love having you here - I always feel like I've been absolved of all my sins.
Edward Beck: Well, you haven't, then.
Anthea Butler: I haven't? Oh...
Edward Beck: That comes later.
Anthea Butler: I'll do the confession again.
Edward Beck: All right.