Siloam Springs Herald Leader

Fantasy versus fact

- Siloam Springs

Reference Doug Chastain’s article, “Is there such thing as luck?” Nov. 21, 2023, in which he recounted two mysterious events. The first was a near-death vehicle catastroph­e.

In the second event, during a storm, a tree fell in the small space between his truck and his house. One foot to either side would have demolished either his house or truck.

He wrote that the tree was, “laid down as if some giant hand had picked it up and gently placed it there…In my first example, I attributed my good fortune to luck. In the second case, I knew better. The fact is, there is no such thing as ‘luck.’ There is the almost constant — sometimes miraculous — interventi­on of Providence on our behalf to guard us, guide us and protect us, even if it’s from our own folly.”

Common sense and the Bible prove Chastain’s fact is fantasy.

The NIV Old Testament lists 154 passages that include the words “storm” and “disaster.” In most cases, God brags that he creates storms and disasters and uses them indiscrimi­nately, mostly against his own people.

If you include all the plagues and diseases as disasters that God creates and uses to kill, maim and destroy, there are hundreds more. He killed 70,000 innocent people for the sin of the “man after his own heart.” 2 Samuel 24:15.

Jesus also controls storms. (Luke 8:23-25).

A total of 1,833 people died in Hurricane Katrina, which, many Christian leaders stated as fact, was sent by God. Apparently, none were Christians worth saving.

Meet Bryan Holloway, also a former teacher and former member

of the North Carolina House of Representa­tives. He taught U.S. History, Economics, Legal and Political Systems, and World History. In the Documentar­y Film “In God We Trust” He declares, “Things in science do not challenge me and my faith. I believe everything the Bible says, if God said he put all those animals in the Ark, in a cracker box, I would believe it.”

Both Holloway and Chastain apparently have the same lack of critical thinking skills.

However, I don’t think most of these Christians promoting ignorance are that stupid. I think they have some self-serving purpose. I may be wrong, but I am not wrong that their influence in the classrooms, churches and in society is destructiv­e to our domestic tranquilit­y, our general welfare, to ourselves and our posterity.

Oren Piper

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