Weather "Geeks"?

[MysticMissMisty]

Salvete, omnes!

I have always been a bit of a meteorology “geek”, having an interest particularly in the science of weather, and it got me to thinking…

There are many meteorologists who also certainly cultivate such an interest, many of whom are also quite “geeked out”/interested and even awed by very severe weather, if, they say, of courrse, no-one loses their lives in it.

Did storms, both summer ones and winter ones, both severe and otherwise, come about as a result of the Fall of Man? What of other inclement weather such as extreme heat or cold? If any of these things came about as a result of the Fall, is it proper for the Christian, meteorologist or not, to be gratefully awed in any way by such phenomena? After all, oftentimes this awe would presumably be accompanied by at least an implicit praise of God for these things. But, how can we praise God for the awesomeness, beauty, strength, etc. of such things if they came about as a result of the Fall and were thus not the original perfect state of things?

Though, isn’t there a pslam in Scripture somewhere that speaks of “God’s lightning” or “God’s thunder”, as if attributing it to Him? In the context of the Fall, then, how are we to take such verses? Do they given justification to the “weather geeks” who would also be in awe of storms, “normal” and severe and other such phenomena?

Any authoritative teachings/infallible declarations on these matters? If not, any opinions/thoughts/analysis/arguments from the forum here?

Gratias tibi multas.

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

John. 3:8.

The wind Blows where it want, has nothing to do with a mans faith,
Unless I can be corrected,

 

[GEddie]

Storm weather results from the laws of physics, from the transfer of heat between the land and sea and the stratosphere. Seasonal weather results from the axial tilt of the earth.

Neither of which were caused by original sin.

So I imagine that storms would have come about without it.

ICXC NIKA

 

[MysticMissMisty]

Storm weather results from the laws of physics, from the transfer of heat between the land and sea and the stratosphere. Seasonal weather results from the axial tilt of the earth.

Neither of which were caused by original sin.

So I imagine that storms would have come about without it.

ICXC NIKA

Is this official teaching? I was always under the impression that severe weather and other natural disasters have been thought to have come about in some way as a result ofthe Fall of Man.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

John. 3:8.

The wind Blows where it want, has nothing to do with a mans faith,
Unless I can be corrected,

“The answer is blowing in the wind…”

 

[GEddie]

Is this official teaching? I was always under the impression that severe weather and other natural disasters have been thought to have come about in some way as a result ofthe Fall of Man.

“Have been thought,” but this was never Church teaching.

Certainly the mechanics of the ocean and the atmosphere antecede human life.

ICXC NIKA

 

[1ke]

I was always under the impression that severe weather and other natural disasters have been thought to have come about in some way as a result ofthe Fall of Man.

The Church does not teach this.

 

[MysticMissMisty]

The Church does not teach this.

Really? I mean, I don’t mean to sound harsh, but, can I get a second opinion on this statement? Time and time again, both in Protestant and Catholic conversation, I honestly recall hearing that “natural disasters are the result of the fallen state of this world” to the answer as to “why natural disasters happen”.

If this is not the case, then how do we explain severe weather and other natural disasters? If this Earth was designed with man at its head and with man as its ultimate end (designed for man and his benefit, as–I believe–the Church teaches), then why would God allow natural disasters to destroy both things that are beneficial to man and man himself, even if there is apparently no other moral cause that can be given for some men’s destruction?

 

[PolarGuy]

Misty, you are doing the exact same thing here that you are doing side-by-side in the thread you started about whether metallurgy skills came from fallen angels (?!?): When told, “no, the Catholic Church doesn’t teach this,” you just say, “well, I hear otherwise, so are you sure you’re not wrong?”

–Saying “I hear otherwise” is meaningless. If you think, say, 1KE is wrong (and I find her pretty much 100% correct on doctrinal questions), (1) tell us why, and (2) *cite some authority * other than “what you maybe recall maybe hearing somewhere.”

–Now, how do WE explain it? We “explain” as the above posters do! And the Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust. One would think that’d be enough, but, you know, compared to what you maybe recall hearing…

 

[MysticMissMisty]

Misty, you are doing the exact same thing here that you are doing side-by-side in the thread you started about whether metallurgy skills came from fallen angels (?!?): When told, “no, the Catholic Church doesn’t teach this,” you just say, “well, I hear otherwise, so are you sure you’re not wrong?”

–Saying “I hear otherwise” is meaningless. If you think, say, 1KE is wrong (and I find her pretty much 100% correct on doctrinal questions), (1) tell us why, and (2) *cite some authority * other than “what you maybe recall maybe hearing somewhere.”

–Now, how do WE explain it? We “explain” as the above posters do! And the Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust. One would think that’d be enough, but, you know, compared to what you maybe recall hearing…

Thing is, what I “recall maybe hearing” is, rather, what I recall reading, and I know that my sources were either one (or more) of the Fathers or Aquinas (reading on New Advent). Please keep in mind that I am very very very new to exploring the Catholic faith, so I don’t have a working knowledge of every one of the Fathers and precisely what every one of them said precisely where, nor am I entirely acquainted with Aquinas. But, again, I do recall reading the kinds of statements (or at least this was my understanding of them) from a very learned source. In any case, I recall reading and understanding that this world was designed for the benefit of man and everything in it was designed for this purpose. Now, as fr as natural disasters being a result of the fallenness of the world, I believe that this is a later development of the aforementioned idea and I admittedly can’t give you a precise source for it.

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

Really? I mean, I don’t mean to sound harsh, but, can I get a second opinion on this statement? Time and time again, both in Protestant and Catholic conversation, I honestly recall hearing that “natural disasters are the result of the fallen state of this world” to the answer as to “why natural disasters happen”.

If this is not the case, then how do we explain severe weather and other natural disasters? If this Earth was designed with man at its head and with man as its ultimate end (designed for man and his benefit, as–I believe–the Church teaches), then why would God allow natural disasters to destroy both things that are beneficial to man and man himself, even if there is apparently no other moral cause that can be given for some men’s destruction?

I really think your going a bit far fetched in your thoughts , going by your way of thinking
Earthquakes & volcanoes have little to do with a Tectonic Plates ,
Thank God that mankind has Science to prove many things as nonsense ,

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

Thing is, what I “recall maybe hearing” is, rather, what I recall reading, and I know that my sources were either one (or more) of the Fathers or Aquinas (reading on New Advent). Please keep in mind that I am very very very new to exploring the Catholic faith, so I don’t have a working knowledge of every one of the Fathers and precisely what every one of them said precisely where, nor am I entirely acquainted with Aquinas. But, again, I do recall reading the kinds of statements (or at least this was my understanding of them) from a very learned source. In any case, I recall reading and understanding that this world was designed for the benefit of man and everything in it was designed for this purpose. Now, as fr as natural disasters being a result of the fallenness of the world, I believe that this is a later development of the aforementioned idea and I admittedly can’t give you a precise source for it.

That’s why we should read the Bible,