A US-based fundie website that blamed Christcurch’s devastating earthquake on “lesbians running loose on the South Island as if they own the place” and general “amoral” behaviour, appears to have been suspended.
When we tried to access the site this morning, a message appeared saying:
The website you are trying to reach is temporarily unavailable.
Earlier, it was reported here that the message it conveyed -Â that the ‘quake was an act of God triggered by the tolerance of homosexual behaviour in the city – had been denounced as “despicable and appalling” by New Zealand’s gay and lesbian community.
The website “Christchurch Quake” – registered on September 20 last year to an address in Utah in the USA – suggested that the destruction was a result of pushy lesbians. It also suggested that the earlier September earthquake, which coincided with the start of Gay Ski Week in Queenstown, was a warning from God to:
End the Evil – or else!
A person injured in the earthquake is carried by rescue workers. Photo: David Wethey/AP
The site claims the September earthquake warning had not been heeded, leading to Tuesday’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which has killed at least 76 people, with reports of up to 300 still missing.
It also suggested that other natural disasters in New Zealand, including the Pike River mine disaster which killed 29 men in November, was triggered by the country’s relaxed attitudes towards gays.
Jay Bennie, who runs the Auckland-based gay and lesbian website GayNz.com, said the people of Christchurch were already under enough stress without reading such outrageous comments.
I think it’s despicable, I think it’s appallingly insensitive, not only to gays and lesbians but to the suggestion that the people of Christchurch, by embracing gays and lesbians to certain degrees in their society, have brought this upon themselves. How cruel.
I’m originally from Christchurch, I’ve got family and friends down there. They’re all okay, but I know the stress they’re going through. They don’t need people like this trying to heap moral judgments and their own personal neuroses onto them and the others who are suffering in Christchurch.
Bennie said he believed religious conservatives were responsible for the website, which says Christchurch was founded by a group of devout Anglicans who built for a purpose a cathedral at its centre.
Bennie said many religious conservatives lived in the American mid-west, and felt threatened by changing social attitudes.
The sort of people who do this, my understanding is that they have a tendency to see the world as a very unsafe place for them and their families because of changing social trends. This feeds into their sense of doom, the-end-of-the-world-is-nigh kind of possibility, and that gays and lesbians are seen as a particular threat to the family.
‘It’s very strong in the American mid-west, as a lot of these conservative, evangelical, Pentecostal kind of religious elements are there, and that that flavour spreads around the world and then pops up in places like New Zealand and Australia and anywhere that there is a disaster that they in their minds can somehow connect.
Hat tip: Bill Murray
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
February 25th, 2011 at 10:20 am
Abject superstition, a blasphemy to God and a shame to those who call themselves “Christian”. And an insult to the people as a whole.
Those senseless idiocies should be legally prosecuted.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:31 am
So if the whole of NZ became christian fundies what would they blame the next quake on?
February 25th, 2011 at 11:08 am
Oh for f***s sake not again. Is looking at a map of the pacific plate too hard for these ‘people’?
February 25th, 2011 at 11:28 am
Let’s not beat about the bush. The people who put up the original message on that web site are clearly unfit to be members of the human race. As such, they have no place in any civilised socety. They should be incarcerated with no possibility of release in a lunatic asylum with like-minded people.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Here’s a Google cache of the site:
http://webcache.googleusercont.....ogle.co.uk
February 25th, 2011 at 11:47 am
I suppose we can console ourselves with the knowledge that the more these nutjobs say ridiculous things like this, the less credence will be afforded to religion in general (and them in particular). Some people will discriminate, and sort the nutters from other religionists, but not all. I suspect more level-headed Christians are cringing at the prospect of being lumped together with such idiots.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:57 am
“It’s very strong in the American mid-west”
No it’s not. The people who believe this junk are just loud and obnoxious. They do not actually represent the vast majority of us.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:59 am
PZ Myers suggests it’s a spoof, perhaps concocted to discredit fundies, or maybe to discredit us (i.e. atheists) when its spurious nature is revealed.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyn.....by_poe.php
All bloody stupid, though, whoever did it.
One thing worth noting about the Christchurch quake is that God’s house fell, or at least the big pointy bit did. If the cathedral had been unharmed, would some Christians have been tempted to claim some sort of divine intevention at work?
February 25th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
I knew it wouldn’t be long for shit like this to crawl out of the swee sewer.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
Us LGBT’s the cause of all this death and destruction; I didn’t realise we were so powerful. I bet next we’ll be blamed for global warming! Sigh.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Angela, we already have been. The pope dobbed us in for that a little while back, I think.
I was looking over that website last night, despicable. I don’t think it was anything but a fundie site. One odd thing though, was the use of the term “poofters”. Not an American word. More UK/NZ/Aus than anything I would have thought.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Don’t those idiots realize that if there were a god he/she/it would have have made sure that his several houses, i.e. churches and cathedrals, would have been spared the general devastation.
February 25th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Whatever happens, it’s always God’s punishment! And he shifts his attention from one minority to the next.
Too bad those morons can’t explain the absence of earth-quakes or other natural disasters in parts of the world where gays are allowed to be out of the closet.
February 25th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
As ever, Bob ‘Fuckwit’ Hutton has something utterly ludicrous and insensitive to say on the subject. (At least this time he isn’t bragging about going into schools with his Gideon chums to convince children that homosexuality is a perversion which results in eternal torment.)
http://bobhutton1.blogspot.com/
February 25th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
This is bog standard stuff now from the Christian Taliban every time there is a natural disaster. I would be surprised if they did not blame sin and wickedness for natural disasters.
I wonder how they would explain it if the Vatican or Pat Robertson’s mansion was destroyed by a natural disaster
February 25th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Why no earthquakes in Old Compton Street, Soho, then? Gayest place in London.
Anyway, I had been waiting for this reaction from the Friends of the Sky Pixie. Amazed it took them this long.
February 25th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
I always suspected lesbians were responsible for the Christchurch catastrophe and I can back that comment up with christian evidence. The disastrous tsunami was caused by nude women swanning about on the shores where the waves struck. The fundamentalist christian who said so warned that unless we all shaped up and covered up more disasters were on the way. And they were. Floods and storms all along the eastern USA coast. And more trouble is coming. California is about to be hit with a big earthquake unless it gets a grip, so to speak, on its gays.
But here is the clincher from my atheist buddy in the Bible Belt. The local fundie Pastor has told his flock that a huge chunk of part of the western coast of Europe is about to slide into the sea. That chunk will cause a massive tsunami which will hit the east coast of the USA. And here is the quote given me twice removed from my friend who got it from a neighbour who heard it from the pastor: “Brothers and sisters, only God’s mighty hand, nay his little finger, can hold back that mighty piece of a continent. For what is a continent, or the whole world, compared to the power of the Almighty. And only repentenance and prayer will save us………………”
Well, you have been warned. Keep clear of California and I think the entire east coast of the USA needs to be evacuated pronto.
February 25th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
face meet palm!
February 25th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Whenever an event like this happens you can garuntee that one or two of the following things will happen
1 some bible bashers will claim that it was gods punishment for something or other
2 some conspiracy nuts will say america done it with their top secret super earthquake causing machine.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Or a combination of 1 and 2
February 25th, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Seriously, are the idiots who come up with these stupidities under medication or what!! Do they actually believe what they say and if they do…..then they should be locked up because I think they are a danger to society and to themselves. But then on the other hand….as for a danger to themselves….who cares!!
February 25th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Whether this account is genuine or not, here is what Hutton says:
The dreadful earthquake in New Zealand continues to dominate front pages with the inevitable stories of people killed, on the one hand, and miraculous escapes on the other. No doubt many will ask the question why did God allow this to happen? Why do earthquakes and natural disasters occur? Surely, people ask, if God was all-powerful He could have prevented this terrible calamity?
The short answer is that when God created the World everything was perfect. However, when Adam sinned the Earth was put under a curse with the inevitable consequence that earthquakes would occur. Moreover, the Bible predicts that as we come ever closer to the 2nd coming of Christ there will be an increase in these kind of events.
Do you wonder that I and many others just had to break away from people like this? What a complete failure of logic! “God” is supposed to suspend those laws upon which he has founded the whole of “Creation” just to protect certain of his creatures from injury or death. But the whole concept of “disaster” is purely subjective anyway. It’s a disaster for an ant colony when an anteater breaks into it to feast on its occupants, but a red letter day for the anteater! Why should “God” favour one of his creatures over the other? The religiots carry the anthropic principle to extremes, and see everything through human eyes. “Disasters” occur because of the laws of physics, without whose reliability and predictability our life on this planet would be totally impossible, yet they think that their god will somehow suspend those laws on a whim, just because it suits them. How very odd!
February 25th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
What is God really trying to say to us when earthquakes happen in earthquake zones? Perhaps he is saying “I am a god that is too incompetant to make a planet that doesn’t kill its inhabitants at random.
Alternately, the planet was totally perfect until a talking snake persuaded a couple of innocent people that they could learn stuff by eating magic fruit. Is it possible that ‘thou shalt not commit adultary’ was mistranslated and should have read ‘thou shalt not become an adult’?
Grown ups don’t believe in fairy stories Mr. Hutton, it is something that most of us grow out of aged about ten.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:09 pm
So it wasn’t heterosexual women showing cleavage? Phew, that’s a relief.
February 25th, 2011 at 11:31 pm
ZombieHunter
Ha ha! I’ll never forget when Hugo Chavez became one of those nuts.
February 26th, 2011 at 1:18 am
There is no credit on this threadhead. But, you would have to be blind to miss that this site highlights attacks on gays. And that’s certainly okay with me. I see no conflict between gay rights and freethought. But, such a tight focus may limit your perception of what I consider to be the relevent point. The gods are terrorists.
According to the stated theory, the christian god murdered gays, straights, the faithful, and the fringe. More than any other country I have researched, NZ is the most christian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.....ew_Zealand
But, in the fog of dimentia, called christianity, the story of the flood where god murdered the entire planet, men, women, and infants, this delusion seems consistent.
Bjohn can probably help me with this. But, the sacking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 607 BC was blamed upon the conduct of the king in the old testiment. An entire nation decimated and survivors led into slavery, because of the mistakes of a man who was a descendant of the king god appointed. jehovah’s standard procedure.
Well, god must understand we aren’t perfect, and that happened because he created the “forbidden fruit” and Satan. So, even if jehovah was real, what sort of self respecting person would take a knee and pray to him for justice, let alone mercy?
Loving? Forgiving? That was what jesus preached. Seems these fundies lost the message, and we’re back to “jehovah of armies”.
NeoWolfe
February 26th, 2011 at 5:31 am
It can’t have been written by someone of “U.S.” origin. Look at the way “behaviour” is spelled. That’s not how it’s done in the U.S. of A. We spell it “behavior”. Yea…I know…I’m a flippin’ Sherlock Holmes.
Why do people fell compelled to judge and assess these situations through a spiritual filter? Fundamentalists of any denomination tend to be inflexible and intolerant. They say things that people who are NOT fundamentalists don’t understand or agree with. Just walk away or shake your head or smile or wave them off or turn your back or better yet, turn the other cheek. That particular piece of advice was given 2,000 years ago and whether or not you agree with the source, it’s still pretty solid advice.
No “one” caused the seismic activity in NZ. No “one” caused anything anywhere. Giving these people dialogue keeps the drama alive and that’s what they want. Turn the other cheek…and then share a laugh…
February 26th, 2011 at 10:42 am
Deb Katz:
Turning the other cheek is fine, but it works better against a smack on the cheek than a bullet. These same fundamentalists are trying to get discrimination incorporated into law (or keep it that way, depending where on the globe you happen to be). Smiling ruefully and saying nothing really isn’t much use against that, now, is it?
February 27th, 2011 at 8:52 am
OFF TOPIC
=========
I find this beyond words despicable and worthy of notice
If it has been posted I missed it.
BBC 22 February 2011
//
Residents tackle East End “gay free zone” stickers
Reprinted and glued to dozens of lampposts and railings in the area, a flyer states: “Arise and warn. Gay free zone. Verily Allah is severe in punishment.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-e.....n-12526820
//
February 27th, 2011 at 8:52 am
There was one whack-job commenting in Boston.com that the quake was God’s wrath about the way Christchurch is often abbreviated to “Chch”. Obviously didn’t occur to this retard that a god so petty wouldn’t be fit to worship.
February 27th, 2011 at 10:38 am
MrGronk:
As opposed to a god petty enough to punish his own creations for the imperfections he designed into them? This particular retard is merely widening the blind-spot that all Christians have at the centre of their belief.
February 27th, 2011 at 11:51 am
ihedenius, re off topic.
You may be interested to read this:
http://johannhari.com//2011/02.....phobia-now
February 27th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
Angela k
That link u suggested hit the nail on the head… Every religion and culture will only accept change and understanding once it us bought to they attention and educate them especially as I truly believe this should begin in schools. Remember as a Muslim u do not learn anything except what ur parents or the mosque teach and u dare not question the book or u will get a beating… It is not the fault of people only once are to blame is religion and those who teach hate of others.
February 27th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
It just occured to me that God punishing people for being just the way he made them is a bit like Basil Fawlty thrashing his car when it broke down. His wife told him to take it to the garage rather than try to fix it himself. Basil of course is too tight with his money to take her advice and so the car conks out and leads to an all time classic sitcom scene where Basil grabs a branch and gives his car a good thrashing.
On reflection, God is like Basil in lots of other ways as well.
February 27th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Angela K,
Thanks, Bookmarked.
February 27th, 2011 at 10:04 pm
NeoWolfe: The article is Barry Duke’s – the information is only found on the main page. You’re right about the kings – they were either “good” or ” evil”, and the people suffered accordingly. Nothing in between, just like bad fiction (now there’s a surprise!).
February 28th, 2011 at 12:53 am
Stoney;
Most perfect analogy I’ve read in ages. God as a screaming John Cleese – I’m still chuckling over the image
February 28th, 2011 at 2:44 am
The fallen churches as of today have been the scenes of the second biggest death toll in Christchurch after the TV station building. I’ve read that 80% of the cities halls of the closed mind have been destroyed or damaged. They’ve taken 20 bodies out of the cathedral and are expecting another 22. At another church, also in the city, six were killed when it collapsed. They weren’t even inside, they were in a bus parked out the front. What good is this god thing? He / She / it is about as useful as a cigarette lighter to a scuba diver. Move on people.
February 28th, 2011 at 5:58 am
If you do a google search on the links you can get the sub pages – there is a *lot* of mental there -
e.g. http://webcache.googleusercont.....ogle.co.uk
“The Homosexual Religion – Lucifer Is a Lesbian!
The Gay Rights Agenda is Really About Promoting The Canaanite Religion – It Goes Way Beyong Protecting Homosexuals From Attack
Lucifer
Lucifer Is A Lesbian
Our artwork almost always portrays the devil, aka Lucifer, as a male. The popular image is a long way from accurate.
First, the name Lucifer is more of a European invention than a Biblically accurate name. The name Lucifer is derived from the Latin (Roman) words for light (Lux), and carrier (fer).
And as for the male idea, well . . .
In the spiritual dimension,male and female are not exactly the same as in our world. But there are similarities. For physical beings, it is the female egg which receives the additional chromosomes from the male cell.
In the spiritual world, the one who gives (God) is male. While the one who receives (creation) is female. That means that relative to God, the devil, as part of creation, is female.
That is why the Genesis account records the devil targetting the female half of creation (Eve). It was because the devil believed Eve, as another female, was more on the devil’s wavelength than the male (Adam). The devil was “networking” with another female.
But there is more to the story than just a serpent waving a bit of fruit in front of a gullible female.
The explanation is complex, but in brief, the serpent became Eve’s spiritual guru. And eventually the serpent got Eve sloshed on the forbidden fruit (alcohol), and seduced her. That is the reason why the inauguration of the Tabernacle in the desert (Numbers) is interspersed with the story of the adulterous wife (Numbers 5) and of the Nazirite (no alcohol – Numbers 6). The Tabernacle, and the vortex within the Holy of Holies, was the way back to Eden. Eve was an adulteress, seduced by the devil / serpent. The adulterous cheating wife, or the wife suspected of adultery, was forced to stand at the (east) gate of the Tabernacle. Similarly the story of Jesus and the woman caught in the act of adultery, occurs in the Temple grounds (near the entrance back to the higher dimension of Eden.) The story makes a point of Jesus coming from the Mount of Olives (east of Eden – the east of Eden was where creation was exiled, after Eve’s adultery. Two cherubs guarded the way back into Eden. So in Moses’ days, two cherubs, on top of the Ark, guarded the way through the vortex, the point of glowing light between the cherubs, and above the lid of the Ark of the Covenant). So before the confrontation with the Jewish elders over the adulterous wife, Jesus came from the east of Eden — ie from the east of the Temple.. He failed to condemn her — because like Eve, she was not the only one guilty of sin — the male side of creation had sinned too — so the elders left, one by one, leaving the woman uncondemned.”
and it goes on…
March 1st, 2011 at 1:54 am
and thou saeth thee, go unto thy club of thy night, in thy city of sodom, where thou shall find a batty,thoust lust for. slippeth thine roofie into thine goblet, and thy lord shall grant you thine batty for the pillaging.
Jebidiah 42:19
March 1st, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Hold on, Lucifer is a Lesbian?
Somebody’s been reading too much pulp fiction.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Satan-.....038;sr=8-1 (Yes it’s a card but it was a book cover first)
March 4th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
What kind of god worth worshipping thinks that the solution to something he doesn’t like is to kill hundreds of people who may not actually be doing the thing he doesn’t like, including a five month old baby? What a prick.