Women ask a fortune teller, left, at the Shwedagon Pagoda (temple) in Yangon, on May 16, 2008. Even after the twin catastrophes of the cyclone here and the earthquake in China, the outlook for Myanmar, and the rest of Asia, is not good for the remainder of this year, Yangon’s revered astrologers agree.(HLA HLA HTAY/AFP/Getty)

Not to minimize the tragedy the people of Myanmar are facing from a devastating cyclone and from their own selfish, brutal military government, but I, as a Christian, cannot ignore certain aspects of the situation. I do not believe in coincidences. I firmly believe that it is the hand of GOD whenever there is rain, a hurricane, a tornado, earthquakes or any kind of storm — especially when its affects are on such a wide scale. GOD plans it all, no matter how great or how seemingly small it may appear to us.

There are plenty of examples in the Holy Bible of GOD sending such destruction onto areas steeped in sins, such as idolatry and pagan religion. As the Holy Bible makes it clear, GOD’s anger was stirred against the people of Israel specifically for practicing idolatry and paganism (which led to all kinds of other sins). I will point out a few such examples below, but first, some background on this country once known as Burma.

Over a week since Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, the death toll is estimated to be at least 100,000—and still rising. Yet as the bodies decompose, Burma’s ruling Generals continue to refuse access to international aid workers. The limited aid supplies that have reached Burma have been seized by the military, either to distribute themselves for propaganda purposes or, according to some reports, to sell on the streets.

… Who are these Generals who are prepared to stand by and watch while thousands of their people die and more than 1.5 million are left homeless? How could they ignore the warnings they received of the cyclone’s advance? India issued 41 warnings from April 26 but the regime did nothing. Why?

… There are… two…guiding sets of beliefs behind the regime besides simply power. The first is an extreme Burman Buddhist nationalism, expressed in a phrase which has echoes of the Nazis—“One race, one language, one religion.”

…The Generals are ostentatiously Buddhist—when it is politically convenient. But in truth, they manipulate the whole concept of religion, propagandistically appearing on television visiting monasteries, praying, and giving alms. Their charade convinced the new Thai Prime Minister who, following his recent visit to Burma, declared that he thought the Generals were “good Buddhists” because they “meditate.”

The regime uses its distorted, perverted form of Buddhism as a tool to suppress non-Buddhists. Christians, particularly among the Chin and Kachin, face severe restrictions and discrimination. Chin Christians have been forced at gunpoint to tear down crosses on hill-tops, and build Buddhist pagodas in their place—often contributing the costs and material for construction themselves. Children have been lured from Christian families and placed in Buddhist monasteries, where they are forced to become novice monks. Churches face serious difficulties in obtaining permission to build a new church, renovate or extend an existing church, or hold meetings other than their Sunday services. Christians are denied promotion in government service. Muslims among the Rohingya ethnic group face similar persecution—their mosques are destroyed, access to education denied and permission to marry refused.

Yet despite the Generals’ overt Buddhism, last September they did not hesitate to brutally crush protests led by tens of thousands of Buddhist monks. The military beat, arrested, jailed, tortured, and killed monks—and while the number of those killed is unknown, it is believed to have been in the hundreds.

The second guiding thought behind the regime is astrology. Than Shwe has a personal astrologer, just as Ne Win did before him. One of the reasons the regime moved the capital from Rangoon to the remote jungle location of Naypidaw was, according to speculation, that Than Shwe’s astrologers advised him to do so. In 1988, Ne Win demonetised much of the currency because his astrologers told him his lucky number was nine—and so he invalidated notes which were not multiples of nine, causing millions of people to lose savings overnight. (The Cutting Edge)

***

Buddhism is practiced by almost 90 percent of Myanmar’s population, with the Theravada (Hinayana) school being the most prevalent. It has a firm hold in Myanmar’s culture along with an observance of animism, or the worship of ancestors (nat). In this culture, there are many festivals and celebrations held that correlate with nat. Nat also has influence on the practice of traditional medicine. There are other religions in Myanmar, but they are not as widespread as Buddhism and animism. Some of the beliefs found include Christianity (Baptists) in the hill areas and Muslims. (AsiaInfo.org)

***

Across from Yangon’s golden Shwedagon Pagoda, Khin Myint Myat sits under her newly repaired roof and sketches a star chart that she says explains both the cyclone in Myanmar and the earthquake in China.

“This is the year with the combination of three bad factors — the dangerous planet Mars, the dark planet Kotu, and the watery side,” she said, drawing a diagram of the stars while thumbing through an astrology book.

“There will be another wave of natural disasters — either powerful storms or devastating earthquakes — in the region again before the end of this year,” Khin Myint Myat said, amid the din of hammers working to repair the home next door.

Khin Myint Myat’s own roof was blown off when Cyclone Nargis ripped through Myanmar on May 2 and 3, but she retrieved the tin sheets and hammered them back on.

Less fortunate victims of the storm have been trekking to visit astrologers like her in the desperate hope of learning the fate of loved ones who were swept away in the storm, which left more than 66,000 dead or missing.

Numerology plays an important role in the daily life of this devoutly Buddhist country, where people turn to astrologers to determine the most auspicious times for weddings, traveling or making business deals.

Faced with the incomprehensible destruction of the cyclone, many people are now turning to astrologers to help start rebuilding their lives.

In the town of Hmawby, north of Yangon, 70-year-old astrologer Min Theinkha receives at least 200 visitors a day at his “Full of Blessings” compound, including many who made the long journey from the hardest-hit regions of the Irrawaddy Delta.

Min Theinkha has little comfort to offer them. He says the cyclone was part of the universe’s karmic balance, a tragedy written into the nation’s fate.

“Disasters are unavoidable in astrology. All we can do is pray for the victims,” he said… (AFP)

***

Recommended reading: Why does God allow natural disasters, i.e. earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis?

Isaiah 47:12-15

12 “ Stand now with your enchantments And the multitude of your sorceries, In which you have labored from your youth— Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you will prevail. 13 You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators Stand up and save you From what shall come upon you. 14 Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before! 15 Thus shall they be to you With whom you have labored, Your merchants from your youth; They shall wander each one to his quarter. No one shall save you.

Examples Of GOD’s Attitude Towards Idolatry & Paganism

1 Chronicles 16:25-27

25 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 27 Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place. (a song of David)

2 Chronicles 15:3-6

3 For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; 4 but when in their trouble they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity.

Isaiah 2:17-21

17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish. 19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. 20 In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, each for himself to worship, To the moles and bats, 21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.

Jeremiah 14:19-22

19… Why have You stricken us so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but there was no good; And for the time of healing, and there was trouble. 20 We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness And the iniquity of our fathers, For we have sinned against You. 21 Do not abhor us, for Your name’s sake; Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory. Remember, do not break Your covenant with us. 22 Are there any among the idols of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are You not He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait for You, Since You have made all these.

Jeremiah 15:6-7

6 You have forsaken Me,” says the LORD, “ You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting! 7 And I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will destroy My people, Since they do not return from their ways.

Now, I cannot say that GOD is punishing these people, as I do not speak for GOD ALMIGHTY. I know, however, that the government that rules Myanmar are wicked, GODless people, as shown by their actions towards the Burmese — especially the Christians in that country. I know that the nation is primarily a Buddhist nation and that the people worship the dead, consult astrologers and kneel down before statues — things which the Holy Bible shows that GOD abhors. Is GOD shaking up the regions who refuse to acknowledge HIM? Is GOD humbling these people? I cannot say 100% that is the case, but the possibility is hard to ignore.

That said, I pray that GOD has mercy on these people and that they turn to HIM for deliverance (salvation). Only Christ Jesus can save them and give them the strength they need to pick up the pieces and turn their lives around. No one is exempt from GOD’s wrath or justice, and Christians, too, must face adversity. But it is through Christ Jesus that we are able to stand in the face of adversity and persecution.

My heart goes out to every suffering person and I know full well the same could occur near my home at any moment, but the LORD is my strength and my refuge. In HIM will I put my trust.

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a]
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”

– Psalm 91

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