Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
A high-ranking Indonesian official says that the earthquake that hit his country in September, killing 1000 people, was caused by sinful TV programs and porn videos:
Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said that there were many television programmes that destroyed morals.Therefore, the minister said, natural disasters would continue to occur...
He also hit out at rising decadence - proven, he said, by the availability of Indonesia-made pornographic DVDs in local markets - and called for tougher laws.
Can't we, for once, have a God who punishes stupidity and fanaticism instead of arbitrary notions of sin?
Politics
Comments
"Therefore, the minister said, natural disasters would continue to occur..."
Gosh, what a bold and daring prediction - surely if any natural disasters occur anywhere in the future, we can be assured that this guy is an authentic prophet.
Posted by: Alex | December 2, 2009 9:07 AM
But Ed... that's their God. Who knows? Maybe their God actually has some sort of non-arbitrary notion of sins and punishments. Or it could just be that Indonesia is located along the so called "Ring of Fire"* and is prone to earthquakes - tragic though that may be.
*No relation (of course) to that really cool Johnny Cash reprise.
Posted by: Umlud | December 2, 2009 9:07 AM
Let's board all these idiots on a plane, take the plane to 20.000 feets then the pilot parachute himself out.
Moments before leaving, he may say: "Pray the plane lands safely".
Posted by: diegopig | December 2, 2009 9:22 AM
But then there would be almost no Republican party. And Democrats would still be unable to pass legislation!
Posted by: NJ | December 2, 2009 9:45 AM
It's not a bug, it's a feature. Have sex, call out to God, and then the Earth moves. Works for me.
Posted by: kehrsam | December 2, 2009 10:48 AM
kehrsam FTW!!!
LOL
Paul
Posted by: prn | December 2, 2009 11:02 AM
diegopig, there aren't enough large aircraft in the world....
Just sayin'.
Posted by: FastLane | December 2, 2009 11:32 AM
I guess it didn't occur to the minister that Indonesia sits astride a geologically unstable part of the world where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen on a frequent basis.
I always want to ask people like this "Are all earthquakes and volcanic eruptions a sign of god's wrath, or just some of them? If the latter, then how can you tell the difference? If it is the former, why is Jupiter's moon Io the most volcanically active body in the solar system? Are there tribes of porn addicted sodomites living there that we don't know about?"
Posted by: Tommykey | December 2, 2009 12:55 PM
What's the Aussie idea of foreplay? "You awake?"
No wonder that Australians have Meckering and Newcastle as the best so far in the earthquake department. Perhaps God just isn't paying attention to all the porn, fornication, drunkenness and sodomy here (or maybe he just is too weak to use anything but pre-existing zones of vulcanism to punish the innocent) - DJ
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PS Io is an example of pseudo-vulcanism. Not molten rock, just molten sulphur.
Posted by: DingoJack | December 2, 2009 1:20 PM
Assuming that god punishes countries that he doesn't like, then can we assume that Indonesia is despised by god since it is a hellhole of poverty and that he loves the US since we are wealthy and powerful?
Posted by: Tom | December 2, 2009 1:31 PM
Isn't diegopig's plane (@3) effectively The B Ark?
Posted by: blf | December 2, 2009 2:26 PM
I don't know this guy personally, but there's a good chance he doesn't "believe" in plate tectonics and all related geography. Young Earth creationists somehow incorporate geology into evolution, and they're against all of it.
Posted by: catgirl | December 2, 2009 2:54 PM
Chicago before pornographic DVD's - burned to the ground.
Chicago after pornographic DVD's - never burned to the ground.*
QED.
*(but insert the Cubs joke of your choice here)
Posted by: Scott Hanley | December 2, 2009 4:15 PM
That official reminds me of Byzantine emperor Justinian, who stated much the same thing in his New Law #77.
He claimed that homosexual sex causes earthquakes and plagues and famines.
Even though all the gays in San Francisco and West Hollywood have not made the San Andreas Fault very slippery.
Posted by: Loren Petrich | December 2, 2009 4:19 PM
Can't we, for once, have a God who punishes stupidity and fanaticism instead of arbitrary notions of sin?
Don't forget to ask for a God who can aim.
Posted by: Raging Bee | December 2, 2009 4:35 PM
Kehrsam, you lucky bastard, tis barely a tremor these days I'm afraid.
Posted by: wobert | December 3, 2009 6:10 AM