The catastrophic Los Angeles fire, which engulfed hundreds of homes and left thousands homeless, errupted just two days after a controversial moment at the Golden Globe Awards. During the event, a celebrity mocked about God not making it to some list in what they called a “godless city,” sparking laughter from the audience.

In the aftermath, some believers proclaimed the fire as divine retribution, a consequence of ridiculing God. They argued that the destruction was a direct response, declaring, “This is what happens when you mock God.”

However, when we turn to the pages of Dharmic scriptures, such a notion becomes one of the most bizarre accusations against God. These claims portray God as small-minded, easily angered, and vengeful, which is starkly contradicting to the profound essence of Dharmic teachings. Rather, this perspective reflects the anger of believers driven by rajasic (passion-fueled) faith, devoid of true spiritual insight.

Great saintly individuals might use events like these as tools to awaken a sense of alertness or healthy fear, encouraging people to explore deeper truths about the universe. However, they also recognize that portraying God as vindictive and destructive for minor offenses only distorts the true nature of the divine.

God, as depicted in the Dharmic texts, does not act out of pettiness. The Bhagavad Gita (5.15) emphasizes this truth:

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.”

The devastation in Los Angeles is not an act of divine punishment but a consequence of human actions and inefficiencies. Contributing factors may include liberal California laws, administrative mismanagement, and prolonged environmental neglect. This resonates with the universal law of cause and effect: “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

Why involve God in this? If you bite your tongue, it hurts—not as a punishment from God, but simply as the natural consequence of your own action. Similarly, if you put your finger in fire, it will burn. If you jump from a tall building, your bones will break. These are not punishments from an angry deity, but inevitable consequences of our own actions.

Karma theory explains this beautifully. Karma is not about vengeful gods whimsically punishing humans. It is a simple, self-regulating principle: 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘱 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰𝘸. God’s purpose is not to punish but to empower. The Supreme purpose of the divine is to enable living beings to become self-sufficient, to love unconditionally, and to cultivate compassion for others.

In conclusion, people with true Dharmik Shraddha (faith based on righteousness) would never use such events to justify anger or hatred towards others, even towards ignorant or arrogant. Instead, they use these moments as opportunities to share profound wisdom of the Gita and other Dharmic scriptures, to inspire a sense of responsibility, and to nurture unconditional love.

The Supreme Lord, full of mercy, does not harm those who reject or mock Him. He allows everyone, the freedom to choose their own path. It is up to us, to align ourselves with the laws of Dharma, which teach love, harmony, and self-realization. By embracing this understanding, we can transcend blame and focus on uplifting ourselves and others.

– Govinda Das (ISKCON Member)