Gas Clouds Shoot Down Indonesia Volcano

[Eugene]

Gas Clouds Shoot Down Indonesia Volcano

By CHRIS BRUMMITT

MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia May 14, 2006 (AP)— Villagers burned incense and floated
offerings to the spirits, hoping to ward off an eruption of Mount Merapi,
but volcanic activity intensified on Monday to its highest level yet with one blast
sending debris more than two miles down the slope.

A scientist warned on Sunday that a growing lava dome could collapse. On Monday,
as activity increased, villagers who had not left were told to stand by for possible
evacuation and waited in groups by the side of the road on the slopes of the volcano.

"I am panicking this time," said Katimi, a mother of three who had taken refuge
in a mosque earmarked as an evacuation point. "Merapi appears angry."

One of the eruptions sent an avalanche of debris and ash rolling almost 2 1/2 miles
down the mountain's western flank, said Ratdomopurbo, the region's chief vulcanologist.
It was followed by several other huge explosions on the crater.

<snip>

Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1961551

[phantom power]

1. The 21st century, and we're still praying to volcano gods.

The candle flame gutters.

[kestrel91316]

2. What's really odd is these are INDONESIANS, who are virtually,

to a man, devout Muslims. Well, maybe NOT so devout. I bet the mullahs would be most displeased about offering incense and such to "the gods".

[phantom power]

3. "Conquered" local religions have a way of surviving.

Halloween, Christmas and Easter all carry retroviral DNA of the pagan religions that christianity "replaced." For that matter, how many American christians also harbor some belief in things like astrology?

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Hey, why not...

...If you feel the urge to pray, it may as well be to something real.:evilgrin:

[phantom power]

5. Animism does have that advantage. I was thinking...

they could pray and LEAVE. Maybe for the sake of this kid, who's young life is being held hostage by some $#@!$!@ superstition:

"Only God knows what will happen. We can only ask for his protection," said Riskani, as her 8-year-old son played with toy trucks in a dusting of volcanic ash that fell on the village Monday.

"If it gets worse, we will leave. But for now, we are staying in this village," she said.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1963559&page=1

I mean, what kind of fatalist mentality does it take to say "We can only ask for his protection?" Get up! Walk away!
:banghead: