I suspect the religious would claim that the mind of God is unknowable, and perhaps it was time for him to bring those who died back to him.

McDonald's piece is a restating of one aspect of the old theodicy issue - how a loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God could permit evil to happen in the world. In this case, how could he permit something to happen to some people, yet save others. Lots of theologians have thought about the issue over the years, and there are various ways they manage to square that circle.

We've got these loons here in Israel too - usually the "ultra" orthodox lecturing the Rest of Us about how the latest terror attack is due to "immodest dress".

Beyond these fools, there is a real Judaism - and a real Christianity - with real, compassionate teachings.

This is why ETs never come here - they're waiting for the stupid to go away.

This is the heart of the argument for those with a belief in a Christian God, but who are against "Taking the Lord's name in vain." The statement is so frequently misused.

Everytime anyone thanks God for helping them win a game, or other accolade; they're taking the Lord's name in vain. Same deal for being saved from a tornado or earthquake.

Maybe he did save them. Maybe they will do something important for humanity. Maybe by dying the others did something. Who knows? Personally, while I certainly believe in God and know he CAN intervene whenever, I think the laws of nature are what killed those people and saved others. God made the universe with laws to govern it, those laws kill sometimes. Earth isn't heaven, and to expect nothing bad to happen is absurd.

We don't even know if this was something bad. Who knows what the consequences might be if we somehow prevented tornadoes and hurricanes? The alternatives might be worse.

I believe in God, and it really angers me when morons "thank" Him when they win an Oscar, score a touchdown, or survive a storm for the exact reasons Amy stated.
I personally think the way to invoke God when events like the Missouri tornado happen is to say something along the line of: when I pray today, I will be asking God to help those who have lost loved ones, to give strength during this terrible moment of loss.
Then go out and do the truly Christian thing and help those people by volunteering, donating clothes, and helping them rebuild.

The Japanese were heathens and deserved to die.

Anything can be rationalized. If you doubt me, let's start on the TSA again.

For the record, because someone will take my first sentence seriously, I wrote it for effect. Mrs D is from Japan, we have relatives living there, all safe. There are no Japanese on my list of people I wouldn't mind being raptured.

This is where there is an unfortunate wish to extend human thinking to a being that is held as being all knowing, all powerful... If you dun' believe in one, then it doesn't matter. But if you do, you can second guess what happens, but isn't that ultimately arrogant? As if your existence or understanding is anything like your god's.

People are thankful for what happens to them, they aren't saying that they wish harm on others. And? for religious people, if dying means going to heaven, that's better than this, yes?

There is no reason to believe that human ideals of good and evil are in anyway applicable to to non humans. Is the lion evil for eating the gazelle? Our ideas of justice and so forth apply to us, but since we don't understand existances beyond ours, how do we know what it should be?

I know many people have problems with ascribing powers and mysteries to the supernatural... s'ok, don't believe in it. It's a straw man to tell me that I should know all the reasons why a supreme being does stuff, or that proves he doesn't exist.

In my youth I was a believer because I my parents taught me to be. In later years my belief changed, and (note I did not say but) I do not have any negative feelings towards my parents for teaching me to be a believer. They meant no harm.

I was taught to thank God that I was spared in a horrible event, not saved. I was taught to thank God for my talents, not that God helped me win.

I often see non-believers taking offense at what believers believe. I mind my own business if their beliefs have no effect on my freedom.

The criticism is perfectly rational. And pointless. Mere preaching to the choir. Feels good to vent every once in awhile, though, eh?

It's not a question of victims allegedly being undeserving of having been saved by God. The survivors are merely thanking God they survived. No, we don't know why God didn't save the victims, but the existence of the survivor does not mean the victim was less deserving. To equate such is the atheist's cynicism and fundamentalist's demagoguery.

As for why God lets bad stuff happen, he doesn't "let" it. He purposely created an imperfect world. By being imperfect, bad stuff will happen. He created an imperfect world to allow humanity to perfect it. How good a job humanity is doing is subjective.

He purposely created an imperfect world. By being imperfect, bad stuff will happen. He created an imperfect world to allow humanity to perfect it. How good a job humanity is doing is subjective.

According to most christian theology God created a perfect world, banished the source of all evil(which he created) and his hosts of demons to that world.

Let the devil into the garden after it beacame clear those humans wouldnt disobey him without some prompting.

Punished them for falling into his entrapment scheme after giving them no instruction on how to avoid temptation

And set up this tsting ground for human sould that is impossible to pass, the only way into heaven being gos forgivness and grace which you must beg for

And the grand prize for sucking ass and getting a pass for begging properly is the reward of sitting around his chiar FOR ALL OF ETERNITY telling him how great and powerful and wise he is.

This is the basic framework of most of the 3500 variations on christianity.

Quite rankly I'd rather go to hell, sounds far more intellectually stimulating, and less hellish

heh, Luj, have you ever read Heinlein's Job: a comedy of justice? An interesting take...

"No, we don't know why God didn't save the victims, but the existence of the survivor does not mean the victim was less deserving."

But we DO know that not one amputee - not one deserves to have a limb restored by prayer, regardless of what the Bible™ says.

Not one. Who knew that the lowly salamander was the Chosen of God™?

Saw the headline and thought reminds me of that line in "Braveheart" where Steven says to Wallace: "The Good Lord thinks he can get me out of this, but he's pretty sure you're fucked!"

Oh dear God, again with the amputee business? Why WOULD God regrow a limb? Do you really think anyone on this planet is deserving of that?

"Oh dear God, again with the amputee business? Why WOULD God regrow a limb? Do you really think anyone on this planet is deserving of that?"

YES. Don't you get it, God is not deserving of our worship.

Why WOULD God regrow a limb?

ever acctually read the bible? the 'promises' god made?

No Swiss but I'll go buy a copy ASAP

There's still a small part of me that hopes the Rapture really did happen a couple of weeks ago, but nobody was worthy.

I already know I suck, but what fun it would be come October, to see the look of horror on all those who realize they suck too!

I am not a Christian.

What are you? the three monotheistic religions all start with the same basic story and deverge around how to get into hevaen and whether or not there is a hell/how bad it might be.

Either way the god of the torah, bible, and koran is a manipulative backstabbing prick.