[WillowTheWhisp]

I'm going to risk sounding arrogant again but I would like to put forward my viewpoint as a believer in God. A-b describes "the believer's" point of view but that isn't actually my point of view.

In fact I totally agree with the opening sentence of the last paragraph of post 94:

the recent Earthquake and Tidal Wave were merely random events. The consequent loss of life, however shocking and regretable are, likewise, random events. There is no more meaning to them than that.

At no time would I ever describe such events as an act of God because I do not believe that he caused them to happen. I do not see them as a punishment by a wrathful deity. I would not have the arrogance to label whole sections of humanity (or even individuals) as sinful and deserving of such acts as a punishment.

Natural disasters are exactly that, natural - usually a result of cause and effect. Something happens somewhere and causes something else to happen somewhere else.

I believe that when mankind was placed upon the earth we agreed with God that we would take responsibility for it. He agreed not to interefere. Thus we would have the opportunity to learn. It's like with our own children. If we controlled every aspect of their lives for them they wouldn't benefit at all. We have to give them enough rope and hope that they don't hang themselves. More often than not they don't but sometimes they do.

I also believe that we can pray for help and that such help is often forthcoming, but maybe, just maybe sometimes it is better for us to "go it alone" and learn from our mistakes.

My "why?" questions are directed to the people who do not share my beliefs because I find it difficult to understand what they see as being the reason behind everything.

For me the purpose of life is to learn from our earthly experiences and to progress. Some of us probably need more experience thanothers. Some of us need different experiences. Disciples once asked Jesus why a man had been born blind and if it was a punishment for something he or his parents had done. Jesus replied that it wasn't a punishment. (interesting that they mentioned it could have been something he'd done, that would have had to be before birth considering he was born blind) So what was the purpose? To teach other people compassion? To give Jesus the opportuinityt to heal him? To give Jesus and his disciples the opportunity to discuss life before birth? Lots of interesting possibilities.

In response to post 95 I also think abortion is unnatural (unless it is spontaneous abortion by the body itself) and that artificially extending life is also unnatural. It's a topic we've discussed previously and I think I said then that we are better not to interefere too much with nature.

I only feel that I want to say all this because A-b described a believer's point of view and I wouldn't like people to think that it was mine.