The big news today is that an earthquake and tidal wave in southeast Asia has killed thousands (5,000 reports CNN) and the toll is bound to rise. This event should raise doubts in the minds of God-believers about the accuracy of their beliefs.
The Psalmist writes of God that "his mercy endureth forever." However, his mercy was not to be found yesterday. We regularly hear that God is all-powerful and all-good, but he can't be both of these. Either this God wanted to prevent these massive deaths but lacked the power to do so, or he had the capability of preventing the quake but chose instead to do nothing. So which way is it? You can't have it both ways.
If God is all-knowing as most believers claim, the least he could have done would have been to provide a warning of the coming event. Imagine if you had some advance knowledge of a looming tragedy but would not share the information with others. Were it later discovered that you knew what was about to happen but had chosen to keep quite, you would at the least receive the moral condemnation of fellow citizens, but could possibly even be subject to being charged with a violation of law. Many people believe their God knew the earthquake was about to occur. It apparently concerns them not at all that their God kept mum.
Will humanity ever overcome its cowardly obeisance to its imaginery Gods?
Sunday, December 26, 2004
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I suspect what we will soon hear from our buddies the Fundamentalists is that those people are NOT born again Christians. So it's just their God eliminating some non-believers, who are slightly less than non-human in their opinion. If only their surviving relatives will give their hearts to God now, they will be spared.
Or, we get to hear lots of good stuff about how this is the "end days" and this is God warning us that he is going to destroy us all if we don't bow to him.
This is the God of Love, don't forget *evil snicker*
Now, as a Pagan...
This was simply my Lady taking some of us to her bosum. They had finished their time, their job, in this life and it was their time. The hardship is not on them but on the survivors, the many left homeless. But everything happens for a reason. They now have "dangerous opportunities" (I am told this is the literal translation of the Chinese word for problem).
The nastier side of me says this is Kali issuing a warning. We've been treating the earth like total shit - and some of the countries affected have an especially dismal environmental record, as well as being some of the world most populous countries.
And last but hardly least...I think good ol' Stuart Wilde would tell you that these people came into this life and chose a life they knew (as a soul) would be ended in this tragic way. For some reason, it worked for them. It was meant to be, and no reason to bewail it, after all, they are out of here and now sitting about, evaluating this life and their akashic record and thinking about what their next life ought to be like; what they have left to learn or do.
Anyway you chose to look at it - the real tragedy is the survivors of the victims, and all those left homeless and undoubtedly shaken to the core. To them I send blessings and strength to deal with the decisions and months ahead.
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