Here, Emily Allyson "Natter 31 But Looks 29" Jan 15, 2005 8:47:02 am PST

shakes fist at P-C

The whole "why did God let this happen" question makes no sense to me. If you assume a creator or set of same, it follows to me that it's because that's how the world was designed. Every once in a while, Shit Happens. Sometimes it's really humongous, like a tsunami. How we react to it would seem more important to me.

And besides, from where I sit, loving someone doesn't mean you have to make everything gentle and soft for them. Sometimes, you have to get harsh. Sometimes, you end up hurting them as a side effect of doing something else that's important. The planet has to have earthquakes to get stuff like mountains. It's not the fault of people who don't believe or act the right way. We just happen to live on a geologically active planet with everything that entails.

It's times like this that it's kind of a comfort not to believe in god, as I see people struggle to fit things like this into their worldview. Hmm. That sounds kind of weird. I mean that wth all respect, and I don't mean to suggest that the tragedy we've just seen doesn't have an impact on me, of course it does. But I can appreciate and feel the tragedy without having to grapple with that issue.

I will say that sometimes the shock with which some people react (to the god-related part of it) leaves me a little cold since, as Lysana notes, this is not the first thing to occur nor will it be the last, and for me, it seems strange when people respond as though the question of tragedy in a world of god is a new one. But it seems to me that most of the people who aren't trying to somehow capitalize on such an event just to push their own agenda don't fall into this category, and are honestly working to understand lessons this holds about the nature of their faith.

I mostly feel like anybody who finds tragedy a refutation of their god, simply hasn't bothered to think about their religious beliefs at all. Almost all religions arise exactly to address unimaginable tragedy. The Book of Job specifically addresses this. Buddhism's first notion is that life is suffering.

Happy Birthday, msbelle!

I think the people who have trouble reconciling God with tragedy are those who are really invested in both A) a God who is All Good and All Loving, and B) a God who is directly involved in human events. Because then suddenly you have to do mental backflips trying to turn tragedy into Good.

Hi Burrell!

Hi Lee! I need to try to get some work done, but I hear Franny making cranky noises in the bedroom. Hrm.

I need to get some work done too, but I don't want to, so I am looking for Devil ducks.

So far, I have found these, [link] which I want.

eta: I don't like these [link] as much, but they come with their own theme songs.

I have a Devil duck! It has spots. His name is Louis.