I can't get my head round this

All disasters are natural - like earthquakes etc. The rest are man made like 9/11 and now the Boston Marathon. Talk about feet of clay, I'm not a Christian but I'm quite surprised at how some people have decided to abandon their religion due to this latest atrocity. Considering that 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust, Jews have retained their faith and in fact many Jews became more observant.

But the holocaust clearly was man-made - I suppose you could wonder why a loving god would allow anybody so evil to exist. If god is not responsible for anything bad that happens on earth, what is the point of praying?

Well, I've definitely got feet of clay! Who has n' t?!

It's not a question of "abandoning" my religion. It's not that simple.

Do you really think any thinking Christian has not considered the question of the holocaust?! Don't you see?!!! It's all part of it!!!!

Just try to understand something outside of your own thinking!

That was n' t directed at Greatnan btw

Eloethan" I was just repeating words that I have heard spoken by many and of course they are entitled to their view. Obviously natural disasters are man made, although again there are conspiracy theories that have been mentioned in regard to the odd natural disaster. I think that when these wicked atrocities occur, it either strengthens or totally destroys some peoples faith and it must be very very hard to deal with it and I totally understand what *jo8 is saying. I suppose it is like perhaps we all, at some point in our lives need either something to lean on, believe in or have faith in, whatever that means and I think it can be different to different people. And when something of a great magnitude happens, it shakes everything that you believe in and have been brought up to understand and know. My thoughts go out to all who are suffering tragedy of any kind.

Why is it God's fault!!!!!!!!!

Cathy - if you believe the Christian god created the entire universe surely you believe he is charge of what happens to it? Or do you think he just abandoned mankind? I find it odd that people give thanks for all the good things but never blame their god for the bad things.
I fail to see how any conspiracy theory can be linked to earthquakes, hurricanes, or tsunamis.

It could logically only be "Gods fault" if you believe that your God is all powerful and can control people and the universe.

I think that the Judeo, Muslim and Christian God who is roughly the same person, is regarded by each of these religions as Omnipotent. (All powerful.)

How the Theologians come to explain the horrors that occur and are not prevented by this loving God is beyond me.

The only influence any 'god' had on this act, is that the idiots who did it follow a religion. Presumably their weird take on religion gave the act justification in their warped minds.

It is all beyond my comprehension.

I'm just glad that atheists and agnostics don't commit violence in the name of their non-beliefs.

Religions do generally see their deity as omnipotent - take the tales of miracles in the christian tradition - they indicate an ability to interfere in the natural order of things. But adherents are then faced with the paradox that their deity can interfere but chooses not to, so they have to invent something to explain it - so along comes "free will." This is a man made construct to try and deal with the anomaly.

We have no choice but to accept that nature and life in general are both beautiful and cruel at the same time. It is harsh and difficult to accept, but there is no other way.

I can't believe what Joan seems to be suggesting, that atheists and agnostics don't commit acts of violence? Or that acts of violence are worse for being carried out in the name of a belief? Or that anyone needs the excuse of a belief to commit a violent act?

I thought it was fairly clear what Joan meant: that atheists don't commit atrocities in the name of a belief. Of course atheistic regimes such as Soviet Russia have carried out some of the worst atrocities in history.

Thanking God is a choice and people do it if they wish to and are forced by no one.

God has given man free will to do and say as they wish, how then can it be Gods fault when a human being decides to do wrong.

Where do natural disasters fit in with the idea of a loving God? Part of me would like to 'believe' - I once did, but now that I'm older I find it more and more difficult.

As I said before cathy, free will is a man made construct to explain the reason why a deity chooses not to interfere in the world. Free will is just a fact of life - it is not "God given."

Natural disasters are to do with the land and the rain etc.

Religion is a personal thing, some people choose to believe and some people choose not to.

I believe, but do not wish to try and push my thoughts on others as this will only serve to push them further away.

If science is to be believe we are all descendants of Monkeys, in that case why are there still monkeys?

All I know is that I have believed in God most of my life, I have experienced and felt his presence, I try to be the kind of person that will "sell" being a Christian rather than preach the word.

You can't choose to believe, surely? What you believe is really not under your control. If I were to be presented with real evidence of the existence of a supernatural deity, I would have to believe it. In the absence of any such, I cannot believe anything so improbable.

One either believes or one does not .

IMO

There have been quite a few miracles that have been proven and have left Doctors not being able to explain certain things.

How can anyone look at the wonders of creation, the intricacies of the human body, the miracle of reproduction, the power of the brain etc. and not believe in a Creator God behind it all ?The sense of awe has to be a spiritual experience, doesn't it ?Surely some sense of theism is part of the human experience. How we respond to that is personal and dependent upon our environment and our experiences of life. As I've said before, our human minds are limited I believe and a certain amount of agnosticism is inevitable. I can believe but I cannot know for certain.

How can anyone look at the wonders of creation, the intricacies of the human body, the miracle of reproduction, the power of the brain etc. and not believe in a Creator God behind it all ?The sense of awe has to be a spiritual experience, doesn't it ?Surely some sense of theism is part of the human experience. How we respond to that is personal and dependent upon our environment and our experiences of life. As I've said before, our human minds are limited I believe and a certain amount of agnosticism is inevitable. I can believe but I cannot know for certain.

Apologies. Tried to post message just as site went down I think and it seems to have come up twice !!

Agnostics share that sense of awe. But we acknowledge that we cannot know where it all came from or why it is here. And we recognise that it is not all good - the world can be very cruel indeed.

I agree with you Mishap.The cruelty in the animal world is very hard to understand and accept.