A CHALLENGE TO CHRISTIANS
After the tsunami, I posed the question, "Where was God during the tsunami?" Nobody, from the Archbishop of Cantebury down was able to furnish a reasonable answer. Belatedly, writing in the News Of The Word, Andrew Willis, via Hugh Southon explains that Genesis 3 tells us that 'The whole of creation is caught up in a rebellion against God, who therefore cursed the ground as a result of our sin, and the under that curse, the created order writhes in frustration, bringing about volcanoes, earthquakes, famines and tsunamis.
He goes on to say that we do not suffer such things in this country 'Because of God's amazing patience.'
My response
Perhaps then the British are a chosen people? What did the people of Boscastle do to try God's patience too far?
I ask all my Christian friends to think about which side of the fence they come down on. Do you believe in the scientific explanations of natural disasters, or do you prefer to believe that the earth is writhing in frustration?
Tyrants such as Sadam Hussein, Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin sought to control the actions of their people by fear of death, but the Church seeks to control not only our actions but our very thoughts not only by fear of death but by fear of eternal damnation. Their God would appear to be far from a loving and caring God, but one of vengeance and spite, and thus himself guilty of human shortcomings. Unless you are willing to deny science and all its works, it seems hypocritical to attend a church and praise such a god, who far from loving us has put a curse on us.
This has never worked and never will. God is a loving and carring God who gave each of us a mind to think and free will to make our own choices. Like a loving father - telling a child - don\'t stick your finger into the fire - you\'ll get burnt. The child dosen\'t know that and probabely thinks the father\'s full of it. So he trys it - and get\'s burnt. It was the child\'s free will and choice.