Flashback - "The Punishment of God?"

When an article is one I wrote long ago, but I feel it is deserving of a post on this blog, I'll label it 'flashback' in the title. I wrote this article after the disasters that occured in Japan.

Here's an interesting fact: A common reason people say God doesn't exist is because of the rather incredible amounts of misery in this world.

Now that's a thing I can't really agree with. Most, if not all misery humans go through, is generally brought upon them by themselves... or other humans. But whether you agree or not, that isn't exactly what I was going to talk about. As we all know, Japan was struck by a variety of disasters recently. Fortunately, many people do what is right and send their support - and if they're religious, their prayers - to the victims and their families.

Sadly, though, there are already people who call these disasters - which caused the death of thousands of innocent individuals - an act of God. I'm used to some strange things, I suppose, but that is actually amongst the most shocking things I've heard from the mouths of those who claim to believe in a God of love.

I've asked such individuals, 'Well, just why would God punish Japan?' Any reasons given are silly at best, but the star of the show must've been the idea that 'Japan made a statement that they found something Israel did a regrettable decision.' I don't even recall what exactly it was that Japan supposedly said, and the insignificance of the news has pushed it far behind the earthquake and all... but really? Because they made a careful statement about a regrettable decision? Even if you believe that Israel is the people of God, far worse statements are made in Europe and America about the Jews... and why would over ten thousand innocent Japanese people have to pay for what their government so subtly and carefully said?

Why haven't earthquakes struck the islamic nations surrounding Israel that really hate the Jews, and openly state they'd like to destroy them? God sure loves picking the wrong targets... that is, if it really was God's doing. It's actually a fact that Japan, due to very geological reasons, is more prone to getting earthquakes than many other countries. You know what we call these nasty things that happen on the occasion? A natural disaster. And they occur for very ungodly reasons. Whether you believe in God or not, you'll have to agree the earthquake in Japan cannot have been caused by a higher power.

Let's be realistic - help out when a disaster occurs, don't think of stupid reasons why they would.