Quote Originally Posted by Saheli View Post
Why does God have to stop a natural disaster from occuring? Why is it that if he allows one to happen that all of a sudden he's hateful and doesn't give a shit about anybody? People who say that God allows things to happen so that people will build their faith is ridiculous; people who try to avoid the discussion altogether with, "We should be happy for every bit of life we get," is being disrespectful to the victims of the disaster. Put that person in the middle of Haiti right before the earthquake and see how grateful they would be. I don't believe posessing the ability to prevent a looming disaster dictates its use.

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The point of the story isn't so much about Job as it is about Christians in general: people who truly follow Christ will always follow Christ, regardless of the circumstances. This is very applicable to anyone who wonders whether someone is a true Christian. People who curse God when bad things happen are not true Christians. Not preventing a disaster is not the same thing as causing it.
I am not sure I can follow your argument. I read your text as saying God did not cause the disaster, but also did not prevent it, and why should he?
And further that to think that the reason God allows this to happen is a test, or proves that he is hateful, is ridiculous.

So what is the conclusion?? Given the ability to prevent, why does he allow it?

The folowing question is also not meant as anything other than a genuie interest in these matters: why should Christians love and follow Christ no matter what?

What does God want with Christians? What is the relationship, if I may put it this way, between Christ and Christians?

God gives, God takes, his name be praised. Why?

Sometimes I feel on the track on something hard to put into words - like the faith some people have can help them through anything, that whatever happens there is still a special kind of love there. Some pagan faiths are like that too.

Other times I think that many Chrisitian religions seem to think of human beings as worthless things who can only pray that God will take pity on them so they won't go to hell, and who'll have to take anything God throws at them like dogs with a bad Master. That is Job's story for me.

Would you like to say more on this matter, to sort out these thoughts?