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Well, you and I know the answer to that, but there is a soul searching article wasting space in the BBC Online magazine if anyone is interested:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8467755.stm

I think my favourite point is:
Doesn't our world contain a surplus of suffering? People do truly awful things to each other. Isn't the suffering they create enough for soul-making? Did God really need to throw in earthquakes and tsunamis as well?


Well, of course He didn't, unless either He's a complete psycho, or He doesn't exist.
For so much of humanity to waste their lives on these silly superstitions is a far greater tragedy than Haiti or the Indian Tsunami.
Quite so, Eccs.

Creature recalls years ago a Thought For The Day where the speaker (later a President of the Methodist Conference) was explaining why a particularly horrid natural disaster didn't nullify belief in the existence of a loving, caring Almighty.

As he explained his reasoning, Creature realised that the main person this individual was trying to convince was himself.

This probably did more than anything else to shake Creature's faith.   Since then Creature has realised that religions are man-made to explain what seems inexplicable, to give power to those who control the religions, and in some cases to give a spurious respectability to evil thuggish behaviour;  but there is still a part of him that misses his faith and the fellowship of the Church.

Poor Creature.  :(

Wergh.
still a part of him that misses his faith and the fellowship of the Church


I get that same, lonely-orphan-with-nose-pressed-to-window feeling sometimes.  Used to have a friend in the Church and loved hearing about all the 'bring and share ' dinners and the whole warm community-family feel of it.

As for the earthquake issue, to paraphrase Epicurus:

Was God willing but unable to prevent it? Then God is not omnipotent.
Was God able but unwilling? Then God is malevolent.
Was God able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Was God neither willing nor able? Then why call it God?
I was going to quote that one, Merry. But I'll settle for this.

"It's OK, some will insist, because God works in mysterious ways. But mightn't someone defend a belief in fairies by telling us they do too?"
Thinking about what Midge said, I guess one of the reasons religions do so well is because they tap into one of the most fundamental aspects of human nature and one which often makes for the best in us - being the social animals we are - I mean the empathy we feel for others in the group to which we belong, whatever it may be, and the desire to belong/importance of belonging to such a group.

I'm glad social bonds and empathy don't depend on the invisiblefriend stuff, though! :)
I'm glad social bonds and empathy don't depend on the invisiblefriend stuff, though!

It's surprising the number of the devout that believe they do though.
It is perfectly obvious why God allows earthquakes and murdering disasters. His Chosen People are not humans, he is doing all this for his other creatures.

It is similar to when they cut down squirrel wood and built a car park. They had nothing against squirrels as such, it was just that their chosen people were motor cars.
:lol Sometimes Furby, your logic is priceless.



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