Belief in God and natural disasters

[MaryBS]

How do you answer people who question why God allows things to happen?

Sorry, MaryBS - didn't mean to imply you shouldn't start a debate. Absolutely! But it wasn't clear to me that all the participants on the thread would understand that this was the forum for it. If someone starts posting on the question because they're grieving and questioning the very meaning of life, they may be taken aback to get more abstract response on here. So I guess I was just trying to clarify for everyone what the purpose of this thread might be, so that no-one gets upset. Once it's clear, I think it's 'no holds barred'! :)

Thnak you all. I am not offended at anyone's commenst . i probably wouldnt have mentioned it, except someone asked.

Nearly3 i can understand why your friend is very angry - its a normal part of grieving. Most of us in her situation would be angry at someone - the doctors who didnt diagnose in time, scientists or the government for not having the correct vaccines, herself for not recognising symptoms, the person her son might have caught the illness from, God for not stopping it, people who try to give comfort and say the wrong thing........

Bloss - hey, no worries, I'm relatively new to this bit of mumsnet, so I'll make myself clear in future :o

Kristina, thank you. I am full of admiration for your understanding and the strength of your faith. I can only imagine what you ahve been through.

It is so understandable why my friend is angry - in her case her ds showed no symptoms until it was too late - and it's being compounded by her being let down by the very people and institutions that should be helping her.

I am angry too, because I know she could really find it a help if she had a chance to open up to God's healing, but the theological claptrap and meaningless platitudes that the churches here have given her have meant that she doesn't want to know - and I can't say I blame her. That is why a forum such as this can be so useful - to give a different pov that may open up a way to finding God for someone who has been put off in some way. But I will have to watch that in my anger I become inconsiderate of the feelings of others, so thanks for flagging that up, Bloss.

I think it's really interesting how adversity and the happening of evil generally seems only to reinforce beliefs. If people are non-believers they think it proves God doesn't exist/love us. If they are believers, they find proof of God's love in how He helps them through it.

A case in point. Sophie Delezio was 2 years old when a car went out of control smashed through the walls of her nursery into the room where her class were having a lunchtime nap and caught on fire. She and another little girl were caught underneath the car and badly burnt. Sophie suffered 3rd degree burns to 85% of her body, a severity which no-one ever before has survived. She lost both feet, several fingers, an ear and half her scalp, and of course has had many painful operations and skin grafts in the 2 years since then. Yesterday afternoon, a car failed to stop at a pedestrian crossing when her nanny was pushing her across in a pram. She was thrown 18 metres, suffered head, chest, leg and internal injuries and is in critical condition in hospital.

Her parents are deeply religious Catholics and their faith in God is unflinching. See \link{http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/father-prays-for-another-miracle/2006/05/06/1146335960681.html\here} if you can bear to read it.

Sophie has become a household name in Australia already and I would honestly say the nation is in total shock over this. Yet her parents seem just amazing.

bloss, this sounds tragic beyond belief. I haven't read your link - I'm way too hormonal I'm afraid. I'm joining my prayers with yours and your country's.

I've never been in a situation like this and this isn't meant as a criticism of the parents because I can only imagine how hellish it must be for them, but personally I can't imagine finding my own faith strengthened by the suffering of my child. Maybe my faith isn't strong enough?

My friend wasn't a non-believer as such, faith was something she'd never really given a lot of thought to one way or the other. She really did try to find consolation in Christianity, but the way it was put to her it wasn't there. I do know people who have lost their faith due to personal tragedy and it just adds to their suffering.

No, don't read the link. I have been following this little girl's progress for years and I can hardly bear to.

I agree that there are some people who either lose or gain faith in response to adversity, but IME they have been mostly been people who didn't have a very strong or well-developed belief (or non-belief) beforehand. The event then throws up things they haven't asked themselves before.

Thats awful :(

There are SO many tragedies like this. I have no idea how people cope with their faith when things like this happen. The feelings of anger must be so immense. And yet for some, knowing that God is there is the ONLY way to cope with it, otherwise life would be meaningless.

I lost my Godson many years ago, he died as a result of cot death. I used to care for him after school every day, and I was devastated when he died. His parents' faith was amazing (still is, probably)