Does the Haiti earthquake prove that there is no god?

[thir]

But natural disasters cannot possibly prove God's non-existence - for we know God to be a cruel God, if he exists, and if he doesn't why bother to prove it?

How do we know that? Most problems are man-made. But maybe you mean that God was cruel to create something as cruel as humans??

[Thorne]

How do we know that? Most problems are man-made. But maybe you mean that God was cruel to create something as cruel as humans??

I suggest you read the story of Job to see just how cruel God can be.

[thir]

I suggest you read the story of Job to see just how cruel God can be.

I have - I do like its humor and attitude!

[leo9]

I have - I do like its humor and attitude!

I think he probably meant the one in the Bible, not the one by Heinlein. Both depict an innocent mortal being screwed around by Them Upstairs, but in RAH's version it turns out that it's the Devil who is testing him - JHVH stopped bothering with such hands-on management long ago.

And he gets much gentler treatment than the biblical Job, who comes over like a total masochist - "Thank you for killing my family, Lord, may I have another?"

[Thorne]

I have - I do like its humor and attitude!

Heinlein's Job was humorous, I agree. The BIBLE's Job, not so much. And that is just one example of God's capriciousness and cruelty.