>>>>>>SNIP
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>G) I don't and can't know why He did that. I do know that He was indeed in control of that situation and that He had His glory in mind.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I am a Christian, Howard, but obviously not of the same brand as yourself.
>>>>>>Can you tell me what you mean by "...and that He had His glory in mind"?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Thanks
>>>>>
>>>>>Sure. I believe the all things happen for a purpose. Nothing happens by accident or coincidence. God uses all things to do two things. First, He uses them to bring glory to Himself. Second, He uses them to make believers more like Christ. While the event in question may be a include a loss of life, some aspect of that event caused someone or several people to consider God and be awed by Him.
>>>>
>>>>I'm sorry Howard, but that is too horrible a concept to even contemplate.
>>>>
>>>>If God is having innocent children starve and die all over the world in order to bring glory to Himself, then who are we to interfere? If we give aid to them or to Tsunami or terror victims, are we interfering in God's plan to bring glory to himself?
>>>
>>>Nope - that's all part of the plan...
>>
>>Similarly if we do nothing, then that's part of the plan too? We are trivial. Any idea why God needed us at all? Could He not just as easily have covered Himself with glory without the bother we represent?
>
>There is one school of thought that states that God created man so He could be worshiped.

Yes, I know, but isn't that really a very human kind of emotion? Are we now to assume that God is nothing more than some sort of superior human? This was the way with the Greek, Roman, Norse etc Gods, and we ended up kicking them all out. Isn't our one God supposed to be above all that?

On the other hand: Exodus 20:5

You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

I guess if He can feel jealousy, He can feel insecurity too. Although, I don't know what he has to be jealous about since all other belief systems are false. Would I be jealous if my neighbour had a better pretend car than I do? Probably not.