Have you ever had a so-called friend who never seemed to be around when you really needed his active, participatory help, but was always good enough to show up after the fact, to lend you his "support" after the event?
Maybe he failed to show up when you needed to move furniture. Did he show up afterward, and praise you for the ability to get it done without his help? Maybe you really needed financial help, and he had plenty to aid you with (as a matter of fact, a lot of that money was probably yours, when you contributed to one of his projects or crusades). Was that friend MIA? Did he show up, weeks later, sorry that he wasn't there to help you, but assured you that it was just as well you learned to deal with the situation on your own?
Let's take it to the extreme. Maybe he could have been able to prevent a loved one from dying, either by providing some necessary healing remedy known only to him, or maybe by preventing a child from getting injured or killed by their own immature carelessness or lack of the awareness to danger. How much would you regard their "comfort" to you after the fact?
Meanwhile, you hear all sorts of reports (usually promoted by him, or by spokesmen for him) about how great he is, how powerful and aware of things he is, and how much he loves you and all his other friends. How much regard would you have for him a a person, or as a helper, if you tried to reconcile these promotions with his record? How long would you continue to keep such a person as a "friend?'
This is the kind of test I put toward this so called "Almighty God" that we are supposed to be SO thankful to.
All the time, you hear about how wise he is, how powerful he is, how all-knowing he is, how much he cares for each and every one of us, and what a lover of Justice and Righteousness he is. And how much he comforts us during times of tragedy and loss, helping us "cope" with things that we could not cope with on our own power.
Well, when I read about small children suffering injury and death because of stupid accidents, I get very angry at this so-called Supreme Being. He's all powerful, but he won't lend one Self-Damned hand to rescue an innocent from a painful, tragic death. He's all knowing and all-wise, but allows cures for mother-f#$%ing diseases to remain ceaselessly out of grasp. Meanwhile, he's there to "lend comfort" to greiving families, because he was bloody useless in being there when the tragedy went down. Thanks a pant-load, Your Highness.
Today, in my city, a four year old child, who was being dropped off at his Pre-K class at school, for some reason doubled-back, got in front of the car driven by his father, and was run over. The child is dead. His father's life is forever ruined, racked by guilt for the remainder of his day. Even if he makes peace with this, it will never,ever leave him. The family is suffering a loss that no family should ever, ever have to suffer. This was not the willful killing of a child, this was a dumb, stupid, pointless accident.
Oh, and this happened in the parking lot of a Catholic Church school. This was the door-step of ALMIGHTY, ALL-POWERFUL, ALL-KNOWING, ALL-CARING MAJESTY OF THE UNIVERSE himself, the KING OF ETERNITY that "knows all the hairs on your head" and cares even for the plight of sparrows. It was RIGHT IN FRONT of his F$%^ing house! Where the $@$! was he? Why didn't he use his powers to put a barrier in front of the child, or some kind of messenger to warn the father? Isn't he ALL-POWERFUL? Doesn't he hold the heavens in the palm of his hand? Doesn't he care about the winner of the Super-Bowl? Isn't he GOD????!!!!
And then I read comments from my friends on Facebook about this, prayers offered:"Eternal rest grant him, oh Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him." "I am praying for his family right now." Etc.
"Gee, God, you really screwed the pooch earlier. We really could have used your help when Q.T. ran in front of the car and was killed, but now that you are here, after the fact, can you help us out with a little hug, since that will help SO MUCH with the hell we are going to go through for the rest of our lives?"
Bollocks.
If God exists, he may as well not exist, for all the good it does his worshipers. He's always a day late and a dollar short.
Personally, I stopped believing in him a long time ago. You are born (no thanks to him), you live your life (no thanks to him) and you die (no help from him there, either). Everything that happens in the duration is a combination of your own actions, inactions, good and bad decisions, genetics, large forces beyond most people's control (like war, peace, weather patterns, asshole warlike leaders, indifferent and greedy corporate policies), and pure, simple, blind, doo-dah luck (good and bad).
I should say apologies to True Believers out there for my vent, but today's news upset me very much. We had something happen in our family years ago that was very similar to this. Our child lived (no thanks to you know who), but the hurt from those events still lives with me to this day. Hearing about this child's death just reopened those emotions all over again. And it doubles my resolve to not waste one more minute, one more penny, one more prayer, to this imaginary, worthless being ever again.