So I got to thinking - how exactly does God set priorities?......
Why does God help one middle-aged guy who's never been hungry in his life find a new job in time so that he doesn't miss his $3000 mortgage payment, but not send a little rain to help a land where millions of people are already living in misery and filth?.....
These are some fantastic questions- and it's great that we have the oppertunity to ask them.... out of respect for the beliefs of other members of this board who I highly respect as people- I seek only to answer your first post Sir82... it is not my intention at all to discredit the validity of anyone elses responses.......
As a Deist of sorts I am 99.9% a believer in a divine creator, I call this 'creator' natures god, (i will not for the sake of space on this tread go into extreme detail as per my idea of what or whom exactly god is to me, this is of no importance to the questions at hand).
No two deist believe the exact same things, but most agree that god as you know him/her/it to be, does not interven with his/her/it's creation, the wheels were made and set into motion (so to speak), and left to run their course........
To quote a friend of mine ;
"I believe that describing God's non-interfence in his creation is just a way for some to put Deism down. Abandonment sounds negetive, as though the Deist God is indifferent or uncaring. This universe doesnt need intervention. It has everything it needs. Only a poorly-concieved or poorly-made creation would need to be constanly tinkered with to keep it functioning."- CClendenen.
So how do we reconcile our belief that God is caring if so many around us are sufferring? I have a few words as quoted from the Dali Lama to share in that regard;
"We live very close together. So, our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can not help them, at least dont hurt them."- Dali Lama
We as a species have evolved past the 'fight or flight' instincts of our primative/humble beginnings... included in our physical evolution is also our social evolution. One such evolution is the 'Ethic of Reciprocity'- the 'golden rule', the 'do unto others', 'harm none' that is the core message of most religions today.... Various religions have played a huge part in our social evolution from 'hunters and gathers' to modern homosapien sapiens..... but at some point, we as a species will hopefully evlove past our myths and folklaws of old, into an enlightened and more socially tolerant species....
I would not be a Deist of sorts if I didn't end this post with a quote from Thomas Paine, a classic quote from a movement started in the 17th century that has also evolved past the "I'm right your wronge- na nee na nee na na" stage, into a more tolerant and repectfull 'culture/life style of sorts... one day our revealed religious counterparts may too also evolve past this stage and stop clinging to false prophets and myths and folklaws, but I digress....
"The creation is the bible of the Deist. He there reads, in the handwriting of the creator himself, the certainty of his existance and the immutability of his power, and all other bibles and testaments are to him forgeries."- Thomas Paine.
I think we need a new thread to round up the Aussies for this and get some plans happening!
.................Did Somebody Drop The Soap?..................
BBQ at Mattieu's ??? can I be the man??? 
