A Look at Religion-Here is a response of mine to Sarah Miller's post. It explains a lot of my views.

As I see it, this period with all humanity's evils and sins is no different from that as described in Noah's time and no different from any other time in human history. This is humanity. This era is no more evil than another era. Humanity comes with beautiful things and ugly things such as this, but who is to say that this deserves punishment? This IS human nature-we are imperfect. The tsunami may be a warning or message of some sort as you believe, but I believe it was just an unfortunate event and natural occurence in nature. Natural disasters occur often such as this, and this event is not the first or even that rare in reference to the consequences it reeks and the number of lives lost to it.

No offense to Christian believers but what kind of perfect, always forgiving, understanding and accepting God would purposefully reek natural disasters such as that terrible flood to kill so many people? (sinned as they be) There is indeed no need to punish to teach and reform. Love, like that one guy said, and perpetual support and learning experience is what a truly good God would do to help humanity correct its sins-which by the way due to the very nature of humans- will never ever change so long as we are still "human".

As I see it we should all open up and be more tolerant. There is no need to discriminate and pinpoint the problems of humanity. It is in us all. And even the most "evil" people are capable of good and have their own reasonable motives. God gave humanity a chance to live, sinned and all, so that we can ourselves improve our souls. He will not lead us in the way he wants through deliberate catastophes.

I don't believe in hell. God would never punish his children in that way. He is all loving. His children who have "sinned" will have chance and chance again to correct their ways. No dooms day will come. No apocolypse, that is too human. Noble and great as the Bible is, I am afraid that it is taken too literally and has been tainted through translation over the centuries and driven by human inaccurate perception and self-motives. Could you trust something to stay in pristine condition and read in precisely the right way when entrusted to humans?? Did God write the Bible or did people transcribe what he supposedly said? Anyways I am obviously a skeptic. Coming from a completely different religion allows me to do so, and being raised amongst Bible followers allow me to be skeptical of my own religion. Still, most religions are based on the same basic principles.

At any rate, Sarah keep true to your faith and beliefs! I just like people to hear my side with an open mind. I am always open to the idea that there is a God because why? Because I, like all people, WANT to believe that there is something more, some divine truth and power. I also have my other theories that totally disclaim a possibility of God but that would take too long and I don't want to believe it, and for certain I don't want to offend you, being a very devout Christian.

Sarah keep up your inquisitive attitude! It doesn't matter that our views completely differ. That is the beauty of humanity-the constant quest for betterment and for truth. And diversity and individuality.