Tragedy Begs Question of a Merciful God

I've never understood the idea that God is down here mucking around in our stuff.
We are here to deal or not deal with it all as best we can... God is with us, but we have free will in all things, great and small.
That is the deal.
The idea that God "lets" bad or "gives" good things, SantaGod, has always confused the hell out of me. It just makes no sense at all.

You told us earlier that you were a Buddhist , rkzenrage .

I am. I also have studied all religions for most of my life. Spent some time in seminary prep as a young man.
I am a follower of Christ, not a Christian. Consider him a Buddha, as many Buddhist do.

Well , I am a follower of Christ too . In the dusty feet way .

I cannot put my legs over my shoulders , so I am not a Buddhist .

[Ibby]

What, pray tell, does putting your legs over your shoulders have to do with philosophy?

Yoga and my Path are separate. But, the breathing did help a great deal with my meditation. I started it because of my acting degree. Continued because of my pain management and the sex.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by Ibram

What, pray tell, does putting your legs over your shoulders have to do with philosophy?

Nothing. It has everything to do with making a joke. Whooosh.

[Ibby]

But buddug has made more than one reference to it.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Probably because a lot of people that are not schooled in Buddhism, myself included, associate the Buddhist monk image portrayed by Hollywood and the media.

[Elspode]

SALEM, Va. - Carbon monoxide leaked into a Roanoke College dormitory early Friday, sickening more than 100 teens and adults attending summer programs. One man was found dead.

People staying in the dorm contacted campus police, and one woman later described the scene inside as chaotic.

"One woman fell on the floor in the bathroom," said Annabelle Minter, 80, of Richmond. Minter said she also felt "on the dizzy side" and was taken to a hospital, but her roommate was even sicker.

Walter J. Vierling, 91, a retired pastor from Pearisburg, was found dead in a dormitory room, said college spokeswoman Teresa Gereaux. The medical examiner had not determined the cause of death.

Fire officials were trying to determine the source of the leak, and said they were focusing on a gas hot water system as a possible cause.

Of the 62 people taken to one of the hospitals, five were admitted — one in critical condition and the others in fair condition, said Candi Carroll, director of emergency services for Lewis-Gale Medical Center. The woman in critical condition was "awake, alert and responding," Dr. Robert Dowling said.

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital had treated and released 49 people, spokesman Steve Munsey said. The patients, whose ages ranged from 15 to 82, were checked for carbon monoxide in their blood and given oxygen through face masks.

About 100 of the dormitory guests had traveled from across Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania to attend Power in the Spirit, a three-day Lutheran conference. There were also 37 teenage girls from southwest Virginia staying there as part of the Upward Bound program, Gereaux said.

Those in the church group appeared to have been more severely affected because of where they were located in the dormitory, Dowling said.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that can cause sickness or death. Leaks in buildings typically come from furnaces, heaters and other gasoline-powered equipment.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is "essentially like drowning on the air," Dowling said.

Maybe bringing them home before the shit really hits the fan?

[xoxoxoBruce]

I didn't know God is in the gas water heater business, that's the only way he would be responsible. Whos fault would it have been if they were there for a dog trainers convention?

[Spexxvet]

St. Bernard's?

[Elspode]

But the Westminster Kennel Club doesn't claim omnipotence and loving forgiveness of sin, so it isn't much fun wondering about their organization when a busload of poodle fanciers goes off the cliff.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Ibram

Austin isn't Texas. It's as Texan as Hong Kong is Chinese.

Is that why people from Austin speak with a British accent?
I always wondered.