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Where was God?

Its been one year since the World Trade Center attack. This morning I heard a mention on the radio about an essay trying to answer the question about God's complicity in letting these acts happen.

I decided to search the net for more essays:

Where was God - Ray Bohlin
How could God allow this
Where was God - Encounter magazine
PBS special - Faith after 9/11

>> Here is a critique of one essay

Where was God?"

How many of us have heard that question, "Where was your God when the World
Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked?" Well, I know where my God was
the morning of September 11, 2001, and He was very busy.

He was trying to discourage anyone from taking these flights. Those four
flights held over 1000 passengers and there were only 266 aboard. He was on
four commercial flights giving terrified passengers the ability to stay
calm. Not one of the family members who were called by a loved one on one of
the hijacked planes said that passengers were screaming in the background.
On one of the flights he was giving strength to passengers to try to
overtake the hijackers.

<< Tue morning cross country flights were picked by the hijacker specifically for the lack of passengers. We don't know if people were screaming outside the window of the phone calls. And the argument from fallacy (none of the loved ones said anything about screaming) doesnt hold. Just because you were not intimated about an occurence says nothing about its occurring. Remember Berkeley's "if a tree falls in a forest and there is no one around to hear it"

He was busy trying to create obstacles for employees at the World Trade
Center. After all, only around 20,000 were at the towers when the first jet
hit. Since the buildings held over 50,000 workers, this was a miracle in
itself. How many of the people who were employed at the World Trade Center
told the media that they were late for work or they had traffic delays.

>>The flights struck at 8:46am. The offices dont fill up with people until well after 9. This is an everyday occurrence in almost every normal office building.

He was holding up two 110 story buildings so that two-thirds of the workers could get out. I was so amazed that the top of the towers didn't topple when the jets impacted. And when they did fall, they fell inward. God didn't allow them to topple over, as many more lives would have been lost. And when the buildings went down, my God picked up almost 6,000 of his children and carried them home with him. Reassuring his frightened children that the worst was over and the best was yet to come.

>> The designers of the world trade center had to convince the public that the buildings would withstand all sorts of hurricanes and forces of nature. In fact criticism levelled against the original design was that an airplane could fly into it by accident. The building withstood the impact but failed because of the jet fuel that kept the fire going.

He sat down and cried that 19 of his children could have so much hate in their hearts. That they didn't choose him, and now they are lost forever.

>> no comment

He sent his children that are best trained for this disaster and had them save the few that were still alive, but unable to help themselves. And then sent many others to help in any way they were needed.

>> its all in how you look at it. He didnt send his best airport security men to stop these men.

He still isn't finished though, He held the loved ones that were left behind in His arms. He comforts them daily. His other children are given the strength to reach out to them and help them in any way they can.

>> nothing different from all the traffic accidents he causes (or as the other has it "doesnt stop")

And I believe He will continue to help us in what is to come. He will give the people in charge of this great nation the strength and the wisdom to do the right thing. He would never leave us in our time of need.

So, when anyone asks, "Where was your God on September 11th?", you can say
"Everywhere!" And yes, although this is without a doubt the worst thing I
have seen in my life, I see God's miracles in every bit of it.

>> ahem

Posted at September 11, 2002 08:54 AM