eclipse: As a survivor of sexual abuse (at the ...er... hands of an elder, no less), I can perhaps relate to the scenario you post.
I have been in the position of spending years (up through the age of 12) praying for release from the prison of my abuser and the network of support he had. Then decades of trying to understand how God could have allowed such a thing. The best answer came from those who said it was to "test my faith" and my ability to "wait upon Jehovah" to fix things. 35 years later I guess He fixed them by allowing my abuser to die, in the good graces of the congregation. Yippee.
Strangely, I believe there is a Divine presence in the Universe. Maybe it is even the Creator of the Universe (I believe there is a creative impulse that has led to this mortal reality we see when we open our eyes). But, perhaps because of my experiences, I do not believe that God "does stuff" in our daily lives. How would that kind of God allow my sexual abuse and physical/emotional torture for the first 12 years of my life? The only rational response must be that He just doesn't get involved.
I guess that means that PEOPLE are accountable for their actions. It's not God's will I see, it's just PEOPLE.
And if that's true, then - whoa, maybe this religion is just PEOPLE, too. Maybe God didn't want me raped since I was a baby, maybe it wasn't God's will that I suffer, and maybe this church that protected my rapist isn't inspired by God, either.
These days, I don't much think God hates me as I think God loves everyone equally. Maybe that's a little sickness on my part, to come out of this thinking that God would love my rapist as much as he loves me. But what is also true is that just as God did not help me in my hour of need, nor did He help my rapist - a bunch of stupid old men protecting each other's backs did that. Without God's help.
I finally, at about 45 years of age, found someone who had also been raped by my abuser. They had run away from home to get away from the abuse - the rapist was her father. That gave me courage to tell someone else my story - their response? "Oh, I'm not surprised, we all knew he was a child molester".
One last thought - this also means God doesn't get involved in football games, or baseball games, or any other sport where the players thank God at the end for their victory - otherwise, God must be real fickle in the teams He supports...
