Wow, Half a Person, what an excellent post! You've said exactly what I feel on the subject. I felt the JWs were the only ones who offered a reasonable solution to the problem of evil. I haven't seen anyone else come close. I consider myself agnostic now.
Deputy Dog I'm glad I don't serve your God. He sounds like a jerk. Reminds me of Bill Cosby, "I brought you into this world and I can take you out!"
Sad Emo I'm not satisfied by any of the responses you've made to the typical aversions to answering the problem of evil.
"Our question shouldn't be 'What is *God* doing', but, rather, we should ask ourselves: 'What am *I* doing?'" (avoiding the question)
Why is that avoiding the question? Lets face it - whether you have a belief in God or not, there ARE situations which we CAN sort out ourselves. For example, many lack food, water, sanitation, housing and healthcare in this world because OTHERS won't share their excess.
It's avoiding the question because it substitutes a different question. If I ask you the time, you could say, "Rather than ask what time it is, you should ask how can I better manage my time?" Yeah, that's a good question, too, but it's a different question and maybe I want an answer to both.
"These sort of things are a test." (as if suffering was some sort of self-improvement programme.)
They can be.
Yeah, they can be. They can also not be. The fact that suffering often exists with no benefit still demands the question, why let it go on?
"When people do bad things, they must face the consequences of their actions." (in other words - "It's your fault!" This doesn't really explain earthquakes, though.)
"It's your fault" - and your problem with being told this is...??? Life is not without consequences, deal with it!
On the subject of earthquakes and other natural disasters, perhaps your thinking is still clouded with the JW idea that God created everything PERFECT. Truth is, the Bible does not say that - it says that He created it VERY GOOD - it was made how He intended, 'perfectly flawed' if you like. If this planet didn't have its present makeup - superhot core, fault lines etc, it could not exist and support life as it does. Neither God or Satan causes natural disasters - they just happen.
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not saying people shouldn't reap consequences of their actions. But a lot of the pain in our lives has nothing to do with anything we could have prevented. Again, your God sounds like a jerk. He purposefully created a world that hurt us?
I can sort of understand this, but it does make God seem a bit... Well, nasty. And things like earthquakes and terminal illness are quite arbitrary in who they target. It's like God has walked up to humanity with a machine gun and is just randomly firing into the crowd. "You all deserve to die! [MACHINE GUN FIRE] You should count yourselves lucky if you escape! [MACHINE GUN FIRE] P.S. Come and worship me."
Exactly!
Buddhist koans have more satisfying answers than these.
Does a dog have the Buddha nature?
MU!