Letters to the Editor

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Does God play favourites? Letter of the day

Posted: 01/25/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Re: Survivor relied on 'my boss, God' (Jan 21). This was the story of the 69-year-old woman who prayed for seven days and was saved, explaining, "I talked only to my boss, God."

If there is a god, does it cause earthquakes? Does it play favourites, destroying thousands of lives while keeping a baby alive in the rubble for over a week?

One does not need a god-concept to explain how earthquakes happen. Science does that just fine.

One doesn't even need a god-notion to motivate altruistic (unselfish) acts of kindness and humanitarian response to a tragedy. Atheists and agnostics are people of goodwill and generosity, as are most believers.

Mahatma Gandhi used the word truth for god. The words justice, service and love have sacred qualities, too. But I cannot accept the idea that "my boss, God" kept one person from death while thousands perished and millions are hungry and homeless. Thousands likely were praying for help as they died waiting.

Rev. John Wesley Oldham

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 25, 2010 A11

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