This is not intended to make light of the awful situation in Haiti, it's a serious question for theists, especially those who believe in an active god who controls the universe, "has a plan", answers prayers, etc.

According to wiki, Haiti is 80% Catholic and 16% Protestant.

Why would a loving god, who loves us and wants to be loved by us, visit death and destruction and suffering upon millions of people that do believe in him and love him?

If you don't believe that God caused the earthquake, why didn't God prevent it?

Why Haiti, of all places, where 96% of the victims are Christians who already had to live in the most destitute and poverty-striken country in the Western Hemisphere? Why would a loving god with the power to help us allow some of his most devout followers to suffer even more than they already were?

Your assumption is that death is punishing.

In the NT Paul says he'd rather be in heaven but he stays on earth in accordance with the will of God.

Christians are "strangers in this world."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
1 Peter 2:11

Dear friends, since you are foreigners and temporary residents [in the world], I'm encouraging you to keep away from the desires of your corrupt nature. These desires constantly attack you.

youll either hear Splendour's answer or that its a result of spiritual warfare.

/shrug

Impossible to answer given our extremely limited understanding of God's motives and choice of means in particular circumstances.

/thread

So if we're unable to understand God's motives, why assume that he's good and just and loving?

We can understand God's motives insofar as we read what they are, in context, in the Bible. It is mostly impossible to do otherwise.

We're not assuming it we're believing the scriptural account which repeatedly states he is good and just and loving.

It also says his ways are higher intimating that our logic isn't great enough to understand all of his logic.

Splendour, you should commit suicide and go to heaven and it would be better amirite?

We’ve asked a Haitian about Vodou.

Haitian: Vodou is about pretending that you are catholic.

We: So what is your religious orientation?

Haitian: Catholic.

We: …

We: Bwahahahaha!!

No. I don't think so.

I think you have to go deeper into the word to illuminate your mind and heart then any depressive tendencies will lessen and could eventually leave you (emphasis on "might"). Today most people don't put in enough time with the bible to understand that though.

All our times are in God's hands...I'm trying to remember the bible verse that says it...it might be the Psalms.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20...quake-in-Haiti

Only sinners die in Earthquakes obviously.

done and done

Mission trip to the caribbean, to a country 96% christian? Why not go on a trip to Sweden where the number of heathens are about the same number as christians in Haiti? Oh wait , temperatures are down to 10-20 degrees below - celsius? F*** Sweden, go caribbean!

Pact with the devil, ldo.

Natural disasters occur randomly. But it's getting to the point where certain areas are starting to become at risk, empirically. It's making me kinda nervous living half way up from the bottom of florida.

Wow, what lunacy.

Pat Robertson : Biblical Christianity :: Richard Dawkins : actual science

?

me too, near sea level on the oregon coast

They both put proselytizing showmanship before faithfulness to content.

I could understand (agree, even) if you said 'Richard Dawkins : Philosophy' or, making certain allowances, 'Richard Dawkins : Atheism'. It's probably not important, though.

You've given Pat Robertson a hell of a compliment, given that Richard Dawkins is one of the most respected biologists in the entire world.

Have you read any of his books other than The God Delusion?

Dawkins' understanding of biology is not questioned by anyone. Oxford doesn't hand out jobs to nits.

its cuz theyre doin it wrong

-Jesus

So, it looks as though the answer to the original question of "Why would a loving god allow this to happen to such a faithful place?" has been answered with "We can't know the mind of god".

And the follow-up question of "If we can't know the mind of god, why assume that he is good, just, and loving?" has been answered with "Because the Bible tells us so".

Does no one have anything more substantial to add?

cause he says so. Or the Bible says so. Everyone knows if its written in that book it is unquestionably true.