Instead, you have it that God acted to kill innocent people because we displeased Him.
I'm sorry, but both of these 'ideas', if the term can be stretched this far, disgrace the entire process of rational thought.
Furthermore, they stray from faith, and blaspheme the Creator.
I can only hope and pray that all who have fallen prey to these errors - blasphemies, really - will come to their senses soon.
Although we use the word "innocent" to describe victims of all sorts of tragedies, we use it to mean that they didn't do anything that specifically deserved this tragedy. But th point is that as a nation, we are NOT innocent. And looking at it from the national level, this kind of thing is just the sort of thing that wakens a nation to examine itself and its actions. That can be very God-honoring when we return to God in repentance and humility.
I don't know if you were meaning to negate the call to repentance by posting those verses, but if so, I think these words of Jesus are appropriate, if nothing else at least to show that repentance is still a NT concept.
"Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them -- do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:4,5).JV, this is what I meant in the post above. The fact that people were killed does NOT mean that they were more guilty. It also doesn't mean they were innocent. But these things happen so that others will repent, just like this incident Jesus mentions.
First it places the US equal to Israel, the only country that God has an interest in as a country. We are not even on the radar in the Bible. God's interest in us is as individuals and what are relationship is to Him.
Second, it has God killing innocents to get our attention. That is an abomination and dangerously close to ascribing evil to God and the Holy Spirit. That mindset says that evil acts are all directed by God to get someone's attention. It also says that that every death is carried out by God for my benefit, to keep me on the straight and narrow. That is egocentric and wrong. We brought death and evil into the world, not God.
Third. Where God did act against a country, it was because they were enemies of Israel. And He acted against the enemies, not the allies. As far as Israel goes, when they sinned, He just left them. when they were on their own all sorts of bad things happened.
Third. Try to reach anyone who knows someone that was killed in this attack with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Tell them that their friend or relative died as an object lesson for the country. I am one of those people. I would reject any religion that has suffering of innocents as a method of conversion. Christianity is personal and Christ is loving. Look at him for the lesson on how to act toward others. It was all in looking inward.
I am disgusted with this kind of mindset. It is egotistic, evil and denigrates God.