Re. 153. And you complain that my post didn't have a logical flow !?!
Well now..., I don't believe I quite said that. You might look again. Perhaps you're interpreting that I meant that.
You said in your post that, along with Job, it is sometimes better to keep one's mouth shut. That has been my point all along. If you remember, my original point was the fact that maybe people are saying too much when they say "God didn't cause this", or "It was not God's will". I know that they do this in an attempt to bring comfort, but comfort at what price?
Well, where we keep our mouth shut is where it extends beyond what God has revealed to us and what is in our normal range of abilities to think about what God has said to us. There is much that goes beyond what we're able to really know.
That -- however -- is not meant to say that we should be silent and keep our mouth shut about what God *has said and has made clear to us*. There are clear statements which are made. Where the "going beyond" part would be relevant is where some try to negate what God has said -- on their own basis of reasoning and logic. It's extending what cannot go beyond certain revelations of God.
So, this is not meant to stifle discussion or thoughtful expression of what God has made known to us.
If we believe Amos 3:6, then we know that no disaster befalls a city that the Lord has not caused. Maybe, along with Job, we should say "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15)
I would agree that Isaiah 45:7 (in its true meaning) includes such calamities and disasters that may befall a city. However, some people would like to extend that to "unrighteous acts of God" in committing "moral evil" to a city. That is not correct.
What we need today is less "sound bites", and more faith and dependence upon a God who does bring disaster upon cities, who does slay us, who does control all the events of the universe.
Yes, that is true -- but absent any heretical teachings that God is the author of evil (in the definition of some who want to say that this includes "moral evil" and "unrighteousness" and "unrighteous acts" of God).
Here is what you said in 153:
"Well, you've got two separate questions here that don't fit in with each other, or don't flow from one to the other."
Sounds like I had it right the first time.
Now, as to your contentions about attributing "evil" to God. I think that you have reacted in a knee-jerk kind of way to CCWoody's posts. He never said that God committed "evil", but he did attempt to get you to understand that you call "evil" some things that Scripture rightly attributes to God. The fact that you stated that you didn't know my point of view shows that you haven't read this thread very carefully. May I suggest you do a re-read and ask for a "do over"?
A simple apology would have been much better than your feeble attempt in 167 to deflect criticism from yourself. Another sign of fleshly pride.
I will be away from the computer for at least the next 10 hours, carry on without me.