This is NOT AT ALL my point...
My point, is that those who suggest that God used to protect America from such evil, but has now chosen to lift his hand of protection in order to "teach us a lesson", are making God an actor upon the stage of this evil.
Those suggesting that God (with intent) chose to remove his hand of protection and allow innocent children to be smashed against the side of a skyscraper, to "teach us a lesson".... are suggesting that God is evil. They're not saying that "God stood by and let bad things happen".... They're saying that God acted to make it happen, to "teach us a lesson".
Can you see the difference between my point, and your simplistic synopsis of it?