Perspective.

[Roger Kettle]

I nearly complained about the snow here this morning---and then I thought about Japan.
Some of the footage has been both terrifying and heart-breaking. I can't begin to imagine the horror of being caught in an earthquake and I hope I never find out. It's just awful to see.

[Diane CBPFC]

It is just awful Roger. The news has been full of sad stories of late.

[Max]

I experienced an earthquake when on holiday in the Dominican Republic with Kate. It was a 6.5 with an epicentre 25 miles from us, luckily that was in the mountains.
Around 1AM it began and Kate being from Oregon and Seattle knew immediately what it was,  thankfuly it lasted less than a minute, so God alone knows how they got on in Japan with an 8.9 that lasted minutes.
I'd say that it was the scariest moments of my life, the not being in control or being able to do anything about it.

[The Peepmaster]

I don't know how to respond to this post. The pictures we see are becoming more horrifying. There surely can never have been a disaster with more coverage.  If there is a God, why does he let this happen?

[Bilthehut]

There are plenty of arguments for or against the existence of God and the reason for the terrible natural disaster in Japan yesterday.  We are but insignificant ants in the world and anyone who believes otherwise is fooling themselves.  Nature will prevail and as soon as we realise that learn to bend with the wind the better the world will be.  The earthquake was hard enough but the tsunami was the real problem - and there is nothing we can do about that sort of unstoppable force.  I feel for the Japanese people, more for the ones who have survived and now have to live with this for some time to come.  At least, most of those who sadly succumbed to nature's will did so quickly.

[Malc]

I believe in a creator, but not God, if you know what I mean, with all due respect to those who hold sincere beliefs.
I've posted on other sites that the only proof you need for the existence of a creator is the fact that there are three different species of zebra.
I saw a pic of a two humped camel recently and it was as though I'd seen one for the first time - it immediately reinforced my view that a creator did all this, since the dawn of time, our planet and our universe have been the canvas upon which a single mind has expressed itself.

So with that in mind, don't look for mercy or concern to be registered over the fate of even the smallest and most vulnerable of us, the Creator is not a benevolent, caring entity, the Creator just is.

As mammals, we humans look entirely the same in fetus form as all the other mammals. We stem from the same template, the Creator merely set in place a code that increasingly differentiated the other mammals from us the further down the gestational process we go.
The more we learn about computers, code writing and formulas, the more we will understand how a creator would indeed know about every sparrow that falls to earth.

[Diane CBPFC]

Japan is a big news story. But every day about 5000 children age 5 and under quietly die because they do not have access to the basics in life such as food, clean water and vaccinations. Not all mankind’s problems can be blamed on god/nature, sometimes our own policies are at fault.

[Joan]

That's true, Diane. I think that these natural disasters brings those tragedies into focus as well.  It is just so overwhelming.  As Roger says, most of our troubles are insignificant in comparison.  My heart goes out to the people of Japan.