conuly

There's a certain type of religious person whose beliefs confuse me.

When something happens they don't like (lots of people starve, kids ask "why did God let this happen", that sort of thing), they say "it's all part of God's plan". If this tragedy is sufficiently distant, it doesn't even matter if it was caused by people, it's "part of the plan".

But if you do something they don't like, you're a horrible sinner who'll be punished. What ever happened to "part of the plan"???

I mean, when God wanted a kid, he knocked up Mary despite the fact that she was still a virgin. So if God really wanted me to have a kid, I'm sure he could arrange it - maybe even change my mind for me.

If I wanted to have a kid, and couldn't, that'd be part of the plan. But since I don't want a kid, I'm a sinner? Maybe it's part of the plan for me to not want kids!

And, if it's part of the plan, how can I in good conscience be punished?

There's something fishy about this whole argument.

I need a course in theology to be able to effectively smite people who use it.