Levenax wrote:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7381542.stm

I have the greatest sympathy for all parents of missing children and one can only imagine the torments that they must suffer. This week is first anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance and there have been requests for everybody to pray for her or her safe return. As a non religious person I find this strange. If there is a god and he or she is omnipotent, omniscient and loving why did he or she allow an innocent child to be abducted and why hasn't the child been returned safely especially after the millions of prayers that must have been said for her? I know that the term "mystery of faith" covers a lot of dodgy things but I'm really perplexed by this one.

Hi Lev. I don't understand why this perplexes you. Madeleine's parents were the ones who neglected her and left her and her siblings alone and unprotected while they went out. Even if we don't believe in a God all of us know the world is now a very dangerous place for children. I don't blame God for what happened to her, I blame her parents because for all they wail about how they are suffering the one who paid the real price is Madeleine. Did you hear Kate McCann saying how she didn't understand Maddie's question, "Why didn't you come when we were crying last night?" Can you explain to me why a woman, who is also a doctor, didn't understand? That question was asked on the morning of the day Maddie was taken so even tho she had asked a huge question of her mother, her parents STILL went back out that night and left their kids alone. God didn't do that Lev, her paprents did.

As for prayer I could give you many examples of when prayer has taken me through tough times, really tough times. I could tell you tales of astonishing results too. I know I have seen God working Lev, honestly, but I respect your own right to do your own thing.

We can look at the world sometimes and say why did God let that happen? But you know man runs the world and its us who have made a complete mess of it. Money, power, greed, they have all played their part even to the point where various religions fight each other. That's because they are affected by the pitfalls too, some bigtime, and they get caught up in the temptations out there too. I wouldn't call myself a religious freak. I love humour, I like people and not just those who share my faith, I like politics, I like to debate, I like to socialise. But I'm glad I have God in my life because I think it would be empty without Him.