The camp itself hasn’t released a statement to this effect, that I know of, but there are a lot of cartoonists drawing little white girls, and an elderly white man, in the presence of a westernized Jesus. Here’s an example; don’t look at his other cartoons if you don’t have extreme right-wing political views.
I’ve told this story here before and probably will again: Shortly after Sandy Hook, my Episcopal priest was at a community event with his family. He overheard a little girl ask her mother, “Why did that man shoot all those kids?” and Mom replied, “Sweetheart, God needed more angels.” My pastor introduced himself, and told that woman that while he doesn’t know why it happened either, the God he believes in DOES NOT arrange the mass murder of children to make angels. He was so forceful, several people, including his own wife, nearly called 911 on him. He also rewrote his sermon for the next day.
p.s. These weren’t the only children who died in this disaster. My opinion about it is this: They did everything they were supposed to do while they were here, and we don’t know why they had to leave us so soon.
Maybe this isn’t exactly germane to the discussion but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt caused a bit of a stir by claiming the Texas floods were “an act of God”.
Perhaps her comments were deflecting blame away from the current administration and not solely a religious attribution.
Some of the more hardcore believers have suggested taking comfort in the thought of all those children being in Heaven with their Lord and Saviour now, having died in such innocence and not having to suffer any longer from living in this sinful world.
I know, but the OP asked for god’s will justifications.
Personally, as a JW back in the day, the standard answer would be that all those drowned kids would be resurrected in the New World for a second chance.
Because, you know, they sort of deserved it for not being JW’s.
I have no reason to think the people who ran the camp think this, but I’ve no doubt plenty of others do. When tragedies occur, they’re told to not question why God allows things to happen, just trust that he had his reasons which we mortals can’t understand. My ex-husband left his boyhood church when the minister told the flock that questioning the lord’s ways was even worse than disobeying them.
Of course, the owners of the camp would be the ones who got a zoning variance on flood zones for their property. Maybe they had no idea that girls were being housed right next to the flood zone. Or maybe cognitive dissonance is right in their wheelhouse.
From your OP, it looks like you have concluded that belief in god = placid acceptance that a higher power decided the girls should die, and therefore belief in god is evil.
I’m a committed atheist, but I believe (heh) in understanding and tolerance. I have no automatic beef with people just because they believe in god(s) per se. If god-believers use that belief to justify evil and ignorant actions, then yeah - I have a problem with how they use their beliefs.
But that’s not all religious people. I know people who used their religious convictions to march for civil rights, defend the poor, and stand up for the rights of immigrants. Imagine that - the teachings of Jesus (or Allah, or other gods) being used to promote social justice! Me, I am happy to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with such believers.
If you are going to jeer at every human on the planet just because they believe in something spiritual, I’m afraid you are going to have to write off almost everyone. I thought that for the most part, us atheists had more sense and compassion than that.
I’m not jeering at all people who believe in something spiritual. I’m jeering at all people that believe that everything happens according to God’s plan.
What religious/philosophical tomes have you read on the subject? What religious leaders have you talked to personally about this? Have you attended religious services where “God’s Plan” is addressed? Have you engaged in thoughtful conversation with people who don’t share your own beliefs?
You either have to posit everyone who believes in “God’s Plan” is an idiot, or you have to make room for complicated thinking about how things might happen in the context of god(s) who didn’t create human beings to be mindless puppets.
I’m curious at how you feel it’s appropriate to dismiss people who have spent their lives examining what “God’s Plan” means.
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t believe in “God’s Plan” myself. But I also give credit to intelligent, thoughtful, and above all MORAL individuals whose hearts and intellectual discoveries have led them to a different conclusion than my own.
(I’m related to the guy who wrote “God Still Makes Sense”, for what that’s worth.)
I don’t give a fig if their beliefs are different than my own. All I ask is that they are at least minimally internally consistent. If all things happen according to God’s plan, then it was God’s plan that little girls die. It’s not complicated at all, except for those who insist on holding two mutually exclusive beliefs in their head at the same time.