I know im a little late coming in on this discussion, but id lke to float a thought.

The God that I instinctively know IS all loving, and IS all powerful, and yet like Tim says, its hard to see how He can be with all this crazy stuff that goes on.

You may have heard the quote "We are not Human Beings on a spiritual Journey. We are Spiritual Beings on a Human Journey."

This really resonates with me. We came from God, are born into a world of physicaltiy, we learn some lessons, we love, we give, we take, we experience hurt and seperation, we experience togetherness. Then we return back to God for a debrief! (and arguably for another go? Lets not go there at the moment! :)

If we came from bliss (heaven) and are returning to bliss, whats the point in only experiencing bliss in the short term? There is a whole range and spectrum of human experience for us to "suck the marrow out of."

Is it possible that our new born baby bodies and sponge like brains, our pure hearts, and the face of the planet was like a blank canvas when we came into this world? We can choose to go within and bring forth light and love. Or we can be influenced externally, allow the hate and pain to climb inside us and change us. (Not to say that there isnt light and love in the world already! Far from it!)

We are experiencing a planet that has had many generations of mixed taking and giving. But its been us that has done that. Not God. Well... God in us... Well - I guess thats a paradox. Or a cop out. Not sure.

Humans have created mass-media. We know we are profoundly influenced by our imaginations and our beliefs. At one level, we know that stress and worry causes health probelems in our own body. So is there an arhgument to say that when mass-media creates two films about Tsunami's (Armageddon and ... that other one with Morgan Freeman...) that within two years, after these thoughts and images have had a good amount of time to nestle into the creative parts of our beings, Lo and Behold, we have a Tsunami.

Now a year after "The Day after tomorrow" we have Katrina to deal with.

The story of Adam and Eve shows that we are taken from the earth. That we are connected to it. Does it make sense that 20 million people can influence it through mass conciousness like we do our own bodies? If not directly through our imagination, but through the consumption of the worlds resources, and misuse of our planet?

The realm of the physical and spiriutal are mirrors of each other. They influence each other.

I know it sounds a bit "New Age" and a bit far fetched. But this is also based on the belief that God made us as incredible spiritual beings, capable of things well beyond our own sphere of awareness. After all, He HIMSELF is resident inside us. It makes sense to me that have have a far greater influence on each other, and this planet than we currently are willing to accept, enjoy and take responsibiltiy for.