Why Did God Make Ebola?

 

Question for you religious types: The other day, we were working on digging a foundation for a shed I’m building. We ended up digging up an underground wasp nest. My daughter is mildly allergic to wasp stings, so she freaks out when even a single wasp is flying around. She asked me “Why did God make wasps? What do they do besides make nests where they shouldn’t and sting people? Do they pollinate flowers like bees do?” My answer was “I don’t know.”

When I was reading about Ebola the other day, I asked the same question: “Why did God make Ebola?” Any takers?

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  1. hawk@haakondahl.com Member
    hawk@haakondahl.com
    @BallDiamondBall

    Mommy drinks because you cry.

    • #1
  2. Albert Arthur Coolidge
    Albert Arthur
    @AlbertArthur

    *Slap* This hurts me more than you. *Slap*

    • #2
  3. Max Blowen Coolidge
    Max Blowen
    @Max

    It’s just a bug that should have been addressed in Beta testing, but God will get around to fixing it just as soon as possible. This whole existence thing is a lot more complicated than you might think, though. There could be unintended consequences to changing the source code.

    • #3
  4. Jim_K Inactive
    Jim_K
    @PlatosRetweet

    Maybe for the same reason Bobby Ewing came back from the dead at the end of the 1985-6 season.

    They realized they had made a mistake — and now, so has He.

    • #4
  5. Fake John Galt Coolidge
    Fake John Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    God did create a world where Ebola did not exist but Eve convinced Adam that it was not a good thing and wanted more.  Ebola is part of the more……

    • #5
  6. hawk@haakondahl.com Member
    hawk@haakondahl.com
    @BallDiamondBall

    Because Americans voted for it.

    • #6
  7. Mama Toad Member
    Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    My little tadpole who is now in college once told me that he had figured out why God made ticks and poison ivy: to teach us to be careful.

    I’ll ask him if he has any insight on Ebola.

    • #7
  8. Fake John Galt Coolidge
    Fake John Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Mama Toad:My little tadpole who is now in college once told me that he had figured out why God made ticks and poison ivy: to teach us to be careful.

    I’ll ask him if he has any insight on Ebola.

    Can you ask him why God allowed Obama to win the election?  That one truly has me baffled and it the best argument I have so far on why may not exist….

    • #8
  9. Mama Toad Member
    Mama Toad
    @CBToderakaMamaToad

    I think God’s answer would be, “Ha Ha! You guys did that one yourselves and can’t pin that one on Me!”

    • #9
  10. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Mama Toad:My little tadpole who is now in college once told me that he had figured out why God made ticks and poison ivy: to teach us to be careful.

    I’ll ask him if he has any insight on Ebola.

    That’s as good a reason as any.

    • #10
  11. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Mama Toad:I think God’s answer would be, “Ha Ha! You guys did that one yourselves and can’t pin that one on Me!”

    Explain.

    • #11
  12. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Max the Volunteer Admin:It’s just a bug that should have been addressed in Beta testing, but God will get around to fixing it just as soon as possible. This whole existence thing is a lot more complicated than you might think, though. There could be unintended consequences to changing the source code.

    Who the aich ee double hockey sticks are you?  I haven’t seen you around.

    • #12
  13. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Because god as a sense of humor. Look at the platypus.

    • #13
  14. Majestyk Member
    Majestyk
    @Majestyk

    Jamie Lockett:Because god as a sense of humor. Look at the platypus.

    Because most funny jokes’ punchlines go like “and then they bled to death from all of their orifices.”

    Ebola is just God’s punishment for those hateful sub-Saharan Africans who keep on persecuting gays.  Sort of how AIDS was punishment for them NOT persecuting gays.  It works for everything!

    • #14
  15. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Look, does anyone have anything serious to say on the subject?

    • #15
  16. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Majestyk: Because most funny jokes’ punchlines go like “and then they bled to death from all of their orifices.”

    Give it time. It takes 22.3 years.

    • #16
  17. Frank Soto Member
    Frank Soto
    @FrankSoto

    This is just a repackaging of “Why does God let bad things happen to good people”.  It is a question that garners more attention then it really deserves.

    Things to ruminate on:

    Is there good without evil?  Or rather, is it possible for humans to recognize good if there was no bad?  Without the contrast of the one, can we even appreciate the other?   How can one do good, if all harm is removed from the world?  Aren’t all good works an attempt to counter something bad?

    Moving beyond pathogens:

    Most bad things that occur in this world are committed by humans, so in order for God to prevent it, wouldn’t he have to remove human free will?  Without free will, why would we be of anymore consequence then a pile of rocks?  Isn’t then allowing the possibility of human evil a necessity of granting us free will?

    • #17
  18. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Spin: Look, does anyone have anything serious to say on the subject?

    Ask a silly question?

    • #18
  19. Majestyk Member
    Majestyk
    @Majestyk

    Spin:Look, does anyone have anything serious to say on the subject?

    Why so serious?

    • #19
  20. Majestyk Member
    Majestyk
    @Majestyk

    Frank Soto:

    Most bad things that occur in this world are committed by humans, so in order for God to prevent it, wouldn’t he have to remove human free will? Without free will, why would we be of anymore consequence then a pile of rocks? Isn’t then allowing the possibility of human evil a necessity of granting us free will?

    Look; [Poop] happens.  It’s childish to blame that on God just as it’s childish to credit him when you get the last strike in your perfect game at the bowling alley.

    • #20
  21. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Frank Soto: This is just a repackaging of “Why does God let bad things happen to good people”.

    It’s not that at all.  It’s a question of “what function does Ebola serve in nature, aside from killing things.”  For example, a dungeness crab exists to cleanup the bottom of the ocean.  And to be caught (my favorite reason for a dungeness crab), and to be eaten.  As my daughter points out, the honey bee actually does something of value for nature, it pollinates things.  That’s the nature of my question.  Not why does God let bad things happen.  See the difference?

    • #21
  22. skipsul Inactive
    skipsul
    @skipsul

    According to Farrakhan Ebola was invented by white Americans to punish Africans.

    • #22
  23. Majestyk Member
    Majestyk
    @Majestyk

    Jamie Lockett:

    Majestyk: Because most funny jokes’ punchlines go like “and then they bled to death from all of their orifices.”

    Give it time. It takes 22.3 years.

    Tragedy + Time = Comedy?  “Ebola: The musical!” is only years away on Broadway.  Except they already did that play and called it “Rent.”  Maybe I should have taken that play as a comedy instead of a naked political statement?

    • #23
  24. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Spin: It’s a question of “what function does Ebola serve in nature, aside from killing things

    You say that as if that can’t be an end unto itself.

    • #24
  25. skipsul Inactive
    skipsul
    @skipsul

    Spin: It’s not that at all.  It’s a question of “what function does Ebola serve in nature, aside from killing things.”

    It exists to further its own existence, same as any other living thing.  So far, by its own standard, it is successful.

    • #25
  26. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    Majestyk: Tragedy + Time = Comedy? “Ebola: The musical!” is only years away on Broadway. Except they already did that play and called it “Rent.” Maybe I should have taken that play as a comedy instead of a naked political statement?

    This might help.

    • #26
  27. user_331141 Member
    user_331141
    @JamieLockett

    skipsul: So far, by its own standard, it is successful.

    Not really. Its extremely hard to catch and most outbreaks die out quickly.

    • #27
  28. 1967mustangman Inactive
    1967mustangman
    @1967mustangman

    Fake John Galt:

    Mama Toad:My little tadpole who is now in college once told me that he had figured out why God made ticks and poison ivy: to teach us to be careful.

    I’ll ask him if he has any insight on Ebola.

    Can you ask him why God allowed Obama to win the election? That one truly has me baffled and it the best argument I have so far on why may not exist….

    God lets us choose our fate from time time time (most of the time I think).  Listen to Samuel’s response to the Israelites when they demanded a king

    10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyardsand olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

    19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

    So God gave them what they wanted and they got Saul.  Sometimes God saves us from ourselves and sometimes he lets us make our own bad decisions.

    As far as ebola goes I can only say it is part of the consequence of sin.  God created a prefect world and we corrupted us.  Who knows if God actually created it or if our sin had that kind of effect on his perfect creation.

    • #28
  29. skipsul Inactive
    skipsul
    @skipsul

    Majestyk:

    Jamie Lockett:

    Majestyk: Because most funny jokes’ punchlines go like “and then they bled to death from all of their orifices.”

    Give it time. It takes 22.3 years.

    Tragedy + Time = Comedy? “Ebola: The musical!” is only years away on Broadway. Except they already did that play and called it “Rent.” Maybe I should have taken that play as a comedy instead of a naked political statement?

    10410623_10203558803883784_8690035142388490861_nToo soon?

    • #29
  30. skipsul Inactive
    skipsul
    @skipsul

    Jamie Lockett:

    skipsul: So far, by its own standard, it is successful.

    Not really. Its extremely hard to catch and most outbreaks die out quickly.

    Among humans, yes.  Does quite well in fruit bats and monkeys though.

    • #30
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