theodicy the unauthorized version and the literature version

    
The kind of personal story that has nothing to do with reading the Bible as we agreed to do:

    This is a subject I thought about a lot at one time in my life. I was in high school (yes, they had high school back then too) and a baby I used to babysit died. One week before her first birthday her family had a party for her because one of her family members was going to be away the next week (on business I think). She had a heart condition which was actually getting better. She had been to the children's hospital for surgery and had a scar down the full length of her chest to show for it. They thought she was going to be okay and have a normal life. I got the job babysitting her because I knew infant and child CPR. The night of her party she somehow fell out of her high chair. She was fine for a while, a few hours if I remember correctly. Then she started to have problems. There was a huge controversy over who was at fault for her death and I believe there was a lawsuit. None of this mattered to me. All I could think about was that tiny little girl who I took care of, who I danced around the living room with, who used to love it when I played a certain song in the car for was gone forever. How could God do this? Why to her? When I heard the news from my Mother, I hoped she was talking about an older man we knew with the same name. Not that I wanted him dead either; not at all. The thing was, he was older, he had a life and kids and grandkids and she was just starting. I questioned many things including my faith then. Someone, I wish I could remember who, said something to me at that funeral that helped bring at least a bit of peace to my heart. She said, "When babies die, God is the first to shed a tear". I remembered that again a couple years ago when I lost my own baby girl who was still growing inside me.
     Maybe sometimes that is true. Maybe God cannot help everyone all the time. Perhaps there are things outside his control. And maybe sometimes it is better that way and we cannot see it from our perspective. That seems terrible to say I suppose. I guess if you are going to believe in God, then you must believe there is a purpose for things that happen both good and bad. At this point, I don't know what to believe. I know many of you think people who believe are fools, and many think the same of those who do not. Either way, I apologize (a little) for the unapproved personal view into my heart. Usually, I refuse to share any thoughts of faith with anyone. In my family, these issues are kept quiet, and I think it works even better outside my family. I truly hope I have not offended anyone. If there is a problem, please let me know and I will promptly delete this post with no bad feelings.

The literature version
    God must take the innocent with the guilty sometimes because they are children of those who would spread evil ways to his chosen people. This is a bit like weeding a garden. Yes, the tender leaves of the weeds are small and harmless now, but what will they grow into?
    Why does God allow things like disease etc to afflict the innocent? Maybe this happens so that people can appreciate each other and value life and health.
     Why can things like the holocaust happen when God is so powerful? Perhaps he allows evil to spread sometimes to test the true faith of his believers. What happened after the 9/11 tragedy? Many returned to flying flags and going to church.
     God constantly takes things away from his people because they do not appreciate his gifts. Moses, for example, was not allowed to enter the promised land. Remember, God allows bad things to happen while he watches. Sometimes it just makes a better story. This is what happened to the Egyptians; God sent plagues so that the chosen people could have stories to tell their children. They had evidence of God's power and wrath and because He freed them, they had stories of his caring.
    Thank you to the Bible authors for allowing so much room for interpretation. At least with that I can come up with some sort of answer and feel that maybe I have a chance of not being completely wrong.