Is there a God?

That's an interesting question. I do believe there is a God. And I believe that you don't have to attend church to prove it. But when somebody asks me, "If He is a loving God, why would He let bad things happen to good people?" I'm stumped. Why would he? And the reason that everything happens for a reason is kinda hokey. That just sounds like an excuse.

I was brought up to believe that faith was most important. You don't question it - God is there. God loves me. God wants me to go to heaven. God died for my sins. But why? Why would he take the time to do all that, and yet let bad things happen. Look at the world now - wars, famines, floods, tornados, earthquakes, cancer, murder. And most of the people that are affected aren't bad people. They were in the wrong spot at the wrong time when God got mad.

Don't get me wrong. I love God, I always have. But I have always had doubts that no one could answer since I was in high school. I keep getting the cliche answer, "Everything happens for a reason..." I believe that though, I just want a more detailed answer once in a while.

I still believe that there was a reason that I decided to join the Army. To go through that matured me for the most part. I don't know what that reason was though - I'm not really a people person anymore. I can't "bring people to God." And I refuse to be a hypocrite. I can't stand those people who go to church on Sunday, but then the rest of the week God is the furthest thing on their mind. If I go to church on Sunday, it's because my family asks me to, and so I can see them. I don't believe that God is keeping a tally of the Sunday's that I make it to church, and that's a reason why I will or won't get into heaven. I believe that a relationship with God is important, and it should be private. If your relationship with God is out in the open for anybody to see, then its a show and not meant.

But I'm getting off the subject. Why would God allow bad things to happen to good people? Is it to teach them a lesson? To prove to them that people they love can be taken away at any moment?

I just need answers. What do I tell people that ask me that? And I'm not going to give the answer, "Everything happens for a reason..."