God has never helped me find my car keys. You show me these pictures and I say to you I see mankind's failure to God.
I have heard this callous argument 1000s of times. "Ooo God loves everyone. He wouldn't let African children die." But He does, doesn't he? Parts of Africa have more christians per head than the USA - but God still hates them.
So what does God do? I mean, what's his purpose? Why, despite prayers of crying mothers, do children die like this in their hundreds? And you believe in that god?
I think it's mankind doing the hating. It is mankind's responsibility to change. Mankind needs to learn from the mistakes we make.
I happen to agree with you that it is the result of mankind's negligence. The parents of that child gave birth to him although the land would not support his survival. Jesus, however, thought differently:
M't:10:29: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
M't:10:31: Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Lu:12:6: Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
Lu:12:7: But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.Apart from the fact that the market price of sparrows has fallen, see how it is suggested that God values us more than sparrows. Was Jesus lying or is there no god?
I think God keeps balance in the universe and protects Mother Earth.
Well how come He is not "protecting 'Mother Earth' (whatever that is)? Instead he seems to be causing droughts, doesn't He?
God's purpose I would describe as Life.
That is so vague that it means nothing. What do you mean "Life"? Do you mean He's the one who gave life to rattlesnakes, wasps and the AIDs virus?
God has given us free will
It is now the 21st century. 100 years ago, you could, credibly have claimed that there was free will - unfortunately, today, it has been shown that there is no such thing as "free will", merely the illusion of free-will.
along with that life in order to deserve the knowledge and freedom that's offered in the afterlife.
The afterlife?! So, have you been dead so that you know there is an afterlife? Have you spoken with dead people? Don't you deserve the knowledge that forces us to realise that once we are dead, we are dead, and that is the end?
Here's a question for you. Would you really prefer to not have free will and be just a puppet on a string, every choice, every action dictated by God?
For me, that is a silly question - there are no gods and there is no free will. My future is laid out but neither I nor anyone else (and that includes any gods) can possibly know what it is in the long term. However, that 'laid-out' future has absolutely nothing to do with a god, if it did, the gods would know what I was going to do and, if, for example, they knew I was going to be a mass-murderer, it would have been them that chose my path, wouldn't it? In that circumstance, could I be blamed?
If , on the other hand, the gods did not know everyone's future, how could they make things happen? How could Romans:9 be true?
Ro:9:21: Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Ro:9:22: What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Ro:9:23: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,Here, it is being said that God makes some people so they can stoke the fires of Hell, and others so they can go to heaven.