The circulation of air currents that causes tornadoes is the result of thermodynamics and is necessary for the distribution of heat to make the planet habitable. Earthquakes and volcanic eruption occur due to plate tectonics which is necessary for the existence of a carbon cycle which in turn makes the planet habitable for carbon based life. Tsunamis and hurricanes occur because the planet has oceans which are absolutely needed for the formation of carbon based life with an ecosystem. Deceases are life that are part of the ecosystem which is needed for humans to exist.

If God wanted to prevent human suffering from natural disasters and calamities He would have to suspend the laws of nature which are needed for our existence and would essentially destroy our world, thus wiping us out altogether!

From the stand point of biological evolution all these natural disasters and calamities are necessary for the evolution of advanced life forms and to develop and improve human civilization as Father Spizter correctly points out!

The important thing about suffering is not why it exists or why God allows it, but how we respond to suffering, both our personal suffering and the suffering of other human beings. Do we rise above our personal suffering or not? Do we respond to the suffering of others or not? This is what is important to God and man.

Sure, other posts on other sites may have different reasons. My comments are addressed at the reasons proposed by the article on this site.

Actually, there are several compelling reasons why God cannot interfere in man's daily affairs: http://bit.ly/11EyvgO

In your theory of Biblical inspiration, what part do you assign to the human author? A mere copyist?

Job has two authors, God and the human writer. The human writer presented God and his actions according to his own mentality. This mentality is imperfect.

Do you think it is unacceptable that the author of Genesis pictured the earth with a dome of water over it? Are you demanding that God should have fixed?

So there are stories in the Old Testament in which God is a fictional character? And since the Bible is the inspired word of God, it's the case that God inspired stories about himself in the Old Testament depicting himself doing things he would never do? What lesson are we to learn from stories in scripture portraying God doing things he would never do that we could not have learned from different stories portraying God accurately?

Please note, Max, that I presented a philosophical argument, not a theological one base on divine revelation.

But to respond to your leap to theology, I'd say the answer is that I'm a Catholic, not an Old Testament Jew. I interpret Job from the perspective of Christ (to the best I can).

It is a story. I have no reason to believe it is any more than a story. If I'm right then it is a fictional narrative meant to convey certain ideas.

From my Catholic perspective, God would never actually do such a thing. Even Jesus invents parables in which the character that represents God the Father approves of underhanded things, like the Master who commended the dishonest steward. That does not mean that God approves of dishonesty.

I don't see your point. Sure there are people who are willing to die for a good reason. The reason why such deaths are considered glorious is because one is sacrificing such a great good for a noble ideal. Many Christian martyrs have welcomed death, too, not because there was anything intrinsically good about it.

The stoics didn't radically reject it. Some castes in feudal Japanese society, also welcomed death if it came serving their lord, or doing there duty. There are two groups who seem to be okay with the idea of their own demise. There are probably others.