Why did God let that bridge collapse?

Answer 1

Jeff, most of the folks answering your question seem like they are out to convert you to a particular understanding of god or dismiss the idea of god. (Since you capitalized God, then I should have.) What I read into your question is not so much about God as to understanding tragedy and suffering. Since those questions have been asked for ages without resolution perhaps one helpful answer is to know that there are folks out there who are with you in your wondering about suffering and that there are folks who care about the suffering and about you in your search. (this comes from a drunk theologian)

Answer 2

God did not make the bridge collapse. The bridge collapsed due to wear and tear and/or engineering problems.

Quit using religion as an excuse for everything that happens.

Answer 3

According to James 1:13 "When under trial, let no one say, "I am being tried by God." For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone."

During "the last days"(1 Timothy 3:1-5) there will be natural disasters, man-made catastrophies, and evil things in general. This does not mean that God made these things happen or that he doesn't care. Starting with the Garden of Eden, Man decided that they were better off under "self-rule". This raised the issue of universal sovereignty. Who had the right to rule? Some 6000 years later, we are dealing with the effects of "man's domination of man to his injury"(Ecclesiastes 8:9). Humans have experimented with every form of government possible over the last 6000 years. Human governments have failed utterly in providing for even the basic needs of mankind, chief of all would be the spiritual need(Matthew 5:3) that we are all built with.

Soon Jehovah God will destroy all human governments(Daniel 2:44) and get rid of the main cause of all mankinds problems, Satan.(Psalms 37:10-11)

So while God has allowed mankind to govern itself and let it suffer the consequences thereof, he is not to blame for the bad things that happen to us. Quite the contrary, he is the only one willing and able to provide any kind of salvation which he will do through his Son, Christ Jesus.

Answer 4

Yes, the bridge collapsed and God didn't build it. I am not writing to you to frustrate you, nor am I attempting to 'one up' you with this answer. Every time there is a disaster, I am reminded of something that Jesus said:
Luke 13
1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

To put it in my own words, Jesus was saying that stuff happens, and none of us can really know when a catastrophe will happen. So 'consider yourself' is a way for us to look to our own salvation. Are we or are we not going to trust God with our lives? Whether we do or not might not avert a disaster in most cases, but we will at least have peace with God if we accept Christ as our Saviour. Jesus was very good at keeping His message simple. An he continually pointed to himself as being the center of the necessary focus.

Answer 5

God made us a free spirit who can think but most important comprehend/distinguish that makes us to be above other creatures...
We all blame God when something bad happens even though we know it was not His fault but somebody else's. We tend to just point finger at HIM when something goes wrong but we all forget that every morning, you breath (did you thank God this morning), the sun rises and shines, the birds sing, etc. and even after the darkest day, the sun shines again... we all must thank God for those "little" things that, if you think harder, they are not as "little" as you may think.

Franciscano de Maria

Answer 6

It wasn't god, he's dead for 2000 years. Most likely the work being done on the bridge at the time reduced the strength of the supports and allowed buckling to occur. It happened during rush hour, the best time to prove that a high margin of safety is needed in structures.


Primoa you're an effing genius. In one statement you say he's in charge of it all, in the next you say we can't blame him. Anyone else find this hilarious?

Answer 7

God did not make that happen. It was an Engineering problem with the make-up of the bridge.

Answer 8

You are gonna catch hell for this. But in reality, you are using the same logic that Christians used when they said Katrina was God's revenge on the sins of New Orleans.

Answer 9

Man built the bridge.Man is fallible.Death,disease,famine etc are the consequences of sin.Stop blaming god for mans self righteousness.

Answer 10

this world is not our home nor should we try and hang on to it, whosoever shall cleave to this life shall lose it, and who loses life shall gain it, this is a world with sin, that is why so many uncontrollable things happen, when Jesus Christ returns then we will live in The Holy Land, where there will not be all this sadness and dispair, we must go on and do what God wants us to do, while mourning for our brothers and sisters, we must also remember, we go on to be in a Much Better place for eternity with Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.