when i was in salt lake city a few years back, five little girls trapped themselves in the trunk of a car on a hot summer day and perished. what really troubles me is the timeline of events surrounding this horrible tragedy. the mother watching the children realized within a short period of time that the children were missing, and hopped into the same car to drive around looking for them. i know that that mother was praying hard to find them. why didnít god answer her prayers and prompt her to find the children while there was still a chance to save them? what good is god if he/she canít help you and your children in a crisis like that?

this is probably more of an emotional argument than a rational one, but it is a powerful one. i know my feelings are shared by many others out there. i mark this event as the point of my conversion to atheism. i know that worse tragedies occur in this world every minute. iíve heard a number of religious apologies explaining how the death and torture of innocents fits into godís plan. i can even argue in favor of a godly perspective pretty well. i find them hard to swallow, but i am willing to listen to more.

in spite of all my rationalism, i pray daily for the safety and peace of my children. just in case::