Bruce Gerencser was recently quoted by
John Loftus
If you are a Christian and you believe the Bible is truth then the answer is an emphatic YES. The people recently killed by tornadoes? God’s doing. The people killed by Hurricane Katrina? God’s doing.
The Bible is clear
I agree the Bible is clear. God is responsible. He did it. He does it. He will do it again. I would say Gerencser is incorrect of course we can complain and ask God "Why?". Job Did. David did. Several Psalmists did.
Habakkuk did. Jeremiah did.
Jesus' disciples did. I live on several
earthquake fault lines in California. It's only a matter of time before our time comes for a major disaster! It is not a question of possibility. It is a certainty. When it happens it will probably be worse than
New Zealand's and
Japan's disasters this year. I only hope that God will choose to be merciful although we don't deserve it. We deserve it less than New Zealand and Japan. We are not better than they by any stretch of imagination. So what answer does God give for this problem? It's not that God does not answer. The problem is we don't like the answer because God tells us we are asking the wrong question. God expects us to repent and to trust that He knows what is best for us and everyone - including those who die in
Natural Disasters.
1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”
- Luke 13:1-9
The Facepalm is because we ask the wrong question and expect God to play by our rules and when He does not, people want to pretend He does not exist. I like the first comment made on Loftus' blog post.
Debunking Christianity: Is God to Blame for Weather that Kills People?
Here is an oldie but goodie. I missed this episode of Unbelievable? with Justin Brieley, but I could not pass this up. 
Bruce Gerencser was recently quoted by John Loftus2 hours ago
