How does religion explain birth defects?

[TheDarkestOfAngels]

Well, some people are born with physical abnormalities because it was simply God's will. And there might be a good reason for why He made them like that. It doesn't always have to be because of humanity's sins or as a test of our faith. He can fashion His creatures in any way He wants to make them, such as this, this, this, and this, for example. And this. There are much more medical oddities that I've seen and I look at all of them as creations of God.

Sometimes I even find them fascinating because their bodies are so strange and unique (as compared to regular human beings).

That's... horrifying.
Birth defects aren't proof or disproof of god's existance. They're disproof of what people regularly call 'god's everlasting/eternal love of humankind.'
This isn't just about the cosmetic or even mildly debilitating disease - this is also about diseases like those I brought up in the previous page -
a) Tay-Sachs disease
b) Niemann-Pick disease
c) Trisomy 18 and 13
d) Cystic Fibrosis

Let's take Tay-Sachs - the one that's a genetic defect where if your child has it, your child is doomed to a horrifying and painful death before the age of 18 months, so I'm glad you find the forms of those listed birth defects amusing, becuase I don't.
I don't find them amusing at all.

In the grand scheme of things, if god does exist, then have no power against a being that's anywhere close to that kind of omnipotence and frankly he can do to us whatever he wants and we couldn't do anything about it. As such, if he wants to do with us as he pleases, then there's nothing we can do to stop a being of that nature.

However, a being that willingly inflicts lethal and painfully fatal genetic diseases upon beings he considers his own creations - let alone the comparatively cosmetic issues highlighted above in your post - then it doesn't strike me with any positive emotions toward god. That just makes him a worse monster than any depiction of the Devil and certainly any human being I've ever known.

When an atheist sees people like that, he thinks to himself, "There we go, that's another reason for God's non-existence." But when a believer sees people like that, he feels more thankful to God for not having those problems himself. Then he thinks about all the other healthy and normal people in the world as opposed to the abnormal ones, whereas an atheist would only concentrate on the negative aspects to prove that God doesn't exist, and not take into account how much people are being born everyday without any problems.

I think God made evil and suffering to make us reflect on the good things as well, because without any suffering in the world, we won't be able to truly appreciate the good things in life. There are opposite things in the world just like there is night and day, love and hate, ugly and beauty, hot and cold, happiness and sadness, etc. And these polar qualities exist to make us more aware of the dual nature of life. That's why we shouldn't expect everything to be perfect all the time. So, the problem of evil is not a very strong argument for the non-existence of God.

No, it's not an arguement of or against god's existance.
It's a powerful arguement for god being evil at a scale beyond any fictional or real being.
(Nevermind the genocides and other god-sanctioned actions in the Koran and Bible).

[Ashendant]

You don't even to go as far as birth defects you just need to point out the appendix if god was perfect and we were made in his image why are we all born with this defect that can only be explained trough remains of evolution either god is a liar since we're not made in his image and were not perfect or god doesn't exist you choose no if's

[Lethe]

Perhaps God bungled the coding for the very foundation of organic life and refused to defer to a professional because it was outside of his price range. Multiverse Inc. sent him numerous patches for his flawed system but he declined in installing them because it would take up too much space on his goddrive, space he needed for storing the inevitable flood of prayers that would be sent to him due to his botched design.

[Skipper]

Well, some people are born with physical abnormalities because it was simply God's will. And there might be a good reason for why He made them like that.

Bullshit. If that's the case, your god is a dick. What possible reason is there for ruining an innocent child's life?! How can you believe what you are writing?!

Sometimes I even find them fascinating because their bodies are so strange and unique (as compared to regular human beings).

Well good for you. I'm sure the ones suffering and living very short lives because of it take comfort in the fact you find them interesting.

But when a believer sees people like that, he feels more thankful to God for not having those problems himself.

Nice selfless religion at play there.

Then he thinks about all the other healthy and normal people in the world as opposed to the abnormal ones, whereas an atheist would only concentrate on the negative aspects to prove that God doesn't exist, and not take into account how much people are being born everyday without any problems.

People being born "normal" dosen't go even the slightest way to prove god exists or that he dosen't, it proves nothing. All that people being born with life destroying and shortening illnesses is that there is no such thing as an all loving god. There is no such thing as a perfect god. There is no such thing as the god ANY of your bullshit religions claim to know of.

[God]

See, whenever people ask what kind of God would let terrible things happen? My question is, if he created you, who are you to question it? This is NOT an angry post, this is only a question. A creator should not have to prove himself to what he created. Maybe he does favor some more than others. Maybe he isnt a fair and justified god. Religion and man's ignorance says he is an all loving god. But why couldn't he be the other. These aren't necessarily my beliefs, just things to consider. What if earth is hell? We were sent here to be punished? Again, things to think about.

[ib.me.ub]

So why do you have to prove it.

[God]

So why do you have to prove it.

the truth shall set you free
lawdy lawdy lawdy

[ib.me.ub]

Well, it hasen't set you free..............;-).

[God]

another thing. i really have to stop saying proof, when i really mean evidentiary support. and i have never heard of pantheism until now. this is similar to the way i view God.

[Captain Scarlet]

See, whenever people ask what kind of God would let terrible things happen? My question is, if he created you, who are you to question it? This is NOT an angry post, this is only a question. A creator should not have to prove himself to what he created. Maybe he does favor some more than others. Maybe he isnt a fair and justified god. Religion and man's ignorance says he is an all loving god. But why couldn't he be the other. These aren't necessarily my beliefs, just things to consider. What if earth is hell? We were sent here to be punished? Again, things to think about.

Indeed. But that is not the type of god peddled out to the masses and there is no more evidence of this god/gods than the traditional montheistic god. As for whether a god wishes to remain hidden, it is about as convincing as saying the invisible man exists and is amongst us and steals our car keys, but just doesn't want to let it be known. Of course it could be true, but there are lots of other good explanations as to why things happen without invoking such beings. I find the hiddenness of a god to be a powerful argument against theism.