How I feel is, if there truly was a "god", this tragedy would never have happened.

The issue as I see it is that your views about "God" have been shaped by religion - if there were a "God" it likely is not in any shape or form as religion has described it. Maybe "God" is a reptile that simply creates the eggs and takes off before the eggs hatch - never to look back. This of course leaves the hatchlings to figure shit out on their own or die before they get to the water or find cover.

Now of course there isn't a creator but if there were there's no doubt that all religious interpretations of it are wrong. If there were a creator I think it'd be a divine teenager who was conducting a scientific experiment and as soon as it got a good grade for creating space marbles moved onto something else forgetting to turn off the experiment. Yes, I know, that's nuts but not any less so than anything you'll read in the bible but it does lesson the bitterness towards the religious concept of a loving god that answers prayers, creates miracles while allowing the most innocent among us to be brutalized and killed.

It's ignorance caused by superstition. I understand and believe your every word. Gods are imaginary.

Reality is just too horrible to face. The little guy was killed by a human being in total disregard of the little guy's right to life or his suffering.
Inserting a mythical being into the equation does not change that reality.

Reality is just too horrible to face. The little guy was killed by a human being in total disregard of the little guy's right to life. Inserting a mythical being into the equation does not change the reality.

The facts are that there is no omnipotent being that allows, condones, or in any way is involved with... any of what you mention.

There is ONE thing in your commentary that I will address and that is the "he's with Dog now" comment... as the son of a funeral director/mortician, there is closure. If you NEVER find the body, if you never see same, you ALWAYS wonder: are they dead, or if I just keep searching will I find them? WIth the body, as heinous as it sounds, those questions are all answered. You get the chance to grieve with closure and move on.

I don't believe, and thus can't really address the rest of it. What I DO believe is that for those who believe in a higher being, thinking that said being is in control, in some form or another, gives them the opportunity to either take responsibility or eschew same. either way, they gain comfort for having that safety valve to use in times of crisis and... explain away that which they can't deal with: humans can be awful... we can also be quite wonderful. Fortunately, in my experience, we are more often wonderful than awful. I do not feel the need to see a guiding hand behind same because if I did, I'd have to struggle with what you are struggling with: the lack of any kind of logic behind what happens.

That’s horrible. It is always a tragedy to use the death of a child to push an agenda like religion. I have always thought that if a new born is with god after dying, then why give that child life just to die and leave it? What would even be the purpose in that? To tease life.

But on the other hand that isn’t why I’m an atheist. To say fuck god, or where was god when this happen, or I hate god is more of Misotheism to me.

Parents like that should be castrated and sterilised immediately ?

I’m so sorry. That’s a tragedy, poor child.
Delusion. Inability or refusal to face reality, is my opinion.
My brother died from a brain tumor two years ago. He was truly a good person, Xtian like the others in my family; but non judgmental and kind. (So ‘god’ looked down, and smited the best person in our entire family—passing over me, lifelong heathen). After he died, there was a lot of the same thing: now he’s in heaven, God’s plan. Eff god and his plan!
A ‘better place’ for him to be is HERE. Ugh.

I'm angry. I'm so angry that children around me keep getting slaughtered by their horrible parents and no real changes are being made. I feel like the religious are using god as an excuse for inaction.

The fact is our DCF and CPS has failed Lucas. Our cops and our neighbors have failed him. Him and HUNDREDS of children every day. And no one is doing a damn thing to make a difference.

Every day at my job I watch people become parents that are desperately unfit and they walk out with their babies and nothing is done. Every day I wonder when I'll read about this child in the news or have to put up missing signs for that one.

I may not want children myself. I may not like being around kids often, but even I do more than these 'thoughts and prayers' bullshitters who would leave it in some magic beings hand than actually try to fix our DESPERATELY broken system. Two days ago I watched a six year old explain to a cop in my ER that her mom's boyfriend hit her a lot.

And you know what? The kid went home with mom that day. I don't think CPS even came by.

I'm pissed off and angry that nothing is being fixed.

Last year a child was found buried alive in a cement wall in his basement. Another kid was beaten and fed to pigs. ALL in my state. Every single one of these murdered kids had multiple CPS calls made and NOT ONE was followed up on. Not a damn thing was done to protect these kids.

In the morning I'm writing my congressmen and my senators. This is INEXCUSABLE. We need better laws and we need a complete overhaul of the systems in place. Cops need retrained. Neighbors ALL need to be educated.

Even one child hurt is one too many.

Pure delusion, really. Hopefully they will be able to add more charges as the investigation continues. My money is on the Dad as the perpetrator and mom as the cover up. Rotten all around.

Many people talk about God after a tragedy to comfort themselves. It's very short-sighted and ironic, but they're probably not trying to disgrace the child's memory or make light of what happened to him. They are merely trying to work their way through grief in their own way. Even those who were not close to him can still feel some grief at hearing of his murder. Human empathy is one of the strongest forces in the world. Those who don't believe in a god, like you and I, would likely not turn to one for support in troubled times. We have other ways of dealing with it. While religious people's way of mourning may be irritating at times, tolerance is important in a grieving community. The best thing to do is try to ignore their proclamations and mourn in your own way. If they force it on you, simply tell them that you do not see things the way they do and such statements make you feel more pain than relief.

I have a difficult time with Christians giving God accolades, no matter what atrocities are inflicted on somebody and no matter how many people died and suffered. I think Christians have eternal bias and refuse to deal with the real issues at hand.