The Rage of God

It was believed, once upon a time, that severe weather was, "God being angry at the people who did not believe in him." That's right: You don't believe in the awesome power of God? Shazam! You get swept out in a flood. However, I find it fascinating that if you really look where severe weather hits in this country, almost all the spots are where hardcore Christians live. Seriously. The entire South is susceptible to hurricanes. Look at Louisiana and Mississippi yesterday. Wildfires anyone? They hit Wyoming and Utah hardest. You want a tornado to rip off your roof or blow away your trailer? Go to Texas or most of the midwest. What happens in the Northeast? That whole "Godless" area, as it was once described, where the heathens live. Well, there's snow.
I just find it absolutely fascinating. If, in fact, weather is created by God, then why hit those areas only? You ever hear about Maine getting hit by a tropical storm?
Maybe I'm oversimplifying, but last night on one of the cable news stations, they had a person on who was rescued from a house, and he was quoted saying, "Why would God do this?"
I have mentioned before how I feel about the whole Intelligent Design thing, and I'm not going to go into it again. However, why, why, why do so many people feel that God has done this to them? "Hey my house burned down, well it's God's fault." No, it's because you left that cigarette burning on the couch. Many people are so quick to blame God for the bad, ask God for the stuff they want, and thank God for the good. I cannot stress this enough: God is not a cosmic bellboy. God doesn't hear you and go running to answer your prayers.
You want my honest opinion (and if you're still reading this: you do)? I think the very essence of God came from an episode of Futurama. Seriously. Bender, the robot, gets shot into space and as he's flying, he picks up a colony of aliens that live on him and think of him as God. They eventually die (nuclear holocaust). Along the way, he is pulled into a star cluster that talks to him. It is conceivable that this is God (a question posed by Bender). His advice? "When you do it right, people won't think you've done anything at all." Isn't that the best idea? God is a force that is away from us, and we can look to for guidance, but he doesn't answer (no matter what signs YOU think you get) and instead looks to you to make your own way.
It's free will. We make our choices. God doesn't push us around like a chess piece. If that were the case, then what's the point of bettering yourself when God has a plan for you?
Now back to my original point: God doesn't create the weather. We know how a thunderstorm works. It's not God bowling, it's pressure meeting. Yes, it is funny, to me at least, that the most devout areas of this country get hit the hardest. Maybe I'm just mean.