As we repeatedly see the tragedy of the Japanese earhtquake and tsunami - just as we saw the tragedy of the Haitian earthquake, the Indonesian tsunami and the various other "natural" disasters Mother Earth has been subjected to of late, we might also look at the reactions from various leaders around the world. In most cases, they invoke the presence of an almighty diety - generally going by the name of God.
It is not and has never been my position that God doesn't exist, since I'm not in a position to state that with any certainty. Nor am I able to definitely state that He (She or It) actually does exist - for the same reason. What I am able to do is question the logic of the role we have assigned to the Force, Power or Divine Person we are asked (or commanded) to believe in.
First, it is safe to say that either God is responsible for "natural" disasters or not. It does seem logical that, if we can thank a Creator for the fields of grain, the flowers and the other beauties of our planet, we should also hold Him (Her or It) responsible when things go wrong. I can see how man might be responsible for the nuclear situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, but I don't think we're guilty for what brought it on. On the other hand, if God has nothing to do with earthquakes or tsunamies, it would seem to give strength to the argument that "He" might not have much to do with the other stuff, either. It seems a little hypocritical to be grateful to God for anything that's beneficial, and conspicuously silent for anything that isn't.
This has nothing to do with God, but it has a lot to do with us. We see it in all religions and under all circumstances. Reading the Koran, as in the case of the Old Testament or the New, can produce reasons for almost any emotion. Oddly, it appears what readers are looking for in many cases are reasons to hate some other religion. The situation in Gaza is an ideal illustration. Both Jews and Arabs are guided by similar guideposts as found in their holy writings. Both religions (Jew and Muslim) are chock full of examples of charity and good deeds, but what messages do both take from their holy books? Christians are in even worse shape. Their leader preached almost 100% peace, swords into plowshares, turn the other cheek, love your enemies, etc. and what conclusions have been drawn from this?
The role of God, therefore, seems to have become a universal justification for anything man wants to get done and an explanation for anything man doesn't understand. Is it unreasonable to ask religion to provide us with the same kind of cohesive logic we expect in economics, government or education? Or are they all in the same boat, subject to the whims of the people whose opinons are groomed to support them?