Wrong place, wrong time

Consider if you will that God, however you perceive him, had absolutely nothing at all to do with the devastating tsunami of Dec. 26. This catastrophe was purely a violent act of nature which no doubt will happen again, and so to all those people who say in the name of religion that God is sending a message, then I'm sorry but the scientists got there a long time before he did.

And it will be science and technology that will hopefully protect millions of people the next time, and if this is so, then you could say that science and technology will defy religion in providing protection to the human race.

Some people think it was a warning or a punishment, but how on earth can that be when history time and time again has shown us that we never listen to warnings such as global warming or the raping of the environment or anything else for that matter. These waves were indiscriminate, merciless and devastating, and simply created a human disaster of enormous proportions.

Krakatau in 1883 was equally as bad (probably worse), but in those days there were not so many people. It will also be human beings, technology, money, time and compassion that will eventually heal the wounds in Aceh and elsewhere, and so the world goes on and on toward whatever nature dictates.

People have consistently predicted the end of the world is nigh, and of course one day they will be proved right, but in being so, there won't be anyone left to turn round and say, "I told you so." Wrong place, wrong time -- it's extremely sad but as simple as that.

DAVID WALLIS Medan, North Sumatra