When I was a Christian there were some things that were just easier to deal with. Illness, disease, and death are listed among those items. As a believer, there seemed to always be a "Godly" reason for these things and it was always a flip of the coin. If the person afflicted managed to beat their illness or disease, it was because "God" had ordained it to be so. On the other hand, if they did not make it, it was "God's" will. There really was no in between, no extenuating circumstances, no mention of secular or scientific reasons for the ultimate decision. Two specific incidents in my life come to mind while thinking about this topic. First being when my step-father died. He had cancer and it was fairly late when the doctors found it. He battled for quite some time before it just got the better of him. I recall well-meaning relatives and friends telling me that he was with "God" now. This set off a minor red flag in my brain. Not due to unbelief (as I was a believer still at that... - Renee Hendricks