Dear Jack, I believe in a flood, yes, but I do not believe that God brought it about. I believe that it was caused by the actions of men. The question arises as to how anyone survived it and before you ask the next question I will answer it by saying that I do not currently know. By the way, did you know that there are two accounts of the Flood in Genesis, which have been interwoven? (This is just an aside.) As to your stance that the current state we find ourselves living in was not planned from the beginning, do you reject then the concept of predestination? Best wishes, Neville. Jack Lewis <jack.lewis@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Dear Neville, You said: The question for us, then, is simply: Was this general state intended from the beginning or was it not? If it was, then it is part of God's plan. If it was not, then it is the work of the Devil. I proclaim the latter. So do I. But since God is in control He allows it to happen because He gave us a free choice. It's the free choice that is important. Jack PS Do I assume, from a previous posting, that you no longer believe in the flood of Noah? --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less, sign up for your freeaccount today.