Why did God create Radon ?

[byofrcs]

Radon is a the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually (source: US EPA ). If we crudely multiple that by 20 times (ratio of US population to global) then we could be looking at 400,000 premature deaths per annum globally.

Radon is a colorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium. It is one of the heaviest substances that are gases under normal conditions and is considered to be a health hazard (source: Wikipedia ).

Given that there few known compounds of this unreactive element it seems to have little purpose in this universe other than accumulating in buildings and causing premature deaths in humans.

Alternatively there is no inherent design and radon is a side-effect of a decay process that couldn't care less about humanity.

What was God thinking ? Why is radon not mentioned in the Bible (AFAIK) and why doesn't it warn people of this compound ?

[McCulloch]

Why is radon not mentioned in the Bible (AFAIK) and why doesn't it warn people of this compound ?

The same reason that God did not warn anyone about the dangers of asbestos, mercury or viruses.

[Cathar1950]

Why is radon not mentioned in the Bible (AFAIK) and why doesn't it warn people of this compound ?

The same reason that God did not warn anyone about the dangers of asbestos, mercury or viruses.

But somehow fruit is bad for you.
Well some fruit.
Now everything is bad for us.
I take vitamins and other supplements.

[byofrcs]

Why is radon not mentioned in the Bible (AFAIK) and why doesn't it warn people of this compound ?

The same reason that God did not warn anyone about the dangers of asbestos, mercury or viruses.

Asbestos and mercury are different in that you have to do some human processing to get these. Viruses it could be argued (and it is with some Christians), that they are inflicted on Humanity by God after the Fall.

Radon is different. Radon just seeps out of the ground. It could be argued that the 1602 years half life shows hints of a young earth but Radium decays from thorium-230 which has a half life of 75380 years as part of the Uranium series of decay.

The Uranium-Thorium dating is used in science for long timeframes and is criticised by YEC supporters. The criticism may be valid because of the assumptions in the U-234 equilibrium but equally then my first question shows that God was ignorant or negligent in permitting the Radium -> Radon decays to take place. I'm happy that someone could be ignorant of the effects of Radon on the human lungs and not be held liable but ignorance is not promoted as an attribute of God.

Therefore either Uranium-Thorium dating has wrong assumptions (namely 'The Creation') or God is liable for every Radon-originated lung cancer death until quite recently when science detected this element and slowly showed the medical side-effects and how to detect it and prevent the deaths.

[loubelle]

Why is radon not mentioned in the Bible (AFAIK) and why doesn't it warn people of this compound ?

The same reason that God did not warn anyone about the dangers of asbestos, mercury or viruses.

And what is that reason exactly?

[McCulloch]

Why is radon not mentioned in the Bible (AFAIK) and why doesn't it warn people of this compound ?

The same reason that God did not warn anyone about the dangers of asbestos, mercury or viruses.

And what is that reason exactly?

God like all fictional characters cannot know any more than his authors know or can imagine.

[redneck22]

Radon is a the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually (source: US EPA ). If we crudely multiple that by 20 times (ratio of US population to global) then we could be looking at 400,000 premature deaths per annum globally.

Radon is a colorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium. It is one of the heaviest substances that are gases under normal conditions and is considered to be a health hazard (source: Wikipedia ).

Given that there few known compounds of this unreactive element it seems to have little purpose in this universe other than accumulating in buildings and causing premature deaths in humans.

Alternatively there is no inherent design and radon is a side-effect of a decay process that couldn't care less about humanity.

What was God thinking ? Why is radon not mentioned in the Bible (AFAIK) and why doesn't it warn people of this compound ?

The warnings are clear in the Bible that sin will be judged. The above problem with Radon assumes that the buildings are built on the originally created ground. Biblical history states that the judgement by Noah's flood was global and catastrophic, rearranging the original, and I assume, good protective layer. It also states the second judgement will be global and catastrophic like the first.

[Smorb]

The warnings are clear in the Bible that sin will be judged. The above problem with Radon assumes that the buildings are built on the originally created ground. Biblical history states that the judgement by Noah's flood was global and catastrophic, rearranging the original, and I assume, good protective layer. It also states the second judgement will be global and catastrophic like the first.

Quoted from: http://www1.umn.edu/eoh/hazards/hazards ... rkids.html

What Can Radon Do?

Radon can cause lung cancer.(-Lung cancer is a disease of a person’s lungs, where the cells’ DNA is damaged and those damaged cells replicate uncontrollably). Radon is second only to smoking as a cause of lung cancer. It’s a silent killer, since people can’t tell if they’re being exposed. And its effects are more hazardous for children than adults.

Why are Children more Susceptible?

Children are more sensitive to radon because their lungs are smaller and their respiratory rates are twice as high. Doctors say that, by the age of 10, a child receives twice the lung dose of an adult who’s been exposed to radon for the same length of time.

hmm.. Children seem to be twice as susceptible to Radon as adults... Now why would God seem fit to Judge children by default? what a nice god.

[micatala]

Radon is a the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually (source: US EPA ). If we crudely multiple that by 20 times (ratio of US population to global) then we could be looking at 400,000 premature deaths per annum globally.

Radon is a colorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium. It is one of the heaviest substances that are gases under normal conditions and is considered to be a health hazard (source: Wikipedia ).

Given that there few known compounds of this unreactive element it seems to have little purpose in this universe other than accumulating in buildings and causing premature deaths in humans.

Alternatively there is no inherent design and radon is a side-effect of a decay process that couldn't care less about humanity.

What was God thinking ? Why is radon not mentioned in the Bible (AFAIK) and why doesn't it warn people of this compound ?

The warnings are clear in the Bible that sin will be judged. The above problem with Radon assumes that the buildings are built on the originally created ground. Biblical history states that the judgement by Noah's flood was global and catastrophic, rearranging the original, and I assume, good protective layer. It also states the second judgement will be global and catastrophic like the first.

For a critique of the idea that the flood covered the whole earth, see Hugh Ross. Scientific evidence aside, Ross notes that the idea of a global flood is not even good Biblical interpretation.

In addition, this whole argument is highly subjective, and assumes implicitly that 'we know God's thoughts'. It is suggested the 'originally created ground' did not have radon (no evidence for this at all, only "I assume") and that we only have radon now because of the flood (again no evidence for this at all).

However, one could make the case that this scenario paints God in an even more senseless light than just having radon in the original creation. The Bible indicates that God cleansed the world (read known world as Ross does) so that Noah's progeny could have a second chance to get it right. What reason would God have for putting poison radon into play at this time, and not prior to this time? If He wished to 'cleanse the earth', why put the evil of radon in? Wouldn't it make much more sense to have radon in the pre-flood 'evil' world and cleanse it away through the flood?

Why should those who come after Noah be punished for building houses on the post-flood landscape? Wasn't God supposed to be judging the pre-flood world? In your scenario He is now judging the post-flood world even before they did anything wrong.

. . and this makes sense how?

[redneck22]

hmm.. Children seem to be twice as susceptible to Radon as adults... Now why would God seem fit to Judge children by default? what a nice god.

I don't think God is judging children, I beleive children inherit the benefits and debts of the parents, whether thats a good or bad genome, money etc.