What can we learn from Luke 13 and the tragedy at Siloam?

Not at all. He was confronting the common belief that a fluke accident was a punishment for some serious sin that person had. He was saying the 18 were no worse than the other people of the city, and that the people should repent or they were headed for a similar fate.

MY thoughts are that they did not read it in context.

and that's usually what happens when we don't' read the section around a verse.

The second half of that verse (not even a different verse) says ..."--—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?"

He was talking about a common teaching in Judaism back then, (and common in Pentecostal circles now too, at least) that if something back happens to you, you are more guilty than others. Jesus was setting it straight that a calamity does not signify the victims are more guilty than others.

Word of Faith (Christians) use this all the time. If someone does not receive the miraculous healing Pastor prayed over them for, it's the sick persons fault for not having enough "faith."

In another place (in the NT) Jesus gets asked regarding his healing someone if the sin was the healed persons or his parents because that was their thinking, that sickness was a result of someones sin.

Christ was never unsympathetic towards people. We only have to read about the Centurian and the woman at the well to realise that the sympathy of Christ lies with us sinners, all of us.

He was illustrating the dangers of judging people on whether or not they are good and evil. he points out that we are all evil ands need to repent. The sympathy and warning is for the living. The dead in this case are an illustration to those who hear. We all need to repent that is you me and everyone else

Does God send people to violent deaths, accidents, and other calamities. Apparently there were those who thought so back then and now. Jesus expressly states that those subject to misfortune are not greater sinners their fellow men.

Now it is true in general that God sends disasters, calamities, and plagues, and the opposite of this he protects and preserves his people, this one reason he shows this to us so we know he can do the opposite.

But to say that a particular individual was kill or smitten and singled out is unwarranted. This is the error that Jobs friends did. This is also not to say we get difficulties to make us stronger. Remember we can perish temporarily, but we must not perish spiritually.

I dunno Jon-Jon ... because I don't read that book anymore.

I'm also a bit over, concentrating on death and dying ...

Maybe it's because I had a toddler die and a boyfriend ... so ... I just enjoy life now ...

Most people are not sympathetic nor do they use empathy when it comes to death.

"Get over it" ... is the most common thing that I have been told.

Christians never did give me the time of day during my grief.

"Gods will" ... is what they usually say.

Have a nice day.

I'm more into enjoying every day... instead of dwelling on death and dying.

I read that book enough as a child ... so I have other books to enjoy now.