Without quoting at length from the preceeding post, I'd just like
to say that I find it a much more appropriate way of dealing with
issues like the Holocaust and Bosnia that asserting that "God is
punishing them."

The activity of God is always _redemptive_, which means "restoring
what has been lost, broken, or distorted."  So, God does not _will_
the brokenness, lostness, distortion, genocide, poverty, etc, but
is nonetheless capable, willing, and active to restore, heal, mend,
and redeeem.