He is at least well reasoned
The author is clearly influenced by CS Lewis.
The fact is there are no good answers to the dilemma.
The other stuff is just stuff.
The least charitable take on this was that this wasa divine response to Osama bin Laden's call for 'massive casualties' in his war against us; an effort to show him and his followers a glimpse of what large casualties look like, and how quickly they could happen and how many innocents suffer.
I think a thousand years from now when another 100 year earthquake occurs, if there are still people to wonder about it, there will be a similar conversation as the one we are having.
Ed