I'm no theologian, but I would suspect that it could have something to do with the "old covenant" vs. the "new covenant", grace and forgiveness through Christ rather than through our own actions. There were also plenty of "bad" places throughout the OT that were not....smote? smitten? smitted?.....
I think what it comes donw to with Robertson and Nagin (in this instance) is the chutzpah to to profess that they know the mind of God and why something bad would happen.
I, for one, am more in line with the teachings of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes - ""I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is the righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in wickedness." (ch. 7 v. 15)
Things happen. People theorize as to why. No one knows. There may not be a reason why. And no one knows the mind of God.
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