You know how those in the Religious Right are constantly directing God to strike down those they don’t like? Isn’t what’s good for one, also good for the other then? Actually, God didn’t strike down the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez or the pro-Roe v Wade Justices. But a couple of years ago he did strike down all the Republican districts in Florida with several hurricanes and then came yesterday.The Washington Post reports that 44 persons died yesterday in storms that swept throughout the South, mostly in the states of Tennessee and Arkansas just hours after those states finished voting for Mike Huckabee to be the Republican candidate for President.I would quit invoking the name of God like the Religious Right keeps doing if I was them. God did say, don’t use his name in vain. Good for us, bad for them if they keep refusing to learn their own lessons. I’ll be okay since I was never going to vote for Huckabee anyways. But if I was a Christian, I’d think twice before pressing that little button for Mike in the future primaries.Peter Nuhn
We all know that the universe doesn’t care one iota about human suffering. While a theist may attribute the deaths of these individuals to the Mysterious Ways of God, atheists, by virtue of being realists, know that 47 individuals died without reason today. They died not because God willed it to be, but because this is a pitiless existence. We know that life is precious. Your reactions have proven without a doubt that atheists are caring people. This, I believe, was the intent of Peter’s post.
Or not. I prefer to expect the best in people around me, yet plan for the worst. Its difficult to be continually disappointed.
Beergoggles,
Seconded.
I think Peter’s post was cast in an ill light due mostly to the timing, while the hard hit areas are still in a shock/recovery stage. The news reports are full of survivors being quoted as saying they were saved because they were praying, calling to Jesus, etc. If I were next to them on camera I would ask them “So the poor folks that died weren’t praying hard enough? Were they calling to Satan?” I took Peter’s remarks as pointing out the selective use of some god’s powers, much like the selective quoting of the Bible to further an agenda. No way did I see Peter as trying to take advantage of the victims. Just real bad timing. Peter, you did write a perfect headline for The Onion next week. I hope they use it.
Ted Haggard is in the news again. Operation Restoration didn’t take.
http://tinyurl.com/2stml5
Let the jokes begin!
The always-sharp-tongued Mark Morford of SFGate sums up the BushCo-McCain economic and foreign policy nicely.
http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/morford/
The comments are right on. Satire, “Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity.”
I mentioned this yesterday on a blog, Jesus’ candidate Mike Huckabee wins in Arkansas and Tennessee and tornadoes strike killing dozens. You would think that gawd would protect his son’s candidate, but no. It is funny.
As to folly, you can find the usual stupidity in the stories. Jesus’ president, Bush, says,
“President Bush gave assurances his administration stood ready to help. Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency were sent to the region and activated an emergency center in Georgia.
“Loss of life, loss of property; prayers can help, and so can the government,” Bush said. “I do want the people in those states to know the American people are standing with them.”"
- Oh yeah, prayer is going to help a lot. Well, those people may have prayer earlier for the tornadoes to spare them. Thank you gawd.
“More than 20 students at the Southern Baptist school were trapped behind wreckage and jammed doors after the dormitories came down around them.”
- Maybe they think it was a miracle that they survived. The better miracle would have been for the roof to hold. There is the heart-touching story of the baby who “miraculously survived.
“”He has no broken bones — he’s doing great,” Doug Stowell said, though he was already wondering about medical costs and insurance coverage.
He said he and his wife will now raise Kyson.
“We’ll get by best we can,” he said. “We’ve had some divine intervention.”"
- Yeah, but gawd killed the baby’s mother you clown. Why so? There is the nice part on having problems with medical costs. BTW, what is Huckabee’s position on single-payer universal health care.
In Canada or any European country he wouldn’t have to worry about it.
Any occasion is good for showing the folly and stupidity of belief.
Bernarda
He’s proposing “single-prayer” system which stands in slight contrast to McCain’s “multiple preyer” system.
Back to the Peter’s original post: I do see the point. I am totally disgusted when the morons say that, “God saved me” in reference to Katrina, yet totally forget that “God” also created the hurricane and killed a lot of people in their religious mentality.
I agree with the others that the timing was off. Usually, I agree 100% with Peter’s arguments…it just hit a little lower yesterday as I drove to work and noticed the damage.
So, carry on Peter! I am glad that we can all disagree on this forum and not want to kill each other like others we know.
Then there was the pastor who stood in front of his damaged church and proclaimed that it was a “Great day!” because he cancelled services and his parishoners were not crushed.
Not so great for those who were crushed.
I just saw an interview with two of the students from the dormitory that was destroyed. The female student ? almost immediately ? began giving credit to her God for saving her life and the lives of her friends.
Imagine the ego involved in essentially saying God has decided your life is worth more than someone else?s… and you thank him for it.
Disgusting.
I’m not understanding why we shouldn’t take every opportunity to offend theists using their own beliefs. Yes, its crass. That is precisely why the point must be made.
What a stupid, stupid, stupid post. It isn’t just morally repulsive – but how very much so. But this is so amazingly slovenly in basic logic. Conclusion drawn: “But if I was [sic] a Christian, I’d think twice before pushing that little button for Mike in the future primaries.” Well, a half-wit needn’t think twice about this reasoning to see it rests on superstition, on providence, on the very tendency castigated by atheism. A reasonable materialist would regard the deaths of probable Huckabee voters as, you know, a coincidence, not worth a superstitious “thinking twice.”
Wrangling with the subjunctive mood is obviously a bridge too far for dullards of all creeds (and none), but smirking remarks like these ought to warn us thinking, decent atheists, no matter how intellectually strident the indecent form is.
KIP
I think it’s fine to poke fun at the xian blabbing on about preferential treatment from an imaginary being but the people that died yesterday were (1) not all known to be theists, (2) not all known to be claiming such preferential treatment and, (3) not even in their graves yet. My empathy extends to all humans effected by such tragedy. That doesn’t mean that I wont take them to task after the tragedy has sufficiently receded.
You got an award for this one! Obviously its easy to mess up on this topic. Leave it for the pros. Go and watch George Carlin on YouTube: “Religion is Bulls**t, its priceless
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o
hey,everybody,my sister lives in Arkansas,and the storms just missed her.What i found amusing is that god,if indeed he is a wrathful god,missed a beautiful chance to wreak some holy vengance.See,my sister is gay,and she lives in a trailer!!
and since when is using the L word in regards to sexual orientation considered taboo?
oops,better clarify,i used the L word,(this is ridiculous,isnt it?)in an earlier attempt to post,and it got the boot
flashbazzzbo,
From what I gather, there was some trouble with spam quite a while ago, so certain words are blocked out.
I don’t know if this restriction will ever be lifted.
This post could have been at least somewhat clever, except for the problem that the full facts undermine it.
You see, the candidate who had both the highest vote total and the highest margin over same-party opponents on Tuesday’s primaries in Arkansas and Tennessee was Hillary Clinton.
Ask the religious nuts if God were willing to, for example, punish Arkansas for supporting Hillary Clinton with more votes than the top three Republican candidates got combined, and what do you think they would say? Three guesses, and the first two don’t count.
I am a theist. I am a physicist. These are totally compatible conditions. In fact, my scientific background emphatically re-enforces my belief in God and the reality of his existence. The atheist movement is an empty plane. It is comprised of ignorant (people not knowing or caring to do so) souls who may also be riddled with guilt for their many transgressions. You who read these line and profess to be an athiest can scoff and label me a inflexible, evangelical type but this would only re-enforce the supposition I am making. You don’t know and you are afraid that if there is a God, you will be doomed. Hence you are reactionary in your stance that there ain’t a God. With all the physics and astronomy that I have had the priveledge of learning and admiring, there can be no other conclusion that God exists, is ever present, and desiring a relationship with those who wish to converse. His actions throughout all of space are mystical, mysterious, and of magical. I can’t tell you how many time He has made his presence known. I marvel at his creation, which is eternally in flux. What an awesome God, what an awesome life that I have in Him.
Which Christian ?college? did you graduate from?
No it doesn’t. You twist what you know about science to fit your religious world view. Which of course is in direct contrast with what science attempts to do.
There’s an atheist movement like there’s a “we don’t believe in unicorns” movement.
Yup. Just as I thought. Crazy.
Stop projecting. The truth of the matter is that YOU don’t know…and YOU?RE the one who’s afraid.
Our “reactionary” stance is simply the default position. If there is utterly no evidence for, or proof of, something existing, one has no reason to believe in its existence ? whether it’s your particular God or not.
Besides, you?re an atheist as well. You’ve decided there is no evidence for any of the Gods humans have invented throughout our history, except one. Which makes you an atheist with regards to those Gods. We atheists simply believe in one less God than you.
LOGICAL FALLACY ALERT! And you call yourself a physicist?
By the way, I don?t know many highly educated scientists (such as yourself) that would misspell the word ?privilege?. Just an observation.
Yup. This is definitely the post of a crazy person, not a physicist. Maybe it?s time to take your meds.
doc,
One other thing…maybe before posting, you should check the subject of the thread.
Doc, I suggest we continue this conversation on the “Debate with Theists!” thread.
Or “Religious Hypocrisy”. That would work, too.
I do. He should ‘start’ taking meds. I promise the voices will stop wispering in your head (I wouldn’t know; I never was ‘that’ crazy).
Doc
I’m a physicist as well. What’s your operational definition of “gawd”? What’s your operational definition of “exist”?
For the record there is nothing in what you wrote above that would lead me to think you are actually a physicist – far from it. In fact your preaching is indistinguishable from that of any other xian yet you claim that physics some how supports your gawd assertion. OK. Then tell us how.
doc
And then tell us why you claim to understand the “atheist movement”? Are you also a historian or sociologist? Your post sure sounds like someone who doesn’t know the first thing about atheists. You can’t even imagine someone who really doesn’t believe that your god exists. How can I be afraid of something that isn’t real? Looks like you’ve got some explaining to do.
Union University in Jackson, TN, which was so badly damaged in Tuesday’s tornado is a BAPTIST school. It was also targeted when the last tornado ripped through Jackson several years ago. Even though all the students and others are mouthing the “prayer saved me” crap, I’m kind of thinking gawd has something against Baptists.
KIP,
Ha!
Doc,
How can you be certain that “God” doesn’t actually hate those with blind faith and doesn’t reward those who think for themselves?
I don’t believe that either. I no fear none of this since I understand that there are limits to my own understanding. You have forgotten this important fact.
Any being that may or may not exist who chooses to punish me for accepting my own limits is free to do so. Assholes don’t deserve worship.
Look up the definition of “atheist” again, you got it wrong.
Strong atheism != atheism
And if you ever catch me using the word “ain’t”, please put me down. That word is a sure sign of cretinism unless used in jest.
And are therefore not at all in line with ANY scientific theories about the nature of the universe.
For some reason the words “empty rhetoric” spring to mind.
Oooh, a combination logical fallacy. 2 for 1: jumping to conclusions coupled with a side order of the argument from ignorance.
I think you can get that for $4.25 at Mc Christians. Delicious.
DVanWechel
McChristian’s. Is that the fast food restaurant I saw advertised on TV where the meal was accompanied by a “loss of self-esteem”? The girl at the counter asks if she can get it without that, but the man behind the counter yells “No special orders!”