Friday, March 30, 2007

God really isn't watching

I'm not sure why I'm on such an anti-God thing, but I am.

Why is it that when people get subjected to a really horrible illness or experience, they thank god for getting them through it. I just read a story about someone who survived the flesh-eating bacteria (won't link to it), and while I'm enormously sympathetic to that person, and indeed, it's terrible, but really, to say "We are so thankful to God that [he] survived this deadly disease! It's been an amazing faith journey -- I can tell you most assuredly that even in the darkest days, we had faith that God was in control."

So, wait. God's in control. God's watching. You're thanking god for the good result that he survived, but, um, what about the fact that god gave him the infection to begin with?

Thank the lord we survived the earthquake! How about cursing him for sending it?

5 comments:

Karen said...

It's a circular debate and I'm with you. Sad isn't it?

Aaron said...

The question is why would one want to deny them a coping mechanism in such a horrible situation?

There are alot of bad things to say about religion, I realize. The excesses of literalist interpretations makes a long list: creationism in school, attacks on stem cell research etc.

But isn't this one of the good things. Talking about God they retreat to un lieu commun,a well trod path, that regardless of their individual interests they all share. In such a confusing time it is not hard to imagine the force of intellectual rigour recedes like a mirage.

Militant Dipper said...

My Favorite is when they talk about how God answered their prayers and solved their problems. "Oh we could'nt find the car keys so we asked God for help and sure enough we found the key's. That's right God ignored all the prayers of the parents whose children starved to death that day (something like 29000 a day)and found your car keys.Give your poisoned by religon heads a shake.

Anonymous said...

God seems to get blamed for a whole lot of things that He's not responsible for. He's not responsible for sickness and disease but he does offer solutions to people are looking for them.
God is not one to force himself on anyone, but anyone who genuinely looks for Him will always find Him.
It is unfortunate that the people who have previously posted comments don't know God because if they new Him they wouldn't slander Him the way they do. He's not the subject of a circular debate, He's not some crutch to retreat to, nor is He the result of religious poisoning, He is the author of all the potential good and creative things that he has placed in every human being.
Its not that God is not watching, it is that we are not listening.

Mike B said...

Hey anonymous: God's not watching, we're not listening, and you're not reading.