God has a good gig

[Wildcard Ky]

As I get older, I find myself more and more amazed at how some people give God credit for everything good, but no blame for anything bad. Here's the latest example I ran across.

A good friend was training for the Boston Marathon. He was jogging, and had a heart attack. He fell to the ground and quickly lost consciousness. A motorist stopped when he fell. The motorist realized what was happening, picked him and took him to the hospital (about a 3 minute drive).

He spent a week in a coma, and then several more weeks in the hospital/rehab. He's doing much better now, and should wind up making a near full recovery.

Here's the thing: Certain groups of people are giving God all the credit for the good side of this story. God is great for putting that motorist there. God is great him being on the road to recovery.

If God is responsible for all the good that comes out of this, why isn't God responsible for the heart attack? Why isn't God responsible that this man almost died, and has/will miss months of work?

Double standard? I think so. The only human that has that kind of gig is Kim Jong Il.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

As I get older, I find myself more and more amazed at how some people give God credit for everything good, but no blame for anything bad. Here's the latest example I ran across.

A good friend was training for the Boston Marathon. He was jogging, and had a heart attack. He fell to the ground and quickly lost consciousness. A motorist stopped when he fell. The motorist realized what was happening, picked him and took him to the hospital (about a 3 minute drive).

He spent a week in a coma, and then several more weeks in the hospital/rehab. He's doing much better now, and should wind up making a near full recovery.

Here's the thing: Certain groups of people are giving God all the credit for the good side of this story. God is great for putting that motorist there. God is great him being on the road to recovery.

If God is responsible for all the good that comes out of this, why isn't God responsible for the heart attack? Why isn't God responsible that this man almost died, and has/will miss months of work?

Double standard? I think so. The only human that has that kind of gig is Kim Jong Il.

Perhaps the heart attack was God's "Stop eating Twinkies for breakfast and Big Mac's for lunch" wake-up call?

 

[3113]

Perhaps the heart attack was God's "Stop eating Twinkies for breakfast and Big Mac's for lunch" wake-up call?

Or God laughing his ass off because he gave the guy Heart-attack DNA I've some of that, and believe me, keeping off the twinkies will only delay it, not prevent it.

I knew a super healthy doctor, athletic, vegetarian, young. Man had a stroke. Mid-twenties and he had a stroke. Bad DNA. It happens.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Or God laughing his ass off because he gave the guy Heart-attack DNA I've some of that, and believe me, keeping off the twinkies will only delay it, not prevent it.

I knew a super healthy doctor, athletic, vegetarian, young. Man had a stroke. Mid-twenties and he had a stroke. Bad DNA. It happens.

Darwin had it right?

 

[3113]

Darwin had it right?

Well yeah. Unfortunately, we never know which part of which DNA we're gonna get. Sometimes we get that heart attack DNA but it also comes with some cool mutation that might be worth passing on. Evolution's a bitch.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Perhaps the heart attack was God's "Stop eating Twinkies for breakfast and Big Mac's for lunch" wake-up call?

No. He's very healthy. He runs marathons and was training for the Boston Marathon.

Side note: Your belly looks lovely....

 

[impressive]

God has a sadistic sense of humor. :|

 

[Selena_Kitt]

God has a sadistic sense of humor. :|

It's really the only reasonable, logical explanation.

 

[English Lady]

God has his reasons, but he was in control of the whole situation.

I don't know wether it was God who struck him down with the heart attack -what about the devil? I'm not sure but anyway round, your friend is alive where if that motorist hadn't stopped it sounds like he wouldn't have been, that is worth Thanking God for.

Even if it was God in control of the heart attack, there will have been a reason behind it. Sometimes bad things have to happen even to good people for a lesson to be learnt. That isn't a popular view, but it's what I beleive.

 

[Boota]

If God existed I'm sure he would have intervened and done something about it.

 

[DeeZire]

http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/10/religulous-jesu.html

link to a review of the new Bill Maher movie Religulous.

I see blind faith as a character weakness. Others see it as a strength. If they want to go through life on crutches, with blinders on, that's their choice, just so long as they don't bump into me or try to pass laws mandating what I'm supposed to believe in.

The most ludicrous aspect of God in everyday life is the spectacle of both sports teams praying that God will choose their side. I don't think God gives a rat's ass, unless perhaps it's women's soccer, in which case He's probably with them while they're showering after the game. If I was God, that's where I'd be.

 

[Lady_Guenivere]

ooh the God debate...dangerous territory.

I believe that some people need their faith to make it through the day... the fact that they choose to believe that a higher power has control over their lives helps them live one day to the next with relatively little fear (or much fear depending on their choice of religion). It keeps them grounded...think of it as metaphysical gravity.

 

[impressive]

ooh the God debate...dangerous territory.

I believe that some people need their faith to make it through the day... the fact that they choose to believe that a higher power has control over their lives helps them live one day to the next will relatively little fear (or much fear depending on their choice of religion). It keeps them grounded...think of it as metaphysical gravity.

Some, yes.

Others, however, I believe anchor themselves with faith as a way of keeping the viciousness of life from dragging them into an abyss of despair.

I just wish the good works done in God's name came close to balancing the nastiness of same.

 

[Lady_Guenivere]

Some, yes.

Others, however, I believe anchor themselves with faith as a way of keeping the viciousness of life from dragging them into an abyss of despair.

I just wish the good works done in God's name came close to balancing the nastiness of same.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[epiphany65]

A friend of mine has a bumper sticker that says "Thank God and blame Satan."

There are a number of ways of looking at this, but here's how I choose to: As much of a cliche as it is, sometimes a crisis or hardship turns into something good, or an opportunity, in the long run. There are those within Judaism who believe that God gives us hardships in order to make us turn to Him, since it's sometimes onlt then that people do. Maybe God caused the man's heart attack (yet allowed him to survive) so he (the man) would appreciate life, his family, friends, etc. more than he previously had. And maybe it was also a way for the others involved to receive some good karma/blessing by helping to save his life. We've all heard anecdotes of people who've escaped death in one way or another and later say that unfortunate event changed their life for the better and sometimes it takes something severe for this change in them to occur. But, having said all that, I think it's impossible to know the mind of God, yet a worthwhile pursuit.

 

[Stella_Omega]

ooh the God debate...dangerous territory.

I believe that some people need their faith to make it through the day... the fact that they choose to believe that a higher power has control over their lives helps them live one day to the next will relatively little fear (or much fear depending on their choice of religion). It keeps them grounded...think of it as metaphysical gravity.

I have placed a great deal of faith in that function of belief. If it keeps the people around us sane-- then I'm glad for it.

 

[Guest]

Wildcard, I've had many of those same questions. And I have no answers.

I recall the last time a tornado destroyed a town in Kansas.

"Thank God we were spared!" came from one group who survived.

But the house next door to them was not spared - it was destroyed and the occupants killed. Why? Did they not pray enough?

If something good happens to someone does something bad have to happen to someone else? I mean, is it a give and take issue?

That view is very simplistic, of course, but when I've raised questions like this to religious leaders I receive the equivalent of a pat on the head. We don't know God's Will, and we aren't intelligent enough to understand anyway.

It's frustrating. And I'm no further on my journey of faith than I was five years ago.

There is no answer to why.

 

[epiphany65]

It's frustrating. And I'm no further on my journey of faith than I was five years ago.

There is no answer to why.

But try not to get discouraged. I believe that the journey itself is it's own reward.

 

[damppanties]

As I get older, I find myself more and more amazed at how some people give God credit for everything good, but no blame for anything bad. Here's the latest example I ran across.

A good friend was training for the Boston Marathon. He was jogging, and had a heart attack. He fell to the ground and quickly lost consciousness. A motorist stopped when he fell. The motorist realized what was happening, picked him and took him to the hospital (about a 3 minute drive).

He spent a week in a coma, and then several more weeks in the hospital/rehab. He's doing much better now, and should wind up making a near full recovery.

Here's the thing: Certain groups of people are giving God all the credit for the good side of this story. God is great for putting that motorist there. God is great him being on the road to recovery.

If God is responsible for all the good that comes out of this, why isn't God responsible for the heart attack? Why isn't God responsible that this man almost died, and has/will miss months of work?

Double standard? I think so. The only human that has that kind of gig is Kim Jong Il.

Actually, I think most people remember God only when something bad happens. If the heart attack hadn't happened, I'm sure the man or the others who thanked God wouldn't have thought about Him. How many people remember God on a totally joyous occasion? Unless something bad happens, you don't remember God.

 

[Guest]

But try not to get discouraged. I believe that the journey itself is it's own reward.

I don't have enough faith left to enjoy the journey, I think.

(I'm way past discouraged.)

 

[Safe_Bet]

...That view is very simplistic, of course, but when I've raised questions like this to religious leaders I receive the equivalent of a pat on the head. We don't know God's Will, and we aren't intelligent enough to understand anyway. It's frustrating. And I'm no further on my journey of faith than I was five years ago. There is no answer to why.

I guess my issue isn't so much with believing in god, it's believing in fucking religion. I too have asked religious leaders of numerous denominations "Why" and I get the same damn "you must have faith" BS. When I ask them "Why" I must have faith, I get because "you must believe" - and around and around and around and around. If any other occupation in the world tried to "sell" something like that they would get laughed at.

All I'm asking for is something I CAN have faith IN. I sure as hell can't believe in a book that has been altered umpteen different times to meet a specific set of beliefs by a bunch of pompous charlatans. We had a Same Title Challenge in the Poetry Feedback and Discussion Forum. I wrote a poem for that which pretty well explains where I’m coming from:

Poet's Creed
by Safe_Bet©

Me and God had a little chat. It was cool,
but we’re both pissed at all the religions of this world

Religions where -
Dancing is a sin, but calling children abominations isn’t.
Protests against queers at a straight soldier’s grave is god’s will,
but his mother’s shattered heart is of no importance.
Brightly plumed, pompous peacocks dressed to molest.

So we’re gonna start our own religion–
The religion of the farm – baby chicks playing in the dirt;
kids romping in the hay till the cows come home;
mom’s cherry pie – not eaten but taken to a sick neighbor;
saying grace for what we do have; not what we don’t.

And our own church –
James Brown as our minister,
with readings from the gospel according to Anais Nin.
Filled with icons of sunsets and penguins and real cotton candy;
full of the God of my happy children, not the god of my fathers.

 

[Liar]

I can understand the people who thenk God for not being killed in a car accident or tornado or something. I don't agree with them that it was God's doing, but it's an understandable emotional reaction to near tragedy.

I can not understand or even stand people who credit God with their sucess. No, God did not want you to win a Grammy. No, you don't own a Porche and a Lexus because of God, you pompous ass.

 

[Stella_Omega]

And if I offer you and your family a ten-mile ride that would have taken you two hours on the bus-- thank me, please, not Jesus. Your god did not move my spirit to aid you. Although I understand the confusion.

 

[TE999]

"Oh Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?"

Janis Joplin.

 

[Lady_Guenivere]

I have placed a great deal of faith in that function of belief. If it keeps the people around us sane-- then I'm glad for it.

I have seen a lot of INSANE things occur in the name of religion or God too though...

Wouldn't it be great if people just did good things or were well balanced just because they were just decent and loving people...instead of buying into the belief that there would be some kind of reward (or punishment) at the end of their lives for their deeds???

Having said that...if it is the fear (or love of) God keeps the crazies from my door...then amen for that!