Atheists Angrier At God.

[Starbuck]

When a mother says something stupid like "God was watching out for my child." or "I know her grandmother was helping from above." oblivious to the fact that ten other people died in the train crash, does she think that God wasn't watching over the ten other people or that her mother flew around playing angel only for her own grandchild? ........

Nice point. Carrying it along, what about the endless chain of well-meaning people who say, with regard to their personal good fortune, "The Lord's been good to me". That particular phrase always rings in my ears, and I find myself asking why God would have singled out any one individual for heavenly blessing? The only possible answer is that God rewarded this particular individual for his piousness and loyalty. A bit silly, it seems to me.

An interesting slant on this subject was presented in the movie and book, "The Bridge Of San Luis Rey". In this story a group of travelers, all strangers to each other, is crossing a bridge when it collapses. A priest takes it upon himself to determine whether the victims could have been singled out by God for death at that time as some sort of punishment, or whether they were simply victims. His answer cost him his life. Questioning, in the 16th century, was not allowed.

Every Sunday during the Fall I become more and more convinced that without the personal intervention of God, no touchdowns at all would be scored by running backs. Presumably, all scores would then be 0 - 0 without this divine assistance.:D

[Gingersnap]

You can be an atheist and still have been raised in your culture. I was raised in a Christian culture, so my cultural context for natural forces is going to be the Christian vision of Zeus, which we call God. And just as my primitive ancestors brought about the expression "act of God" I am going to see a hurricane as a tremendous and moving natural force, an "angry" sea, rays of light through an angry sky that remind me of the movies Greatest Story Ever Told or The Ten Commandments.

I'm from the same culture and believe me when I say that I don't see athletic injuries, college application rejections, or natural phenomena as being "God's fault". I don't see those things as being much affected by God at all in the normal course of events and I'm a believer.

I don't believe in fate or luck although millions of people in our shared culture do. I sure don't waste any time bemoaning the fate or luck I don't believe in when negative things happen to me.

[FBIGuy]

LOL! You let your fake non-belief of my sky god ruin your own day. Does it get any dumber than that? :p

CNN

I personally get teed off at Scooby-Doo fairly frequently. It makes more since that getting made at a mythical being I can't see.

[megimoo]

i invoke dieties all the time for exclamations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhG3fekoqnc

I rest my case !

[Odysseus]

That's because most people are intellectual babies who think of God as the sunday-school version of a Big Person In Heaven with traits that people have.

While intellectual adults think of Marx that way?

[Novaheart]

I'm from the same culture and believe me when I say that I don't see athletic injuries, college application rejections, or natural phenomena as being "God's fault". I don't see those things as being much affected by God at all in the normal course of events and I'm a believer.

I don't believe in fate or luck although millions of people in our shared culture do. I sure don't waste any time bemoaning the fate or luck I don't believe in when negative things happen to me.

Buddhism is much harder on you in this regard. While not decided by a god, ones actions are believed to be naturally involved in the outcome. So it generates both superstition and the understanding of the ridiculousness of superstition... particularly when it comes to playing the lottery. This is when Jewish philosophy comes in handy: if you want to know what God thinks of money- look at who he gives it to.

[AmPat]

I say or think "God damn it!" probably at least a few times a day - does that count as "being angry with God"??

God doesn't believe in you.

[Wei Wu Wei]

While intellectual adults think of Marx that way?

lol no

[Odysseus]

lol no

Hmmmm... Then how do you explain repeatedly bowing before the altar of socialism after its repeated failures, if not as an act of faith, devoid of reason?

[FBIGuy]

Hmmmm... Then how do you explain repeatedly bowing before the altar of socialism after its repeated failures, if not as an act of faith, devoid of reason?

Einstein would call it insanity.