Atheists: Are you thankful for things which come naturally?

[The Voice of Reason]

Originally Posted by whereismynotecard

Not too good, but not too bad either right now...

This is a no brainer - thank the Cheerios. It is they, that have given you your mundane existence.

Lest you anger the whole grain cereals, be thankful at all times.

[Kungfuzed]

Originally Posted by tomspug

If something comes to you in life apparently by chance or circumstance, by seemingly no will of anyone's, are you thankful for it? CAN you be thankful for it? If so, to what do you attribute thanks?

There isn't anything in this universe that hasn't contributed in some way to my good fortune, struggles, and my very existence. I can be thankful to everything.

[Jayhawker Soule]

I continue to value the capacity to experience and express gratitude, and find it sad that so many find it so easy (and think it so clever) to ridicule.

[The Voice of Reason]

Like Seyorni, I found the question to be bizarre. Well, if not bizarre, at least odd.

Who would not be thankful when good fortune comes their way? To me, it seems odd to question if one's belief system would negate that feeling.

It would seem (to me) that one could ask a question such as:
"Even though you believe it is the will of God, do theists feel sorrow when they lose a loved one?"

As for the "ridicule" aspect, I can only speak for myself. I treated this thread as I do all threads. If there is something that I find humor in, I run with it.

[gnomon]

Originally Posted by tomspug

If something comes to you in life apparently by chance or circumstance, by seemingly no will of anyone's, are you thankful for it? CAN you be thankful for it? If so, to what do you attribute thanks?

I do not attribute any thanks to any kind of providence but I've learned full well that there is much thankfulness for the other people in my life whom without I would probably be homeless or sitting in a prison cell by now considering the lifestyle I was leading.

I can understand why people attribute thankfulness to providence and in such situations I do not feel thankful. Instead I call it humility.

[logician]

One can be thankful in general , w/o being thankful to some supposed supernatural entity, which I suppose is the question being asked. One thing I have always found odd is some theists who thank their god for the good things that happen, but blame the bad things on other factors. Why didn't their god protect them from the bad things? Or why not blame it for bad things happening?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I ran across something when reading the Shinto article on Wikipedia:

Before eating, many (though not all) Japanese say, "I will humbly receive [this food]" (戴きます, itadakimasu?), in order to show proper thankfulness to the preparer of the meal in particular and more generally to all those living things that lost their lives to make the meal.

I think that sort of thankfulness works for me.

[spiritually inclined]

Before eating, many (though not all) Japanese say, "I will humbly receive [this food]" (戴きます, itadakimasu?), in order to show proper thankfulness to the preparer of the meal in particular and more generally to all those living things that lost their lives to make the meal.

That's a nice way to express gratefulness, and it works for me, too. My God-concepts do not include a supernatural entity that micromanages or externally influences my life.

James