"My God is Awesome!!!"

[Skwim]

..

Giving God Credit While Turning A Blind Eye
​

"After Tornado Wrecks AL Town, Chaplain Praises God for Not Touching Prayer Room​

I know we like pointing out the bizarre Christian reactions when a natural disaster destroys a community but spares a Bible… as if that’s a sign of God’s love. But this is a new one.

The recent outbreak of tornadoes in Alabama decimated one family’s house. Everything, that is, except a closet where the grandmother used to pray.

Jason Smith, a member of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, shared the image on Facebook, where it quickly went viral.

Listen to me please. I just left a family who survived the tornado in this house and the only left standing is this closet. It’s the grandmother’s prayer closet, and the whole family survived. Are you kiddin me!!! My God is awesome!!! Shout somebody! –Jason–
​

If that’s the case, then that same “awesome” God has also killed 23 people and injured 97 others. God also destroyed their home.

But the closet is still there… so yay?

Thankfully, no one in that family was hurt, but giving God credit for not taking down a few pieces of wood while ignoring the damage you also believe is part of God’s plan is a mark of religious delusion. It’s the same mindset that praises God after a plane crash because there’s a single survivor — you’re missing the point.

It makes me wonder what it would take for these people to stop giving God credit for this nothing-burger. If a family member perished in the disaster, would they still be praising God? If the closet fell but other parts of the house stayed up, would they be upset about it?

Smith should just admit he’s grasping for any good news he can find instead of pretending God is sending a sign to the people of Alabama. No one deserves praise for destroying all-but-one thing."
source

​

Now, I have no problem with Christians giving their god credit for X, Y, or Z, but how about putting it in perspective, people. This kind of blind-eye praise is so common one might thing it even makes sense.

Do you think it does?

.

 

[Shantanu]

..

Giving God Credit While Turning A Blind Eye
​

"After Tornado Wrecks AL Town, Chaplain Praises God for Not Touching Prayer Room​

I know we like pointing out the bizarre Christian reactions when a natural disaster destroys a community but spares a Bible… as if that’s a sign of God’s love. But this is a new one.

The recent outbreak of tornadoes in Alabama decimated one family’s house. Everything, that is, except a closet where the grandmother used to pray.

Jason Smith, a member of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, shared the image on Facebook, where it quickly went viral.

View attachment 27807


Listen to me please. I just left a family who survived the tornado in this house and the only left standing is this closet. It’s the grandmother’s prayer closet, and the whole family survived. Are you kiddin me!!! My God is awesome!!! Shout somebody! –Jason–
​

If that’s the case, then that same “awesome” God has also killed 23 people and injured 97 others. God also destroyed their home.

But the closet is still there… so yay?

Thankfully, no one in that family was hurt, but giving God credit for not taking down a few pieces of wood while ignoring the damage you also believe is part of God’s plan is a mark of religious delusion. It’s the same mindset that praises God after a plane crash because there’s a single survivor — you’re missing the point.

It makes me wonder what it would take for these people to stop giving God credit for this nothing-burger. If a family member perished in the disaster, would they still be praising God? If the closet fell but other parts of the house stayed up, would they be upset about it?

Smith should just admit he’s grasping for any good news he can find instead of pretending God is sending a sign to the people of Alabama. No one deserves praise for destroying all-but-one thing."
source
​

Now, I have no problem with Christians giving their god credit for X, Y, or Z, but how about putting it in perspective, people. This kind of blind-eye praise is so common one might thing it even makes sense.

Do you think it does?

.

Ever heard of the praise giving 'Thank God for small mercies'?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

..

Giving God Credit While Turning A Blind Eye
​

"After Tornado Wrecks AL Town, Chaplain Praises God for Not Touching Prayer Room​

I know we like pointing out the bizarre Christian reactions when a natural disaster destroys a community but spares a Bible… as if that’s a sign of God’s love. But this is a new one.

The recent outbreak of tornadoes in Alabama decimated one family’s house. Everything, that is, except a closet where the grandmother used to pray.

Jason Smith, a member of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, shared the image on Facebook, where it quickly went viral.

View attachment 27807


Listen to me please. I just left a family who survived the tornado in this house and the only left standing is this closet. It’s the grandmother’s prayer closet, and the whole family survived. Are you kiddin me!!! My God is awesome!!! Shout somebody! –Jason–
​

If that’s the case, then that same “awesome” God has also killed 23 people and injured 97 others. God also destroyed their home.

But the closet is still there… so yay?

Thankfully, no one in that family was hurt, but giving God credit for not taking down a few pieces of wood while ignoring the damage you also believe is part of God’s plan is a mark of religious delusion. It’s the same mindset that praises God after a plane crash because there’s a single survivor — you’re missing the point.

It makes me wonder what it would take for these people to stop giving God credit for this nothing-burger. If a family member perished in the disaster, would they still be praising God? If the closet fell but other parts of the house stayed up, would they be upset about it?

Smith should just admit he’s grasping for any good news he can find instead of pretending God is sending a sign to the people of Alabama. No one deserves praise for destroying all-but-one thing."
source
​

Now, I have no problem with Christians giving their god credit for X, Y, or Z, but how about putting it in perspective, people. This kind of blind-eye praise is so common one might thing it even makes sense.

Do you think it does?

.

Nope.
Reminded me of this...

 

[Skwim]

Ever heard of the praise giving 'Thank God for small mercies'?

Yes I have, but killing 23 people and injuring 97 hardly justifies calling your god "awesome" because he spares 1 1/2 walls of a closet.

.

 

[Shantanu]

Yes I have, but killing 23 people and injuring 97 hardly justifies calling your god "awesome" because he spares 1 1/2 walls of a closet.

.

Two points to make on that:
(a) So everything that goes wrong with Nature is God's fault as if a God exists in the absolute truth.
(b) For believers they are thanking whatever God they perceive as having shown mercy towards them specifically. I do not see anything wrong with that, as religion is personal to the adherent and passes judgements on God as to why misfortune has hit others and not them.

 

[Jumi]

Awe-some or awe-ful. Good thing I believe in a different God from the OP.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

Ever heard of the praise giving 'Thank God for small mercies'?

Also, isn't "mercy" a "willing suspension of justice"? So, for this saying to apply, you have to believe that the family (and, presumably all the other victims) actually deserved to die in this hurricane.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

Two points to make on that:
(a) So everything that goes wrong with Nature is God's fault as if a God exists in the absolute truth.

In the case of the individual who made the tweet, absolutely. They believe God is responsible for the hurricane, causing many unnecessary deaths, but chose arbitrarily to spare a small portion of housing, and they are literally praising God for it. It's kind of like if I came into your house, set your family on fire but left you alive, and then you praised me for how "amazingly" I treated you.

(b) For believers they are thanking whatever God they perceive as having shown mercy towards them specifically. I do not see anything wrong with that, as religion is personal to the adherent and passes judgements on God as to why misfortune has hit others and not them.

I can see something wrong with it. As said above, "showing mercy" implies that they believe these people deserved to die. That is a demonstration of an almost psychopathic mentality.

 

[bobhikes]

..

Giving God Credit While Turning A Blind Eye
​

"After Tornado Wrecks AL Town, Chaplain Praises God for Not Touching Prayer Room​

I know we like pointing out the bizarre Christian reactions when a natural disaster destroys a community but spares a Bible… as if that’s a sign of God’s love. But this is a new one.

The recent outbreak of tornadoes in Alabama decimated one family’s house. Everything, that is, except a closet where the grandmother used to pray.

Jason Smith, a member of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, shared the image on Facebook, where it quickly went viral.

View attachment 27807


Listen to me please. I just left a family who survived the tornado in this house and the only left standing is this closet. It’s the grandmother’s prayer closet, and the whole family survived. Are you kiddin me!!! My God is awesome!!! Shout somebody! –Jason–
​

If that’s the case, then that same “awesome” God has also killed 23 people and injured 97 others. God also destroyed their home.

But the closet is still there… so yay?

Thankfully, no one in that family was hurt, but giving God credit for not taking down a few pieces of wood while ignoring the damage you also believe is part of God’s plan is a mark of religious delusion. It’s the same mindset that praises God after a plane crash because there’s a single survivor — you’re missing the point.

It makes me wonder what it would take for these people to stop giving God credit for this nothing-burger. If a family member perished in the disaster, would they still be praising God? If the closet fell but other parts of the house stayed up, would they be upset about it?

Smith should just admit he’s grasping for any good news he can find instead of pretending God is sending a sign to the people of Alabama. No one deserves praise for destroying all-but-one thing."
source
​

Now, I have no problem with Christians giving their god credit for X, Y, or Z, but how about putting it in perspective, people. This kind of blind-eye praise is so common one might thing it even makes sense.

Do you think it does?

.

Its not just christen all believers in God do it. Just watch any sporting event in the world and some athlete will thank god for helping me win. No loser ever thanks God for helping them lose or letting the other team win. They will give reasons why they lost but its never because of God.

 

[Shantanu]

I can see something wrong with it. As said above, "showing mercy" implies that they believe these people deserved to die. That is a demonstration of an almost psychopathic mentality.

I do not see why God would do that personally: I do not believe in God but in Consciousness which enables a person to draw the right solutions to matters of life and death.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

I do not see why God would do that personally: I do not believe in God but in Consciousness which enables a person to draw the right solutions to matters of life and death.

That's all well and good, but your conception of God isn't being held up for examination right now - it's the person in the original tweet, who presumably believes in an omnipotent God who causes mass death and destruction but arbitrarily spares a family and is glorified for it.

 

[Shantanu]

That's all well and good, but your conception of God isn't being held up for examination right now - it's the person in the original tweet, who presumably believes in an omnipotent God who causes mass death and destruction but arbitrarily spares a family and is glorified for it.

God only exists in the visible world of materialism to guide people who seek help in coping with the nuances of Nature.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

God only exists in the visible world of materialism to guide people who seek help in coping with the nuances of Nature.

Again, that's your personal perception. There are people in the world who believe in a literal, conscious, personified God who engages with and influences events on a Universal scale and is directly responsible for all natural occurrences as an expression of will. This thread is addressing the mentality of one such person who appears to hold such a belief.

 

[Shantanu]

Again, that's your personal perception. There are people in the world who believe in a literal, conscious, personified God who engages with and influences events on a Universal scale and is directly responsible for all natural occurrences as an expression of will. This thread is addressing the mentality of one such person who appears to hold such a belief.

If Consciousness is all there is they have a point in their religious belief. Consciousness is only satchitananda (truth-awareness-bliss) but some may regard that as being God with a plan for mankind as you are alluding to. That is their religion and who is to say that they are wrong?

 

[ImmortalFlame]

If Consciousness is all there is they have a point in their religious belief. Consciousness is only satchitananda (truth-awareness-bliss) but some may regard that as being God with a plan for mankind as you are alluding to. That is their religion and who is to say that they are wrong?

Nobody is saying they are wrong, just that such a belief is clearly cherry-picking, since it glorifies God for saving lives while ignoring that such a God put those people in danger to begin with. It shows an unhealthy, somewhat naïve, mentality. Of course, it could still be correct, but if that's the case God is patently evil.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Nobody is saying they are wrong, just that such a belief is clearly cherry-picking, since it glorifies God for saving lives while ignoring that such a God put those people in danger to begin with. It shows an unhealthy, somewhat naïve, mentality. Of course, it could still be correct, but if that's the case God is patently evil.

At the very least chaotic.

 

[Shantanu]

Nobody is saying they are wrong, just that such a belief is clearly cherry-picking, since it glorifies God for saving lives while ignoring that such a God put those people in danger to begin with. It shows an unhealthy, somewhat naïve, mentality. Of course, it could still be correct, but if that's the case God is patently evil.

Good, bad and evil are all in the vyavaharika or visible material reality where Nature is endowed with gunas (properties) and so people express their dharma (actions) accordingly. Gods exist only in this reality and so is endowed with a perfect blend of sattvic (good), rajasic (routinal) and tamasic (evil) gunas. Individually, living beings have their own gunas. Some regard the material reality as an illusion created by maya that is part of the Consciousness.

In paramarthika there is none of this only satchitananada as Pure Consciousness. There is therefore no good, bad and evil as dharma does not exist in the absolute reality, just Consciousness exists and Nature takes its directions from this Consciousness.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

Good, bad and evil are all in the vyavaharika or visible material reality where Nature is endowed with gunas (properties) and so people express their dharma (actions) accordingly. Gods exist only in this reality and so is endowed with a perfect blend of sattvic (good), rajasic (routinal) and tamasic (evil) gunas. Individually, living beings have their own gunas. Some regard the material reality as an illusion created by maya that is part of the Consciousness.

In paramarthika there is none of this only satchitananada as Pure Consciousness. There is therefore no good, bad and evil as dharma does not exist in the absolute reality, just Consciousness exists and Nature takes its directions from this Consciousness.

Again, you are talking about only your personal perception and interpretation of God. We are talking about the individual specified in the OP and their interpretation of God, not yours.

 

[Shantanu]

Again, you are talking about only your personal perception and interpretation of God. We are talking about the individual specified in the OP and their interpretation of God, not yours.

I was responding to your charge that 'God' is 'patently evil', by explaining that I do not see things as being good, bad and evil: reality is just is as we experience IT: Thou art that.

If the person referred to in the OP was interviewed asked as to what God he was referring to (Jesus, Christian God, etc) you may be able to describe that belief as evil as it does not take into account the reality of what God is with evidence (as I have explained) and the varying interpretations there are of God.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

I was responding to your charge that 'God' is 'patently evil', by explaining that I do not see things as being good, bad and evil: reality is just is as we experience IT: Thou art that.

I said God would be evil if it were the God specified by the tweet in the OP.

If the person referred to in the OP was interviewed asked as to what God he was referring to (Jesus, Christian God, etc) you may be able to describe that belief as evil as it does not take into account the reality of what God is with evidence (as I have explained) and the varying interpretations there are of God.

They specified that their God is "awesome" because they apparently spared a family because they hid in a "prayer closet" during a tornado that killed dozens. I think it's fair to say their conception of God is not quite as nuanced as yours.