There Is No God

National Public Radio ^ | 11/21/05 | Penn Jillette

[IronJack]

It's completely common for athletes to credit God for a victory or their abilities.

In YOUR world ... In mine, the athletes generally credit themselves. Occasionally, they might remember that they have a teammate or two. But they seldom recall that their gifts -- ephemeral as they are -- come from somewhere else.

And on a very routine basis I see people in disasters or accidents that live crediting God for their survival, far more than people simply stating they were lucky.

There must be a lot of disasters in your world that they become "very routine." Back here in reality, they're uncommon enough that I can't discern any clear pattern, but I'd have to say I don't recall any outpouring of gratitude to the Almighty from the survivors.

I think back to 9/11 and I remember many survivors crediting the heroism of the firefighters, police, co-workers, complete strangers. But few praised God for saving them. On the other hand, I did hear a lot of "How could a loving God let this happen" rhetoric.

I'll have to visit your world sometime. It sounds like a profound, spiritual place.

[13Sisters76]

It won't matter to some that God believes in them.
It is an amazing fact that there are some who will one day look Jesus Christ right in the face and STILL deny His authority over them.
They would rather face an eternity without hope than place ANYONE above themselves.
It's sad, really....

[Wormwood]

If someone of faith was given serious time on NPR, then I would be surprised.

How about this essay from the same series? Surprised?

[LibertarianInExile]

"It sure is easy for him to believe this now that he is healthy, happy, and life is good. But what will happen to his attitude if he gets cancer? Or his loved ones get ill?"

I bet he goes to the doctor. Or takes his loved ones there.

[LibertarianInExile]

"If Penn Jillette were a fish he would smugly deny the existence of water. If he were blind, he would fiercely deny the existence of the color blue (and red, yellow, green and all colors between). If he were deaf, he would proudly announce that music has no content apart from dull coarse physical vibrations. A dull, asensate, spiritually inept man is no authority on even the smallest of things, let alone the extistence of God."

I'm pretty sure he's an authority on magic. There's no reason to assume that idiocy in one thing means idiocy in all. You simply disagree with him on religion. Do you hate Bertrand Russell? What about Jefferson? You probably disagree with both of their religious views, yet you agree with much in the way of their politics. The same is true of Jillette, who is a solidly libertarian skeptic.

[Tench_Coxe]

"Most of the REAL athiests in the world just want to be left alone."

Bingo. Many of those who fancy themselves 'atheists' actually use that term as an excuse to carry out a temper tantrum against a bad experience in some church ( a repeat of your point 1 ) or as a label to live the illusion that he/she is the end all be all ( sort of a twisted solipsism - something you could add as point 3 ).
The real atheists ( very few )I know could care less about all this.

[harbinger of doom]

False 'tri-lemma'...nice try, Hume.

[CaptainK]

That is the true surprise.

[gungafox]

This clown vs God.... My money's on God.

[harbinger of doom]

Comphrehension. You must have missed that gene in the evolutionary chain.

[Tench_Coxe]

"When and where did Jesus exclude himself from the "unbelievers" as a matter of fact he seemed to embrace them."

Actually, his greatest ire was held for those who either:
A. Took on the outward signs of believing in God but inwardly were serving themselves
B. Those who sought to profit from others in the name of God ( the incident of the money changers outside the Temple in Jerusalem )

Acutally, it wasn't unbelievers primarily, but those regarded as sinners, and often, those were people who knew this but weren't happy about it. By eating meals with them, or going to their houses, he gave them hope ( even the least could be redeemed ) , changing them for the good.

[mad_as_he$$]

Great I am glad for your change of life!

[JOE43270]

I agree and I'm getting tired of paying it. the left really believes we like paying for this !#$%.

[Strategerist]

Do a search on Google News for "miracle."

Also see:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37137

(Actually surprisingly non-stupid for a WingNutDaily article.)

"We've all heard it and winced at it before. The quarterback has just thrown for 300 yards and three touchdowns against the most ferocious defense in the league in leading his team to victory. No sooner does the ubiquitous sideline reporter stick the microphone into his face and begin asking a stunningly trite question when the quarterback segues into a mini-testimony of his religious faith.

"First, Ahmad, I've got to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ..."


http://www.poppolitics.com/articles/2001-03-09-sport.shtml

http://archives.thedaily.washington.edu/1999/051899/S3.Godinsport.html

http://apse.dallasnews.com/dec2002/15zimanek.html

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/zillgitt/2005-02-05-zillgitt-owens_x.htm

[mad_as_he$$]

Not by a longshot. But the Christian religion is, by many, professed to be "tolerant".

[harbinger of doom]

...and I must have missed the spelling part in fourth grade.

Comprehension. There. I have evolved a bit more.

[mad_as_he$$]

I agree your definition is better than mine. Sinners would have been a better choice of words. But I still think Jesus had compassion for all - just got angry at some.

[AndrewB]

Psst....me too...

[harbinger of doom]

You might be a fundamentalist atheist if...
...You believe that extra drippy ice-cream is a logical proof against the existence of God, because an omniscient God would know how to stop the ice-cream from being extra drippy, an omnipotent God would have the ability to stop the ice-cream from being extra drippy, and by golly, an omnibenevolent God wouldn't want your ice-cream to be extra drippy.

[mad_as_he$$]

Yea insults will advance the discussion. Typical of the narrow mindiness I am pointing out.

Do you believe only because you think it is the winning side?