A thought for an easy going Creationist

[automan]

When was the last time you were hungry, really hungry?
like me I don't suppose you have ever gone two or three days without eating anything, nothing at all.

Try being religious when you don't know when you are going to eat again or drink clean water,
or you are watching one of your children or someone you love die of disease or hunger,
God the almighty is the last thing on your mind in circumstances like that,
when you are well fed and want for very little being religious is easy, it even helps to pass the time.

I expect some of you will say that you would be religious even if you had not eaten for a week,
that God would still be the only thing in your life.
But is that true? remember you are talking from a position of plenty,
when you have plenty of money you never think about money,
when you have none you think about it all of the time, it's the same with food.

 

[arunma]

When was the last time you were hungry, really hungry?
like me I don't suppose you have ever gone two or three days without eating anything, nothing at all.

Well actually I have gone a day and a half or so, but that really has more to do with me being a graduate student (i.e. really, really busy) than with not having the financial means. So for the purposes of this discussion, I'll effectively say that I never go hungry either.

Try being religious when you don't know when you are going to eat again or drink clean water,
or you are watching one of your children or someone you love die of disease or hunger,
God the almighty is the last thing on your mind in circumstances like that,
when you are well fed and want for very little being religious is easy, it even helps to pass the time.

And you know this how? You said yourself, "like me I don't suppose you have ever gone two or three days without eating anything."

In any case, your thesis seems to be the opposite of what actually happens. I remember a few years ago when a preacher came to my college campus, and of course the students didn't see eye to eye with him. A person from an impoverished area of Africa randomly showed up, and rebuked the crowd because they didn't understand what it meant to trust in Jesus Christ when you don't have anything to eat (identical to the conditions you described).

In fact, atheists on this forum regularly cite statistics that pooer and less educated people tend to believe in God, whereas wealthier and more educated people tend to disbelieve. Seems to me that those who live in luxury trust in their riches rather than in Christ. And my suggestion agrees with both the Bible and with these statistics.

I expect some of you will say that you would be religious even if you had not eaten for a week,
that God would still be the only thing in your life.
But is that true? remember you are talking from a position of plenty,
when you have plenty of money you never think about money,
when you have none you think about it all of the time, it's the same with food.

Forgive me for being redundant. But again: how are you qualified to make this prediction?

 

[Michael22]

When was the last time you were hungry, really hungry?
like me I don't suppose you have ever gone two or three days without eating anything, nothing at all.

Try being religious when you don't know when you are going to eat again or drink clean water,
or you are watching one of your children or someone you love die of disease or hunger,
God the almighty is the last thing on your mind in circumstances like that,
when you are well fed and want for very little being religious is easy, it even helps to pass the time.

I expect some of you will say that you would be religious even if you had not eaten for a week,
that God would still be the only thing in your life.
But is that true? remember you are talking from a position of plenty,
when you have plenty of money you never think about money,
when you have none you think about it all of the time, it's the same with food.

Although I have not gone 2-3 days without eating, in other bad times I actually find it easier to follow God than in good times. My presumption of the ease to following God is the exact opposite of yours. I believe it gets easier as times get tougher.

 

[MrDave]

Dear Friend:

Since neither you nor I have experienced a long period of suffering, then neither of us can really say how a person would react, so let's look to some who have experienced long periods without adequate food.

Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights and was very hungry when He faced His three temptations by Satan. This time of fasting did not diminish His love of the Father or His purpose on Earth. But you might say, "sure, He was God.".

Many Christians, and other faiths too, have suffered great periods of hardship and probably could have been set free if they only renounced their faith, yet inspite of the suffering only clung to their beliefs and faith.

Prisoners of war have been imprisoned, tortured, beaten, starved, etc. etc. Have only spoken of how their FAITH HELPED THEM get through this time of suffering. I believe that many who did not have faith or much faith speak of gaining faith in God as their suffering intensified.

Job, of the Old Testament, lost all his possessions, lost all his family except wife who was far from helpful, was stricken with very painful boils, was accused of being punished by God by three "know it all's". Yet Job accepted God will in his life and would not curse God.

I think your ideas that only those who have it good will worship God and remain faithful while those who experience suffering or difficulties will not worship God or remain faithful has little basis in reality.

Christianity has always grown fastest where there is persecution and slowest and weakest where there is comfort and luxury.

DECISION DETERMINES DESTINY

 

[automan]

Please forget I mentioned it.

It is obvious you are all well and truly captured and can only ever see what you want to see, and I suppose it's true that a person who was dying of starvation would still love their God and thank their God for being so nice to them and the children watching them die would also love their God and they in turn would go on to tell their children how wonderful their God was.

I hope you don't mind me saying this but you all make me sick with your bible quotes and your sanctimonious attitude about how OTHER people have coped through hunger and disease.
I have had enough of the garbage written on this site about the garbage people believe, it is my honest opinion that you are all lacking in something and that is why you need a God.

Don't bother to reply to me because I will not be reading it.

 

[Boomygrrl]

Wow! I'm not even a believer, but I still understand why believers might turn to God in their time of need. They don't see God as a Santa Claus, but rather see God as a source of comfort to get them through their time of need or to help them cope.
When I was a believer, I found it easy to sometimes "forget" about God when things were going well. When things were going tough, that's when I would pray and ask for guidance.

I have to say that I can also understand why someone would be angry at God if their child died of a disease or if something tragic happened. That's not the same as becoming an atheist, because the person still believes in God but is just extremely angry.

I became agnostic, not for emotional reasons but because I question everything...why would this be different? I don't see much evidence for the biblical God and I trying to figure out if there even is a God of some sort. Probably will never know, but it's my nature to question, speculate, try to understand something better, and change my mind a bijillion times.

It seems like you are wanting empathy and understanding from Christians about maybe something tragic that happened to you, and instead you got them defending their God. Maybe that's why the anger?

Best of luck to you and your loved ones. Seek support from those who can understand your struggles.


Boomygrrl

 

[arunma]

Please forget I mentioned it.

It is obvious you are all well and truly captured and can only ever see what you want to see, and I suppose it's true that a person who was dying of starvation would still love their God and thank their God for being so nice to them and the children watching them die would also love their God and they in turn would go on to tell their children how wonderful their God was.

Let me get this straight: we don't agree with whatever you say, therefore we must be deluded?

I hope you don't mind me saying this but you all make me sick with your bible quotes and your sanctimonious attitude about how OTHER people have coped through hunger and disease.

Your arrogance in commenting on an issue without any personal experience isn't all that great either, to say nothing of the fact that you minimize the faith of the many starving people who trust in God and Jesus, while you live in luxury and curse the same God.

I have had enough of the garbage written on this site about the garbage people believe, it is my honest opinion that you are all lacking in something and that is why you need a God.

What you don't understand is that yes, people dying of starvation do thank God despite their predicament. And maybe the fact that people in such conditions would have such faith in Jesus is what troubles you so greatly, because it points to your own human inadequacies.

Don't bother to reply to me because I will not be reading it.

I think you will be reading my reply. If not, then you probably wouldn't have made this post to begin with. But in case you don't, I'll be sure to refer you to my post in our next discussion that is related to this issue.

(Oh and incidentally, I should point out that I'm not actually a creationist.)

 

[WolfBitnGodSmittn]

When was the last time you were hungry, really hungry?
like me I don't suppose you have ever gone two or three days without eating anything, nothing at all.

Try being religious when you don't know when you are going to eat again or drink clean water,
or you are watching one of your children or someone you love die of disease or hunger,
God the almighty is the last thing on your mind in circumstances like that,
when you are well fed and want for very little being religious is easy, it even helps to pass the time.

I expect some of you will say that you would be religious even if you had not eaten for a week,
that God would still be the only thing in your life.
But is that true? remember you are talking from a position of plenty,
when you have plenty of money you never think about money,
when you have none you think about it all of the time, it's the same with food.

i have fasted sometimes 9 days at a time... usually no more than 3 though

i have been on my deathbed 4 times

right this minute a woman i love dearly, more than my own life, is lying in a coma and has flatlined 2 times in the last 24 hours, and being several states away i cant even be with her because of other obligations i cant get out of... i weep even as i type


and i STILL praise my God... HE IS my hope and joy in the midst of death and tragedy