Every time something terrible happens in the world theists have to find a miracle so their god can get off for allowing atrocities and natural disasters. They even found a few in the "Mumbai Massacre." One that's gotten attention was Moshe Holtzberg; the young child of the rabbi father who was killed. The fortunate Moshe was picked up and quickly taken from the building by his nanny before harm could come to him.
Theists' rationalizations go a little like this:
--Airplane crashes, everyone dies except one man -- It's a miracle.
--Airplane crashes, everyone dies, but it doesn't hit a house -- It's a miracle.
--Airplane crashes, everyone dies, it hits a house, but only one person was home -- It's a miracle.
--Airplane crashes, everyone dies, it hits a house, killing a family of 5, but it DOESN'T hit heavily populated neighborhood nearby -- It's a miracle.
I am all for finding silver-linings in tragedy but these people are imposing an irrational view onto the world and reaching even more irrational conclusions so they can find order and purpose in a chaotic world. Quit using happenchance and random luck to prove your god exists.
Please, someone tell me when isn't it a miracle? Would a meteor have to destroy the entire earth so there isn't a single idiot left to say "It's a miracle?"
Friday, December 5, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
The Holidays Are Here -- Ho Ho Hum, a Dark Perspective
I don't mind the holidays themselves, what I hate is the constant advertisement that would make me hate any other time of year. You can't go into a store without hearing a Christmas song you've heard hundreds of times throughout you're life already, it saturates all media; TV, the Internet, newspapers, radio, email. Literally you couldn’t escape it unless you removed yourself from society. I suspect I might actually enjoy it if it was just a matter of seeing family and exchanging presents once a year, but it isn't.
I was in a store recently and they had Santa figurines dressed up in all sorts of obscure clothing that look nothing like the original (largely created by Coca-Cola), nutcrackers in both traditional and now army camo-fatigue. Meanwhile they're playing Christmas songs, not to get you into some sort of "holiday cheer" but to remind you to buy stuff.
After all, who thinks of the holidays when they hear these songs? I think of cash drawers and credit cards. This year seems to be different...I can't figure out if the stores are advertising MORE because people are spending less, or LESS because they know people aren't going to spend as much this year.
I'm Not Depressed, Just Annoyed
I've had several friends who were very, even severely depressed by the holiday season, mostly from loneliness. I can understand that; the world is cold and everything’s dead, people are away with family and if you don't have anyone then you're very alone. But to be depressed about it assumes you have romantic ideals about the holiday itself; as a more cynical person it’s annoying above all else. I had a happy childhood and have a loving family, but I don’t attach intense emotion with this time of year.
Far from being lonely, in fact I dread seeing most of the family at Christmas, all their prying and awkward questions, I can do without it. I think this is probably the case with most gay people, and probably some straight ones as well. The fact is I know very few people who are "cheerful" this time of year; I don't understand why you would be. Someone explain to me a single thing about this time of year that ought to make me cheerful.
You Can Keep New Years Too
Perhaps I am turning into a Scrooge at age 29, but I understand New Years even less. It’s just another arbitrary date on the calendar, why do we need to stand in the streets and count it down to the second? The celebration of mathematics? Perhaps this sounds like I am depressed, but I see little to celebrate in this past year or in the world right now. I'd just like to move on with life. Call me a Scrooge; I'll call you a sentimentalist, which I am too by the way, but not about numbers.
A Note on the Wal-Mart Employee Trampling
A quick note on this Wal-Mart employee who was literally trampled to death by shoppers who actually tore the doors off their hinges. This ought not surprise anyone, I worked at Wal-Mart for about a year and I saw it. I heard of a pregnant woman at a nearby store getting trampled and having a miscarriage and this was in 1999. These people are crazy, I've seen them tag team, one runs to a pile of merchandise and throws boxes over the heads of the surrounding crowd while the other, next to a buggy (thats what we call 'em here in the South) catches and sorts. There's times when I think I'd like to take a coffee and just walk around and watch this spectacle, maybe with a camera. But I haven't seen a "Black Friday" in years and I've never bought anything during one.
I was in a store recently and they had Santa figurines dressed up in all sorts of obscure clothing that look nothing like the original (largely created by Coca-Cola), nutcrackers in both traditional and now army camo-fatigue. Meanwhile they're playing Christmas songs, not to get you into some sort of "holiday cheer" but to remind you to buy stuff.
After all, who thinks of the holidays when they hear these songs? I think of cash drawers and credit cards. This year seems to be different...I can't figure out if the stores are advertising MORE because people are spending less, or LESS because they know people aren't going to spend as much this year.
I'm Not Depressed, Just Annoyed
I've had several friends who were very, even severely depressed by the holiday season, mostly from loneliness. I can understand that; the world is cold and everything’s dead, people are away with family and if you don't have anyone then you're very alone. But to be depressed about it assumes you have romantic ideals about the holiday itself; as a more cynical person it’s annoying above all else. I had a happy childhood and have a loving family, but I don’t attach intense emotion with this time of year.
Far from being lonely, in fact I dread seeing most of the family at Christmas, all their prying and awkward questions, I can do without it. I think this is probably the case with most gay people, and probably some straight ones as well. The fact is I know very few people who are "cheerful" this time of year; I don't understand why you would be. Someone explain to me a single thing about this time of year that ought to make me cheerful.
You Can Keep New Years Too
Perhaps I am turning into a Scrooge at age 29, but I understand New Years even less. It’s just another arbitrary date on the calendar, why do we need to stand in the streets and count it down to the second? The celebration of mathematics? Perhaps this sounds like I am depressed, but I see little to celebrate in this past year or in the world right now. I'd just like to move on with life. Call me a Scrooge; I'll call you a sentimentalist, which I am too by the way, but not about numbers.
A Note on the Wal-Mart Employee Trampling
A quick note on this Wal-Mart employee who was literally trampled to death by shoppers who actually tore the doors off their hinges. This ought not surprise anyone, I worked at Wal-Mart for about a year and I saw it. I heard of a pregnant woman at a nearby store getting trampled and having a miscarriage and this was in 1999. These people are crazy, I've seen them tag team, one runs to a pile of merchandise and throws boxes over the heads of the surrounding crowd while the other, next to a buggy (thats what we call 'em here in the South) catches and sorts. There's times when I think I'd like to take a coffee and just walk around and watch this spectacle, maybe with a camera. But I haven't seen a "Black Friday" in years and I've never bought anything during one.
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