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    2011 Movie Reviews
       posted on 04/02/2012
    What Hitch Taught Me
       posted on 12/16/2011
    Disturbing Things That I Don't Want to Acknowledge
       posted on 11/14/2011
    Minivans, News and More Proof That I Am a Jackass
       posted on 10/28/2011
    The Danger in Thinking that Everything Happens for a Reason
       posted on 10/04/2011
    Reactions to News of Twin Sightings
       posted on 09/23/2011
    The Intersection of Joy and Fear
       posted on 09/15/2011

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       04/14/2012 by friday
    The Intersection of Joy and Fear
       09/20/2011 by Long Lost Aunt Sandy
    The Intersection of Joy and Fear
       09/16/2011 by muchgooder
    The Intersection of Joy and Fear
       09/15/2011 by Bob
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    Thoughts on One Year of Fatherhood
       08/31/2011 by Amy

    The Danger in Thinking that Everything Happens for a Reason


    Created on Tuesday, October 4, 2011        Bookmark and Share

    Home    Blog    2011    October


    I know I've written about this before (here) but I can't understand the desire to subscribe to the horrific (and completely untrue) idea that everything happens for a reason. To believe this premise you would have to believe that all of the terrible things that would happen in this world happen for some divine plan. Worse, the people subscribe to this notion believe (whether or not they realize it) that the universe revolves around them. I know that this idea is usually just another cliche that people toss out there every now and then ( Is there anything worse than a cliche? Is it cliche to ask that? Since when did cliches become a substitute for real conversation and thought?). However, I was recently a witness to a different side to this topic that I had not considered. I am going to be as vague I can be because the details do not matter and I do not want to make anyone feel bad. Neither of these people are aware of this site and I am really not trying to trash them personally.

    A situation happened recently where a woman that I know decided to remove another woman from a group in which I am also a member. I do not know the specifics behind the action but I do know that many of us expected it to happen and it was at least partly deserved. However, this is irrelevant to the story.

    I had a conversation with this person a few days later:

    Me: Are you ok? I would imagine that what happened is the worst part about running a group.

    Woman: (shrug) It really doesn't bother me. After all, everything happens for a reason.

    Ha? Wha? So not only does this person think that some invisible man in the sky has us the world on a string, she thinks that her action was performed so that this person can move on to the next stop in their destiny. This person claims to be a deeply religious person and it isn't the first time that I've heard this kind of talk. But this... just seemed to take it to the next level.

    As an atheist I am probably a little more sensitive than most when it comes to hearing supernatural talk. I was just baffled. It is one thing to get a warm and fuzzy by lying to yourself when something unexpected happens to you. I'll never ever understand it and I can't imagine why people do it, but I get it. But this kind of thinking - or entitlement? - is just plain dangerous. Just think of what you can give yourself permission to do.

    I did have a similar run-in a few years ago. Someone had neglected to reimburse me for something and he thought that I had received payment. We argued about it for a bit until he broke out the "me and my God know that I paid you" conversation ender. Boy, I don't know... let me ask Him.



    While it is a little outside of what I normally read, I have been thoroughly enjoying Pen Jillette's God, No!. There is a lot of talk of disbelief but there is also a lot of really funny stories. I've said it before and I'll say it again - it really is funny how my favorite entertainers, authors and people from other walks of life just happen to be atheists.

    Here is an excerpt from the introduction. You can find the whole introduction here.

    Where is the humility in being a theist? There is none. What would it mean for me to believe in god? It would mean that I know. Not just that I might happen to know about Kerouac, Thailand, liquid nitrogen, and vector calculus identities, but that I know that there is an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent power in the universe that I can't prove to you, but that I know because I have faith. I know because I say I know. I can feel it. I would maybe have faith that this force in the universe is for good. Maybe it's tied in with love. Maybe I know that this force in the universe will give everlasting life and cares very much where I stick my fuc*ing c*ck. Maybe I would know that there is a supreme power in the universe and that supreme power cares about me. Not everyone who believes in god believes all of those things. But it doesn't matter—whatever they say god is, they're saying they know. There is no humility. They believe because they say they believe. Some people who believe in god distort the meaning to the point where . . . well, even I could say I believe in god. Some will tell you "God is love" and then defy you not to believe in love. But, if X = Y, why have a fuc*ing X? Just keep it at Y. Why call love god? Why not call love . . . love? "Beauty is god." Okay. If you change what the word means, you can get me to say I believe in it. Say "God is bacon" or "God is ti*s" and I'll love and praise god, but you're just changing the word, not the idea.

    Some think that god will answer prayers. They think that their prayer can influence the behavior of an omnipotent, omniscient power. How do you figure that? How come it's rare to see people on TV saying that god made them lose the stupid ball game or killed that baby in the house fire? How come every time someone says that god told them to kill their whole family, the religious people say right away that the faithful murderer was crazy? You never see religious people saying "I wonder if that murder was a miracle. I wonder if god is speaking to us directly again."

    Maybe they really don't believe this shit either.


    Hanging with Penn. He's a big dude.


    Minivans, News and More Proof That I Am a Jackass   More in OCTOBER   

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