(August 21, 2015 at 12:53 pm)drfuzzy Wrote: Good grief, I have too many to list. This is one of the things that let me to atheism, of course. There was this growing knowledge that no matter how much or how fervently I prayed, NOBODY WAS LISTENING.That's why I'm glad I started this thread because people are hurting and we're being told it's our fault if god doesn't answer our prayers.
Here's a recent one though. A friends young son, 27, brilliant, in his residency to be a pediatric oncologist, was diagnosed with colon cancer. Everyone said that if God would help anybody, it would be this promising, upstanding, Xtian husband and father of 2. They took him to the best clinics. He got everything medical science could give. AND he had no less than 5 large churches holding special prayer services weekly for him. He died 2 months ago.
The zinger that makes it worse for me is that I, too, was diagnosed with colon cancer - in the same month. I'm a cantankerous, childless, fat old lady. I only had an easy surgery and minimal chemo and I'm cancer-free. Now, yeah, I'm an atheist, but I had a few moments over the last year when I did pray "IF you're there, you'll take ME!. ME, not this promising young doctor with kids. ME."
I think that any deity capable of noticing would have agreed.
We just wouldn't have these experiences if a loving god ran the world.
"Oh that happened to you because your distant ancestor ate a piece of fruit he wasn't supposed to and now I'm holding you responsible because he is dead."
The god who allows children to be raped out of respect for the free will choice of the rapist, but punishes gay men for engaging in mutually consensual sex couldn't possibly be responsible for an intelligently designed universe.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.