Tragically, Moore, Oklahoma was wiped off the map by a tornado
yesterday afternoon. I can't imagine what the parents of missing kids
are going through. Like most Americans, I feel tremendous sympathy for
those affected by this event.
Like you, I turned to CNN to monitor the disaster. We humans have a hunger to know what happened to other people, what it was like for them, how many were injured or killed -- and in what manner. This is normal and helpful, in that it focuses attention on the community and gets donations and other aid flowing in. There's nothing wrong with any of this.
But as is the case during every national tragedy, every other word the TV reporters uttered was "god". It's sickening. The last thing people need in times of tragedy is lies. It's not helpful. I even heard reporters say that viewers should pray for the people of Moore. It's that accepted -- anyone can call for prayer at any time in our country. Americans lap it up and scream for more. God, god, god, god, god. Good, good, good, good, good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. (Which eventually resolves into USA! USA! USA! for the simple reason that all American roads lead toward jingoistic nonsense. It's the American way. USA! USA!)
Okay, back to the TV coverage. This Christian viewpoint -- and make no mistake, that's what it is: Christian, not Muslim or Jewish or Wiccan -- saturates the media in times of disaster. It's useless and dumb and it makes no sense. Seriously, who is this creature they believe in, and how vicious is he? Let's think like they do, for a moment.
Looking at this event through the eyes of believers, god destroyed a largely Christian, American town. After all, nothing happens without god's explicit approval. But why did he do this? And did he really have to kill little kids? Why?
And there's another big "why". Why, after god destroyed the town, would people pray to him? What would be the aim of these prayers? Are they meant to calm the wrath of the avenger god who just destroyed the town, a hospital and two schools? (If that's the case, maybe they should also sacrifice a pet or two, just to be on the safe side.) Seriously, god just axed your town. And now you're going to get on your knees and pray to him? Why?
But of course, there is no god. Weather caused this tornado. Hot air, cold air and wind combined in a perfectly natural way to create a deadly menace. God didn't have anything to do with this or anything else. There is no god.
I don't get religious thinking. It never makes sense. Why don't religious people ask these questions? Wingnuts of the religious variety are fond of saying that Sandy wrecked NY because it's a godless place. So why did the "all-good, loving" god destroy this little town?
Prayer. It's nonsense. It's everywhere. It's America.
Like you, I turned to CNN to monitor the disaster. We humans have a hunger to know what happened to other people, what it was like for them, how many were injured or killed -- and in what manner. This is normal and helpful, in that it focuses attention on the community and gets donations and other aid flowing in. There's nothing wrong with any of this.
But as is the case during every national tragedy, every other word the TV reporters uttered was "god". It's sickening. The last thing people need in times of tragedy is lies. It's not helpful. I even heard reporters say that viewers should pray for the people of Moore. It's that accepted -- anyone can call for prayer at any time in our country. Americans lap it up and scream for more. God, god, god, god, god. Good, good, good, good, good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. (Which eventually resolves into USA! USA! USA! for the simple reason that all American roads lead toward jingoistic nonsense. It's the American way. USA! USA!)
Okay, back to the TV coverage. This Christian viewpoint -- and make no mistake, that's what it is: Christian, not Muslim or Jewish or Wiccan -- saturates the media in times of disaster. It's useless and dumb and it makes no sense. Seriously, who is this creature they believe in, and how vicious is he? Let's think like they do, for a moment.
Looking at this event through the eyes of believers, god destroyed a largely Christian, American town. After all, nothing happens without god's explicit approval. But why did he do this? And did he really have to kill little kids? Why?
And there's another big "why". Why, after god destroyed the town, would people pray to him? What would be the aim of these prayers? Are they meant to calm the wrath of the avenger god who just destroyed the town, a hospital and two schools? (If that's the case, maybe they should also sacrifice a pet or two, just to be on the safe side.) Seriously, god just axed your town. And now you're going to get on your knees and pray to him? Why?
But of course, there is no god. Weather caused this tornado. Hot air, cold air and wind combined in a perfectly natural way to create a deadly menace. God didn't have anything to do with this or anything else. There is no god.
I don't get religious thinking. It never makes sense. Why don't religious people ask these questions? Wingnuts of the religious variety are fond of saying that Sandy wrecked NY because it's a godless place. So why did the "all-good, loving" god destroy this little town?
Prayer. It's nonsense. It's everywhere. It's America.
