Tuesday, May 7, 2013

God Works in Mysterious Ways? Seriously?

Like everyone else I think the rescue of the three women in Cleveland is a great story.  Waiting for years for her moment, perhaps earning the trust of her captor in order to create such a moment, Amanda Berry screams to a passerby, who comes to her aid and calls 911 on her behalf.  The police respond, rescue the other two women and the child born into that horrible situation, and now the captors are behind bars and the women are with their families.

The aunt of one said: “I will tell you this because I was there to see her- all three girls. God works in mysterious ways. It’s just unbelievable, unbelievable, these girls, these women are so strong; stronger than I am."  Did she work in her praise for god just out of a sense of duty?  I wouldn't give that callous asshole one iota of thanks for letting the perp have "free will" to deprive three others (and then his rape-daughter also) of theirs.  What kind of "good" god is this?


First of all, God could have given this man ALS or crippled him in a car wreck, preventing him from being able to snatch three girls off the street and systematically rape them.  Or he could have blessed him with visions of His goodness and inspired him to join the priesthood (where he would rape little boys instead).  Or He could have just caused the guy's mother to have a miscarriage and prevented the whole thing.  How many mysterious ways could God have worked on this problem?  A bajillion, at least!

Did "He" choose to do any of those things?  The wise and loving father who looks after the innocent?  NO!  He looked over the guy's shoulder while he was raping those girls!  Or he closed his eyes, or maybe he put all his energy into rigging baseball games in favor of the team with the most prayerful people on their side.  He certainly didn't lift a finger to help these girls.  He could at least have prevented an innocent baby being born into the situation.

This is the classic Problem of Evil.  If god is all-powerful and omniscient and omnibenevolent, then why didn't he intervene?  Either 1)  he's not all-powerful or 2) he's not omniscient or 3) he's not benevolent.  Option four:  he could intervene but chooses not to is hardly a characteristic of a god worth worshiping but people will defend him with that line.  As Tracie Harris said on The Atheist Experience, "If I could stop a person from raping a child, I would. That’s the difference between me and your God."

Coincidentally, the niece's name is Gina DeJesus.  Hallelujah.  I can't imagine keeping that name after what she's been through.


14 comments:

Chatpilot said...

"God works in mysterious ways" the Christian response to all natural evil that is caused neither from gods or demons but from the sick minds of men. The bible actually has a story similar to this in Genesis chapter 37 where Josephs brothers sold him to slavery. He endured those conditions for 7 years and then eventually became the Pharaohs right hand man in Egypt.

It is stories like this that give theists the stupid idea that God is behind everything and has some ultimate purpose. We may see it as evil but the end result works out just as God had planned it! This sort of thinking is nothing but delusional and a negation of reality and the evil that exists in the natural world through natural causes or the evil machinations of sick men.

LadyAtheist said...

... and disrespectful to victims!

Chatpilot said...

Disrespectful indeed Lady Atheist and morally insulting.

L.Long said...

There is nothing mysterious about gawd's motives. Just read the buyBull and every other holey book and you soon realize gawd really REALLY is the psychotic, spiteful, spoiled. petulant, 5yr-old, evil asshole we have all come to know doesn't exist.
HUMANs did the nasty crap, and other better humans help to put things right.
Anyone who REALLY reads the buyBull and says gawd is love is not only delusional, they ARE crazy!

Infidel753 said...

Somebody should ask Aunt Sandra Ruiz what she thinks God was doing all the previous ten years this was going on. It might make her think.

L.Long said...

Well Infidel is someone did ask she would say something really profound after all being a xtian she obviously read the buyBull so she would most likely say 'well doing these years it was awfully important for the various football teams to win so he was very busy.' or something equally deep 'gawd works in mysterious ways.'
Parents have been known to throw out their own kids rather than accept them as atheist or gay, so rationalizing their impotent worthless gawd is not big feat.

Grundy said...

Apparently there was a church just down the street from his house.

When I hear the "mysterious ways" phrase I take it to mean "you're right, this is BS, but I can't let it go."

LadyAtheist said...

I realize some things are just really hard to stomach, but I can't go along with making shit up to soften the blow. There's just nothing you can make up for this situation that could have any kind of healing power. The truth hurts. Deal with the truth and move on as best you can. I would rather embrace the reality of a disaster (and I have) than console myself with an insipid lie.

L.Long said...

Right you are Lady.
When my G'father died The only thing that entered my mind was, 'I'm glad he died happy doing what he loved.'
He died in the boat with most of his family around while fishing. I never thought of him going to heaven or hell, but by then I had privately stopped believing.
The worse thing is never knowing what happened. To be sad of her death, or hopeful for a return, that is near to hell as I can imagine.

Unknown said...

So we based our whole timeline (bc / ad) (before Christ / year of our lord) on something that's not true? Would a fake god have such a following? Millions and millions of people. Sure he's very mysterious and you'll never understand everything until you leave this earth, but don't be so ignorant. To think this life is what you will live and then die and that's it??? What a depressing mindset. Open your mind to all the facts before making such a life changing decision not to follow god. YouTube a few videos of people who have died and came back to this world. Listen to they're stories. Some were atheists before. Some didn't even know who god was. I pray one day all your empty hearts get touched by jesus

LadyAtheist said...

Argumentum ad populum -- just because millions of people believe it doesn't mean it's true.

The atheist mindset is much less depressing than the Christian mindset, and actually we are less likely to suffer depression and commit suicide. How depressing is it to believe that a judgmental bully is eavesdropping on your thoughts and is looking for an excuse to burn you forever? What a depressing way of life.

Roder51 said...

Totally agree Lady Atheist. The problem with God is that he takes and gets far more credit for everyday happenings than he deserves but such is the mindset of the dissolutioned. God did it is the biggest farce know to man but the easiest answer a theist can muster. Quite pathetic.

Roder51 said...

Chatpilot wins best comment I think in this one with Lady Atheist 2nd. Most of the stories on this blog are superior than any I have read. Thank you

Roder51 said...

Well Deep South, It's like this

So we based our whole timeline (bc / ad) (before Christ / year of our lord) on something that's not true? Would a fake god have such a following? Millions and millions of people.

- Billions of flies eat SHIT. Doesn't make it fine Dining!

Sure he's very mysterious and you'll never understand everything until you leave this earth, but don't be so ignorant.

- Let me Guess! You're Dead and Writing on the Internet. Ignorant? You are that and so much more.

To think this life is what you will live and then die and that's it??? What a depressing mindset.

-I Know Honey. Sucks doesn't it that we are just born, live and then die. Sorry about that!

Open your mind to all the facts before making such a life changing decision not to follow god.

-Do you mean all those facts in that one book versus mountains of fact behind Evolution?

YouTube a few videos of people who have died and came back to this world.

- How about a video where Sylvia Browne told a couple their Son had died and he showed up a few months later
totally alive and not even close to the place she predicted.

Listen to they're stories.

- Yeah! They were cute. Sort of like Pat Robertson cute.

Some were atheists before. Some didn't even know who god was.

- Were they the same people who were Delusional like yourself?

I pray one day all your empty hearts get touched by jesus.

- I never pray. I talk to my cat. Very Similar except my cat responds. As for prayer it's similar to masturbation.
Does wonders for the one praying but not so much for the one being thought of.