God works in mysterious ways

[Parsifal]

I need to share this neat bit of irony with you (without meaning disrespect to the deceased).

I'm an attorney here in South Africa.  Recently I got a new Brazilian client who hired a South African to set up their business.  I met this guy in Brazil in July, dealt extensively with him here in SA while setting up the company (which did not go smoothly thanks to a major public sector strike) and about a month ago had lunch with him (sushi, so that he could buy some take away sushi for his girlfriend who loves it).

At the lunch he told me how good God was for him.  He got divorced about 6 years ago, but had recently gone back to church and even started teaching Sunday school.  He had also lost his job around June, and in July this Brazilian company arrived here and hired.  He also got a wonderful new girlfriend.  And then he told me that the Big Brother in the sky is certainly taking care of him.  I just smiled and said I'm happy for him.

Anyway, exactly a week ago he took his son to a party when God sent a drunken driver at 150km per hour crashing straight into him.  He bled to death, with his ribs perforating his heart and lungs.

Now I ask you, what the fuck was God's plan?  Bring the guy all the happiness and then kill him?

Yet, the religious keep on thinking that there is some kind of plan behind it all that we won't understand now.

[The Magic Pudding]

Ours is not to wonder why Parsifal.
Ours is to die in all manner of horrendous ways.
It will all be made clear in the next life.

Locally we have had stories of Mary MacKillop, our first saint, thank the lord.
I saw a story of the measuring of miracles some get accepted, some not.
We had a story, I don't know any sadder, a car crashes into a preschool,

Sophie suffered burns to 85% of her body and lost both feet, some fingers, and her right ear. Molly Wood also suffered burns to 85% of her body, but has since made a good recovery

I saw Sophie with her bandaged stumps, as cute as a button, a smile on her face.
They didn't show her hours of screaming agony on TV.
That's enough to bring me to tears, but there's more,

On May 5, 2006 Sophie made national headlines a second time when she was again badly injured in a road accident. While being pushed across a pedestrian crossing in a wheelchair (by her nanny with her service dog Tara by her side) near her home in Sydney's northern beaches, she was hit by a car and thrown 18 metres. Sophie suffered a heart attack, a broken jaw and shoulder bone, bruising to her head, numerous rib fractures and a tear to her left lung. She was treated at the

Anyway Sophie's survival was seen as a miracle attributable to the sainted Mary by some.
I think the church new better than to use it.
Why do atheists organise?
Well who else do I share this with?

[Thumpalumpacus]

She needs to go buy a lottery ticket.

[PoopShoot]

She needs to go buy a lottery ticket.

Nah, it'll just spontaneously combust as soon as it wins.

[wildfire_emissary]

God is just testing their faith and if they're ready for heaven. That guy did it to Job in the bible. Satan coaxed him, ''blow Job's life and he'll be an atheist.''

[Tank]

I need to share this neat bit of irony with you (without meaning disrespect to the deceased).

I'm an attorney here in South Africa.  Recently I got a new Brazilian client who hired a South African to set up their business.  I met this guy in Brazil in July, dealt extensively with him here in SA while setting up the company (which did not go smoothly thanks to a major public sector strike) and about a month ago had lunch with him (sushi, so that he could buy some take away sushi for his girlfriend who loves it).

At the lunch he told me how good God was for him.  He got divorced about 6 years ago, but had recently gone back to church and even started teaching Sunday school.  He had also lost his job around June, and in July this Brazilian company arrived here and hired.  He also got a wonderful new girlfriend.  And then he told me that the Big Brother in the sky is certainly taking care of him.  I just smiled and said I'm happy for him.

Anyway, exactly a week ago he took his son to a party when God sent a drunken driver at 150km per hour crashing straight into him.  He bled to death, with his ribs perforating his heart and lungs.

Now I ask you, what the fuck was God's plan?  Bring the guy all the happiness and then kill him?

Yet, the religious keep on thinking that there is some kind of plan behind it all that we won't understand now.

Poor sod. Just goes to show there is no guarantee of a tomorrow for anybody.

I do like sushi, Butterfish in particular.

[DropLogic]

She needs to go buy a lottery ticket.

Nah, it'll just spontaneously combust as soon as it wins.

Na, she'll accidentally slice her carotid artery with it.

[TheChainSmoker]

She needs to go buy a lottery ticket.

Nah, it'll just spontaneously combust as soon as it wins.

Sounds like my luck.

[Prometheus]

I get agitated with how irrational theists are myself. My granny literally says "praise the lord" everytime she finds her car keys(She loses them several times a week.). When i lose mine i manage to find them everytime all by myself . I caught a stomach virus once when i was 12. I was puking and worse for hours. I actually puked so much i started dry heaving. I was completely miserable and my dad took the opportunity to tell me that god was punishing me for being agnostic. Some great parenting right there. Of course when bad things happen just a frequently to believers and church goers its all just "part of gods plan". Rofl

I will say this in their defense as most of them aren't as idiotic as my dad. Their irrational behavior(Praying for example) is their way of dealing with the challenges of life. They might not be able to cope with them otherwise and their superstition rarely causes me or you any harm. Although i do pity them and wish they'd keep these things to themselves, I don't get worked up over it or insult their coping mechanisms(Unless they insult my beliefs first). Just let them have what little comfort these beliefs give them.

[Sophus]

Whenever their beliefs are threatened by simple application of common sense and reason theists usually invoke "God works in mysterious ways" to say "I can't explain this because there's some secret answer God is hiding from everyone". There's really nothing mysterious about it: shit happens.

[The Magic Pudding]

Some of you may like this,

In 1672 a German secret agent arrived in Paris and the result was fierce philosophical debate. The secret agent was Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and he locked horns with two lesser-known but formidable thinkers: Antoine Arnauld and Father Nicolas Malebranche about some of the great philosophical issues of the day.

The Best of all possible worlds - Steven Nadler
http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/pl ... 202010&p=1

The transcript and mp3 version aren't available until Monday, until then only streaming audio on the link above.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/philosopherszone/

[Sophus]

Leibniz was the inspiration for the character Pangloss in Voltaire's Candide. If you haven't read it I'd recommend it. It relates well to the whole "God works in mysterious ways because he has a great big plan" argument.

[Gawen]

I have a friend, around 30 years old, that grew up in an abusive relationship. Father was never home and mother threatened to kill him numerous times. He grew up....tainted. His first relationship busted and  spawned two girls...both are teens now. He just went through (about 5 months ago) a second 5 year relationship that gave  him two girls. His ex wife moved with the boys several hundred miles away. The girls are closer but to see all of them, it'll cost him about 1500 miles per month. Ex wife left him with full credit cards and a house he can't sell in this market.
He was at his wits end.
And then he found...

Jesus.

He's never felt more loved than ever now. He can finally tell people he loves them....even his kids!!! His facebook is sickening drool for the lord. I asked him "Where was God when you were growing up, during your relationships?"

"He has a plan. No one knows what that plan is." says he.

And my friend just can't see the irony.

[Parsifal]

Reminds me of that "I know I'm something 'cause God don't make no junk" (sic) rubbish.  Only the belief in an imaginary being can save you if nothing else will.

Just an update on the original post, it has now transpired that the poor sod was in trouble with the revenue service and that he had misled my client seriously.  Why is it always the Christians that you can least trust?

[TheJackel]

Reminds me of that "I know I'm something 'cause God don't make no junk" (sic) rubbish.  Only the belief in an imaginary being can save you if nothing else will.

Just an update on the original post, it has now transpired that the poor sod was in trouble with the revenue service and that he had misled my client seriously.  Why is it always the Christians that you can least trust?

Is this the same Parsifal from the Flat Earth Society? AKA the same guy that tries to state that Australia doesn't exist, or that light wavelengths and frequencies magically bend equally while ignoring the laws governing optics? Sorry this is a bit off topic, but I find this rather interesting

Also note that this story seems entirely fictional or made up.