Comments on: Don’t Fear the Reaper http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/ Helping Mankind Overcome Religion Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:51:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: The Evangelical Atheist » Blog Archive » Apologetics: The Argument from Miracles http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-3743 The Evangelical Atheist » Blog Archive » Apologetics: The Argument from Miracles Thu, 19 Jan 2006 06:44:26 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-3743 [...] That about does it for the argument from miracles if one is to look at it logically. However, the actual argument as made by theists looks more like this: “My step-niece had Ebola, and she was cured. Praise Jesus.” Allow me to respond to this pedestrian and uninformed version of the argument, also. Back in October, I posted after learning that I had a potentially fatal medical condition. The echocardiogram showed an aortic aneurysm that could suddenly pop and drop me like John Ritter. Not only that, though. It also showed a thickening of the muscle in my left ventricle. This condition (LVH), which I didn’t even talk about, could also be suddenly fatal. Well, after three months in the care of a cardiologist, which included two more EKGs, another echocardiogram and an MRI, I just learned on Tuesday that there isn’t a damn thing wrong with me. None of these other tests showed a problem. The measurements of my heart and aorta were normal. So, is it a miracle? I assure you that I didn’t pray. In fact, for those three months, I’ve been verbally kicking god in the nuts on a regular basis on this blog. Hell, I call him a dick every Sunday. Did he cure me to reward me for this behavior? Obviously. Well, I suppose it could have been a problem with the initial test… Nah. God cured me. Praise Jesus. [...]

[…] That about does it for the argument from miracles if one is to look at it logically. However, the actual argument as made by theists looks more like this: “My step-niece had Ebola, and she was cured. Praise Jesus.” Allow me to respond to this pedestrian and uninformed version of the argument, also. Back in October, I posted after learning that I had a potentially fatal medical condition. The echocardiogram showed an aortic aneurysm that could suddenly pop and drop me like John Ritter. Not only that, though. It also showed a thickening of the muscle in my left ventricle. This condition (LVH), which I didn’t even talk about, could also be suddenly fatal. Well, after three months in the care of a cardiologist, which included two more EKGs, another echocardiogram and an MRI, I just learned on Tuesday that there isn’t a damn thing wrong with me. None of these other tests showed a problem. The measurements of my heart and aorta were normal. So, is it a miracle? I assure you that I didn’t pray. In fact, for those three months, I’ve been verbally kicking god in the nuts on a regular basis on this blog. Hell, I call him a dick every Sunday. Did he cure me to reward me for this behavior? Obviously. Well, I suppose it could have been a problem with the initial test… Nah. God cured me. Praise Jesus. […]

]]> By: Butterfingers http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-2708 Butterfingers Wed, 02 Nov 2005 14:36:47 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-2708 I AM, I am very sory to hear about your condition, and hope that you enjoy whatever time you have left, be it 50 years or 500, to the fullest. Having said that...I have to confess that I am scared shitless (sorry..) of dying. And not because I secretly belive.....but because I secretly don't. I always call myself an "agnostic," since it seems presumptions of me to think that I can, on the basis of very little information on a very little plane in a very little star system, can come to a conclusion about the whole universe....but whenever I think about death, I realize that's crap: deep down, where true faith lives, I have...nothing. I truly believe that there is nothing more or beyond this life and this body. And so I am scared. Not because I think I'll go to Hell...but because I know I'll cease to exist. I'm not scared of eternal torture - I'm scared of oblivion!!! Now sure, I won't "exist" so I won't suffer, but it's the thought of not existing that I find terrifying! If anything, I can honestly say I think I'd prefer Hell to oblivion. I want to BE, and the thought of a not-so-distant future (60 years or so ain't much in the grand scheme of things) that doesn't have ne in it, a future in which the essence of who I am is no more... Sorry. Scared shitless.

I AM, I am very sory to hear about your condition, and hope that you enjoy whatever time you have left, be it 50 years or 500, to the fullest.

Having said that…I have to confess that I am scared shitless (sorry..) of dying. And not because I secretly belive…..but because I secretly don’t. I always call myself an “agnostic,” since it seems presumptions of me to think that I can, on the basis of very little information on a very little plane in a very little star system, can come to a conclusion about the whole universe….but whenever I think about death, I realize that’s crap: deep down, where true faith lives, I have…nothing. I truly believe that there is nothing more or beyond this life and this body.

And so I am scared. Not because I think I’ll go to Hell…but because I know I’ll cease to exist. I’m not scared of eternal torture - I’m scared of oblivion!!! Now sure, I won’t “exist” so I won’t suffer, but it’s the thought of not existing that I find terrifying! If anything, I can honestly say I think I’d prefer Hell to oblivion. I want to BE, and the thought of a not-so-distant future (60 years or so ain’t much in the grand scheme of things) that doesn’t have ne in it, a future in which the essence of who I am is no more…

Sorry. Scared shitless.

]]> By: Reluctant Atheist http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-2542 Reluctant Atheist Sat, 22 Oct 2005 18:45:40 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-2542 I AM: I'm guessing that Franc is talking about the resurrection? Shrug. Hey, sorry to hear about your health problem. Hope it clears up soon. "No man is an island: each man's death diminishes me." -John Donne (did I get that quote right?). The end. Something that every human being confronts in their own way. Like most people, I've had my share of moments that were near-fatal. I've had 3 guns pointed at me, 2 of them by police (no, I'm not 1 of those utter reprobates 1 sees on Cops: misunderstandings w/the police, once w/a former brother-in-law who couldn't handle his drink, always packed weapons). Once, in my pre-atheist days (was kinda a lukewarm Xtian), my little Honda Civic got sandwiched between 2 vans. I remember distinctly yelling "I'M FUCKED!" when I saw this huge grill coming at me from the driver's side window. The punchline? I climbed out of the car, & cut my index finger on the broken glass. Outside of that, I was unharmed. Can't say the same for the car. Luckily, kept control of my southmost regions (in every situation). Plenty of time for that when I expire, I reckon. The end. Personally, I wouldn't mind going into the great unknown. It's the sadness I'd leave behind that bothers me most. Death. It's a part of life. No getting around that.

I AM:
I’m guessing that Franc is talking about the resurrection? Shrug.
Hey, sorry to hear about your health problem. Hope it clears up soon.
“No man is an island: each man’s death diminishes me.” -John Donne (did I get that quote right?).

The end. Something that every human being confronts in their own way.

Like most people, I’ve had my share of moments that were near-fatal. I’ve had 3 guns pointed at me, 2 of them by police (no, I’m not 1 of those utter reprobates 1 sees on Cops: misunderstandings w/the police, once w/a former brother-in-law who couldn’t handle his drink, always packed weapons). Once, in my pre-atheist days (was kinda a lukewarm Xtian), my little Honda Civic got sandwiched between 2 vans. I remember distinctly yelling “I’M FUCKED!” when I saw this huge grill coming at me from the driver’s side window. The punchline? I climbed out of the car, & cut my index finger on the broken glass. Outside of that, I was unharmed. Can’t say the same for the car.
Luckily, kept control of my southmost regions (in every situation). Plenty of time for that when I expire, I reckon.
The end. Personally, I wouldn’t mind going into the great unknown. It’s the sadness I’d leave behind that bothers me most.
Death. It’s a part of life. No getting around that.

]]> By: Pyro_Shark http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-2536 Pyro_Shark Sat, 22 Oct 2005 04:37:33 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-2536 Just wishing you good luck. And great post, BTW.

Just wishing you good luck. And great post, BTW.

]]> By: I Am http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-2535 I Am Sat, 22 Oct 2005 03:03:48 +0000 http://evangelicalatheist.com/2005/10/21/dont-fear-the-reaper/#comment-2535 Franc: <em>There is no such thing as death.</em> Whatever you say. There's also no black, cold or silence, right? I find this kind of juvenile word game aimed at seeming "deep" to be tiresome.

Franc:
There is no such thing as death.

Whatever you say. There’s also no black, cold or silence, right? I find this kind of juvenile word game aimed at seeming “deep” to be tiresome.

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