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Thanking God

Giraffe107

Graduate Poster
Giraffe107
Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
1,443
I read a story recently where a couple, after years of being unable to conceive, used IVF and became the parents of five new babies (sorry, I can't find a link to the news article). The thing is, in the article, the mother was quoted as saying something like 'I would like to thank god for blessing me with these babies'.

Now please, can somebody please explain to me why she thanked god. When it was up to him (natural pregnancy) she did not become pregnant. When it was up to medial science (IVF) and the care of doctors and nurses, she did.

So why did she thank god? Is it a reflex? Is it a need to 'credit' god with having done something?
 
Giraffe107 said:
I read a story recently where a couple, after years of being unable to conceive, used IVF and became the parents of five new babies (sorry, I can't find a link to the news article). The thing is, in the article, the mother was quoted as saying something like 'I would like to thank god for blessing me with these babies'.

Now please, can somebody please explain to me why she thanked god. When it was up to him (natural pregnancy) she did not become pregnant. When it was up to medial science (IVF) and the care of doctors and nurses, she did.

So why did she thank god? Is it a reflex? Is it a need to 'credit' god with having done something?
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Because to a lot of people, everything that happens is a result of god.
 
I agree with what the previous posters said. Some people devoted to their religion just link everything to God.

I used to be a christian and also did that :boggled: (good thing I'm not anymore).


I think they see it this way:

If it's something good, it was God.

If it's something bad you have two options:

1. It could be the work of the "devil" trying to "bring you down".
2. It's a test from God.
 
There was a funny scene on the show "House" where he does a procedure successfully and the patient cries, "Thank God!" He looks at her and says, "Don't make me slap you."
 
That's pretty much what I though. It's kind of depressing that people don't think about their 'god's actions' more critically :boggled:
 
The irony is that, if you throw up the "how can god allow tsunamis, earthquakes etc etc?" to the religous you get the contemptuous "how dare you second guess god", yet with good news, as mentioned in an earlier post, you are expected to give thanks. I would have more respect for theists if they thanked god when good things happen, and curse and condemn him/her when disaster comes.
 
I would have more respect for theists if they thanked god when good things happen, and curse and condemn him/her when disaster comes.
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Yes I agree, I could understand it if someone said 'thank god I didn't die in that car crash', rather than just saying 'thank god' if anything remotely good happened, or something which clearly a god didn't have anything to do with (eg a surgeon completing an operation successfully).

BTW, a lion following a giraffe - could result in tears.
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LOL :D
 
Giraffe107 said:
Is it a need to 'credit' god with having done something?
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Yes, regardless of His method.

From Rapture Ready forum:
That same week, I was away on vacation in a terrible thunderstorm. I was hit by lightening that traveled under ground. I became pregnant that night. (yes, I know the day) My Dr said the lightening fixed my hormonal problem. Yes I did praise God and still do everytime I look in my DD's eyes. He does answer prayer.
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:boggled:
 
lionking said:
The irony is that, if you throw up the "how can god allow tsunamis, earthquakes etc etc?" to the religous you get the contemptuous "how dare you second guess god", yet with good news, as mentioned in an earlier post, you are expected to give thanks. I would have more respect for theists if they thanked god when good things happen, and curse and condemn him/her when disaster comes.
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This is one place where, I am sorry to say, I have respect for the Phelps clan: They thank god when good things happen and thank god when bad things happen. At least they're consistent.
 
lionking said:
BTW, a lion following a giraffe - could result in tears.
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Interesting homograph--"tears" as in secretions from the lacrimal ducts or "tears" as in claws ripping through giraffe hide?

Both I suppose. . .

Meanwhile, I thank God I'm an atheist.
 
My stubborn ex-Catholic guilt sometimes makes me feel the opposite way.

George: "I knew God wouldn't let me enjoy this."
Jerry: "I thought you didn't believe in God."
George: "I do for the bad stuff."
 
I frequently thank God for giraffes, since without them, there would be no highballs, and I like to drink Manhattan's.

*ba dump, tsch! I'll be hear till Tuesday, try the salmon mousse.

I did put a note into the suggestion box about unicorns, but no response yet. Typical corporate indifference to the cogs in the wheel, I suppose. :p

DR
 
Oubliette said:
I agree with what the previous posters said. Some people devoted to their religion just link everything to God.

I used to be a christian and also did that :boggled: (good thing I'm not anymore).


I think they see it this way:

If it's something good, it was God.

If it's something bad you have two options:

1. It could be the work of the "devil" trying to "bring you down".
2. It's a test from God.
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3. It's because we're sinners. Everything would be perfect if mankind hadn't sinned.

Actually this giving credit to God whenever something goes right and absolving Him of blame whenever it goes wrong is one of the reasons my deep religiosity eventually didn't make sense to me anymore. Every time something bad happens it's because myself, other people, or our ancestors didn't obey God? Presumably we never do anything right ourselves, so every time something goes right it's because of God? That's both depressing and absurd.

Now I'm just musing and the following probably needs refined, but I wonder... if one credits God when a brilliant surgeon saves a loved one, and says such credit is due because God made the surgeon and gave him his abilities, why is there no blame attached to God when someone uses his/her abilities for evil? Here comes the Godwin... if God created all of us, then He created Hitler too! If I give you a million dollars and you use it to fund cancer research, then good on me for entrusting resources to someone who uses them for such a noble cause. But if you use the money to fund terrorism, then I too deserve blame for it. I gave you the resources, the ability, to fund that project.
 
I remember the WV miner tragedy (yes, Sylvia Browne, THAT one) when the lone miner who was saved “thanked god” for his rescue. In the meantime, all I could think about was what about the rescuers who risked their lives for him? What about the other 12 miners who died? Weren’t THEY worthy or deserving of god’s saving them, too. I feel that’s a slap in the face of all those other people, and their families.
 
Giraffe107 said:
I read a story recently where a couple, after years of being unable to conceive, used IVF and became the parents of five new babies (sorry, I can't find a link to the news article). The thing is, in the article, the mother was quoted as saying something like 'I would like to thank god for blessing me with these babies'.

Now please, can somebody please explain to me why she thanked god. When it was up to him (natural pregnancy) she did not become pregnant. When it was up to medial science (IVF) and the care of doctors and nurses, she did.

So why did she thank god? Is it a reflex? Is it a need to 'credit' god with having done something?
Click to expand...

Why didn't it occur to these folks that maybe God made them infertile for a reason in the first place?
 
Why didn't it occur to these folks that maybe God made them infertile for a reason in the first place?
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That's the thing exactly. If people circumvent God by the use of medicine in a good (read: 'moral') way, then they're not circumventing God, they're using doctors who happen to have God working through them. In effect, 'Bless God for artificial insemination'.

If they use medicine in a bad ('immoral') way, such as by having an abortion or altering genes, they get charged with 'playing God' or 'defying God's plan for their DNA/baby/life in illness'.

If it's defying God to have an abortion, then surely it's defying God to have an artificial insemination, too? And to turn that around, if artificial insemination was created by God, then surely abortion was, too?
 
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