From: Technotranscendence (neptune@mars.superlink.net)
Date: Wed Sep 20 2000 - 09:24:18 MDT
On Tuesday, September 19, 2000 10:38 PM Zero Powers zero_powers@hotmail.com
wrote:
> >Nazi experiment:
> >Put 12 million Jews in concentration camps. Have them pray for their
> >lives, and begin killing them one by one. See if God saves them.
> >Yes, a few surviving rabbis no longer believe in God, because of their
> >experiences.
>
> I guess it depends on how you view that 50% filled glass of water. After
> all the good guys won the war, the Nazi regime was utterly decimated,
Hitler
> was killed, more than a few concentration camp prisoners did survive, and
> the Jews came out of it with their own State which is one of the best
armed
> and most prosperous in the world (certainly in the middle east anyway).
>
> I'd say that's as good a case for the God-answers-prayers meme as any.
This is kind of like when two people survive a freak accident where hundreds
are killed. They call it a miracle, yet the accident itself is
miraculous -- unlikely, except in hindsight -- and the hundreds killed might
seem more like an Act of God than the two saved.
As for the Nazis, yeah, they are no longer around as a nation, but this is
after six years of war, millions of people killed and turning Europe into
rubble, then into two armed camps (NATO and the Soviets). If this is God
answering prayers for the Jews and others truly decimated (how many people
survived the camps versus the number who didn't?), I'd hate to see what
happens when he doesn't answer prayers! Does the Earth fall into the Sun?
Also, while Israel does exist, its prosperity is mostly the result of US
funding. If that's prayers being answered, then I guess every person on
welfare -- including big corporations like AMD and some African dictators --
should get down on their knees and praise the Lord.
Of course, I know Zero is only talking about this reinforcing a meme...
Cheers!
Daniel Ust
http://uweb.superlink.net/neptune/
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