# betta gives insight to God's apparent absence? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 14, 2007, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973 "2007-12-14T06:46:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/21 "2007-12-17T03:02:34Z")
These puns are crappie. ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/22 "2007-12-17T03:08:32Z")
At least they were created with fish that were not previously named. I’m none too pickerel about my puns. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/23 "2007-12-17T03:23:15Z")
These jokes are gilling me. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/24 "2007-12-17T04:18:06Z")
Enough puns. I think we’re tipping the scales. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/25 "2007-12-17T04:32:32Z")
Note that the theoretical He didn’t name us. Just sayin’ - after Fishie I, Fishie II, and Fishie III, I didn’t either. ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/26 "2007-12-17T14:16:18Z")
I kinda fell in love with this thread when I first saw it because it was so cute and needed protection that I wanted to keep it safe. Another case of guppy love, I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/27 "2007-12-18T00:01:58Z")
[QUOTE=petew83] Sometimes we might think it is easier to avoid strong attachment to a short-lived animal in order to avoid a sense of loss at its impending death. This popped into my mind as I was looking into the bowl of my new betta-fish. Might God feel this way about humans? Or might he only speak to those he intends to keep with him forever? [/QUOTE] Not to, uh, actually reply to the OP or anything, there’s nothing theoretically wrong with imagining a god that is disinterested in us. There’s just a problem with reconciling such a god with the Christian God, which is defined as being loving, and meddling, and various other things. I think if a person were to declare “I believe in a God that doesn’t care about us and doesn’t interfere with the world!”, that beyond a few queries of “why bother?” nobody would argue much with them at all. All the argumentive atheists would probably just clam up. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/28 "2007-12-18T00:08:11Z")
I think this debate is over. Fin. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/29 "2007-12-18T00:10:07Z")
Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/30 "2007-12-18T00:13:33Z")
[QUOTE=begbert2] Not to, uh, actually reply to the OP or anything, there’s nothing theoretically wrong with imagining a god that is disinterested in us. There’s just a problem with reconciling such a god with the Christian God, which is defined as being loving, and meddling, and various other things. I think if a person were to declare “I believe in a God that doesn’t care about us and doesn’t interfere with the world!”, that beyond a few queries of “why bother?” nobody would argue much with them at all. All the argumentive atheists would probably just clam up. [/QUOTE] That would be a deist god, then? I can’t say I would have a problem with anybody believing in it (not that I know any deists) except that it’s a useless belief when taken as indisputable fact and in that capacity may prevent people from trying to think up more practical theories for how the universe works. ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/31 "2007-12-18T13:51:52Z")
I’m just going to believe an a God of anchovies today, if that’s okay with you. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/32 "2007-12-18T14:27:57Z")
Two fish in a tank. One of them says “How do you drive this?” God is actually on holiday. I visualise this elderly bearded guy staring at a fish tank (probably with some elevator music going). Meanwhile his Holy phone answering machine is full of unanswered messages, but God switched the beep tone off in the Middle Ages, so the prayers are just piling up… ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/33 "2007-12-18T15:40:17Z")
I think it’s time to change the water. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/34 "2007-12-19T16:40:17Z")
At least get them an aquarium. I hate when they leave betta in those tiny little bowls. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/35 "2007-12-19T19:37:09Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] At least get them an aquarium. I hate when they leave betta in those tiny little bowls. [/QUOTE] Hey, if a fishbowl is good enough for Elmo, it’s good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/36 "2007-12-20T01:23:28Z")
Where would one’s standards of a sufficient domicile come from. Would not the safety from predators and unregulated enivironmental extremes be worth the fishbowl existence? (I’d insert some choice Thomas Jefferson here to counteract this bulldada) ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/37 "2007-12-21T02:15:41Z")
[QUOTE=lowbrass] I think this debate is over. Fin. [/QUOTE] Nope, this thread is as slippery as an eel. ---
**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/38 "2007-12-21T05:15:03Z")
i should ask salmon to mako list of good fish puns… U gonna sea Robin today? cod u tilapia few minutes late for my carp herring? yea i’m goby sturgeon traffic for a while ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973/39 "2007-12-22T02:23:07Z")
I trout this could get worse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/betta-gives-insight-to-gods-apparent-absence/429973.md?page=1)