# Examples of natural phenomena being used as proof of religion **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 6, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108 "2017-10-06T14:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/61 "2017-10-11T23:20:06Z")
Prog rock singer Neal Morse became a born-again Christian after his newborn daughter was diagnosed with an atrial septal defect (aka “hole in the heart”). He had his church pray for her and lo & behold, she was healed – [which had a 50% of happening anyway.](https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/holes/treatment) > [@Daddypants](#): > > For those who haven’t seen [proof of God](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z-OLG0KyR4) :smack: The really crazy thing is that modern bananas you find in the store bear NO resemblance to natural wild bananas, which are hard and filled with giant seed pits and virtually unpalatable to humans. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/62 "2017-10-11T23:30:49Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Let’s start with thunder and lightning. Think about the ancient gods Zeus, Thor, etc. Actually, that’s proof of [heavy metal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6lQEa-htXI) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/63 "2017-10-12T13:50:03Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Atheism is a belief kind of like not collecting stamps is a hobby. There is atheism and there is atheism. I am an atheist who does not collect stamps as in “I have no reason to believe there is a god, so I don’t.” Then there are atheists “I believe there _can’t_ be a god and anyone who doesn’t agree with me is an idiot and everybody should be an atheist like me and religion is a plague on society” who burn up everyone else’s stamp collections. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/64 "2017-10-12T16:30:47Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > There is atheism and there is atheism. I am an atheist who does not collect stamps as in “I have no reason to believe there is a god, so I don’t.” Then there are atheists “I believe there _can’t_ be a god and anyone who doesn’t agree with me is an idiot and everybody should be an atheist like me and religion is a plague on society” who burn up everyone else’s stamp collections. I consider myself a Militant Agnostic: “I don’t know, and neither do you.” ---
**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:** [October 12, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/65 "2017-10-12T16:50:48Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > There is atheism and there is atheism. I am an atheist who does not collect stamps as in “I have no reason to believe there is a god, so I don’t.” Then there are atheists “I believe there _can’t_ be a god and anyone who doesn’t agree with me is an idiot and everybody should be an atheist like me and religion is a plague on society” who burn up everyone else’s stamp collections. There are many gradations of atheism. I’m a “I don’t believe in any god, but can’t prove that some theoretical god doesn’t exist. _Your_ god, though, that one I _can_ disprove. So ha!” So I suppose I’m the sort who doesn’t burn anybody’s stamp collections unless they have the unbelievable temerity to _show_ them to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/66 "2017-10-12T16:58:40Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > There are many gradations of atheism. I’m a “I don’t believe in any god, but can’t prove that some theoretical god doesn’t exist. _Your_ god, though, that one I _can_ disprove. So ha!” > > So I suppose I’m the sort who doesn’t burn anybody’s stamp collections unless they have the unbelievable temerity to _show_ them to me. That’s my grade as well, except I’ll only burn the collection if you try to sell it to me. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/67 "2017-10-12T18:08:06Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > There is atheism and there is atheism. I am an atheist who does not collect stamps as in “I have no reason to believe there is a god, so I don’t.” Then there are atheists “I believe there _can’t_ be a god and anyone who doesn’t agree with me is an idiot and everybody should be an atheist like me and religion is a plague on society” who burn up everyone else’s stamp collections. I’ve been discussing atheism on line since before there was an internet, and I can’t think of too many people like this. And don’t confuse those who have secular deities (like Marx and Lenin and Mao) with atheists who have none. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/68 "2017-10-12T20:58:29Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > There is atheism and there is atheism. I am an atheist who does not collect stamps as in “I have no reason to believe there is a god, so I don’t.” Then there are atheists “I believe there _can’t_ be a god and anyone who doesn’t agree with me is an idiot and everybody should be an atheist like me and religion is a plague on society” who burn up everyone else’s stamp collections. Isn’t that just strong atheism vs weak atheism, or is that more about proselytism? ---
**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:** [October 12, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/69 "2017-10-12T21:08:14Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Isn’t that just strong atheism vs weak atheism, or is that more about proselytism? It seems like it’s more about rudeness. In my experience religious people get very, very pissy when an atheist gets rude. (It varies on whether they consider ‘merely existing’ rude - many don’t, many do.) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/70 "2017-10-12T23:40:02Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > That’s my grade as well, except I’ll only burn the collection if you try to sell it to me. Heck, I’m fine with selling religion…so long as I’m free to say, “No.” And they don’t get too pushy – but that’s true of all other sales, too. If they limit themselves to knocking on my door once a month, I’m good with that. Very much more often, and I’ll have to start thinking about restraining orders. ---
**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:** [October 13, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/71 "2017-10-13T00:05:04Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Heck, I’m fine with selling religion…so long as I’m free to say, “No.” And they don’t get too pushy – but that’s true of all other sales, too. If they limit themselves to knocking on my door once a month, I’m good with that. Very much more often, and I’ll have to start thinking about restraining orders. If they knock before ten AM on the weekend, though, there will be murder. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108/72 "2017-10-13T01:04:49Z")
No jury in the U.S. would convict! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-natural-phenomena-being-used-as-proof-of-religion/798108.md?page=3)