# Remind me again why God is to be thanked for the Chilean Miners? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 14, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195 "2010-10-14T23:56:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/61 "2010-10-15T20:55:41Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > A miner mentioned God and the Devil, and God winning, not Rocks and a multi-national team of engineers and scientists winning. (massive snip) Not wanting to interrupt this nice “believers teh suxx0r” party, but the miner was talking about his own soul not the rescue itself. Also, all miners and other people involved were plenty thankful to the guys rescuing them. We now go back to your regular circle-jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/62 "2010-10-15T21:19:28Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > > [@Lobohan](#): > > > > A miner mentioned God and the Devil, and God winning, not Rocks and a multi-national team of engineers and scientists winning. > > (massive snip) > > Not wanting to interrupt this nice “believers teh suxx0r” party, It’s rude to interrupt a circle-jerk. 😃 > [@](#): > > but the miner was talking about his own soul not the rescue itself. > Also, all miners and other people involved were plenty thankful to the guys rescuing them. > We now go back to your regular circle-jerk. If that’s the case then I withdraw that specific argument. I only heard the clipped description from a reporter, not the details. I think actually that if they guy was heartened by his religion and it helped him not go nuts underground, good for him. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/63 "2010-10-15T21:38:23Z")
> [@Trans Fat Og](#): > > > [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > > > All good is due to God, all evil due to man’s wickedness. > > My initial reaction was that this was a bit of sarcasm, and that you put it very distinctly. > > Then I recalled your new name from the name-change ATMB thread, and I remembered that you were Curtis. > > So, you actually… believe this… > > :dubious: It’s a standard Christian belief, and one constantly expressed including on this board; I don’t know why you are surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/64 "2010-10-15T21:39:34Z")
[God’s Song (That’s Why I love Mankind.)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVCGf0CnYzw) [Lyrics.](http://www.lyricsdepot.com/randy-newman/gods-song-thats-why-i-love-mankind.html) ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/65 "2010-10-15T21:42:47Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > It’s rude to interrupt a circle-jerk. 😃 I know. I’ll provide some extr porn to make up for it. > [@](#): > > If that’s the case then I withdraw that specific argument. I only heard the clipped description from a reporter, not the details. I think actually that if they guy was heartened by his religion and it helped him not go nuts underground, good for him. Thanks, I agree. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/66 "2010-10-15T21:55:04Z")
My very religious ancestors would begin their important (ie: daily)activities with the affirmation “In gods name we begin!” And at the end of the week, when the fields were harvested they didnt proclaim “goddidit”. Note the honesty there? That was only 100 years ago. My ancestors were Catholics just like these Chileans. If you want to be modest, do it right. If you want to trivialize your fellow human beings, you make me sick. You dont look modest, you look like a schmuck. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/67 "2010-10-15T22:38:31Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > My questions are: > > 1)If God is to be thanked for delivering them, is he not equally to be blamed for allowing them to get into that fix in the first place? Got allowed that mine to operate and employ many for years using His protective ability because He loves us, and realizes that we are fooled to believe that we must do this type of work. By withdrawing His protection He is showing people that their job is not that important as other things, such as family, and allowing us to learn in the only way some of us will. So He is not to blame, we are for, He is to thank that they don’t all collapse, for without Him they will. > [@](#): > > 1. Why is it that when something good happens, theists are soooo certain they can discern God’s loving kindness in the event. But when something bad happens, it’s time for theists to roll their eyes, shrug their shoulders, and quote you some passage about how the ways of God are mysterious and we cannot understand his purposes. Funny, you seemed to understand his purposes pretty damn well when good stuff happens! Everything Good is from God, but besides that, well that’s all there is, all good is from God, anything that doesn’t work out is God letting us be ourselves. In the end however God’s goodness wins. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/68 "2010-10-15T22:48:54Z")
Something tells me that if they just prayed and no rescue team ever got involved, they’d still be down there. God certainly spends a lot of time on the sidelines waiting for all the credit despite all his supposed powers. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/69 "2010-10-15T23:01:21Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > By withdrawing His protection He is showing people that their job is not that important as other things, such as family, and allowing us to learn in the only way some of us will. You _do_ realise that their job is essential to the survival of them and their family, right? Or is this fact lost on you? Of course, since I want you to learn in the only way some of us will, this lesson will be accomplished by locking you in a box until you starve half to death. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/70 "2010-10-16T02:35:09Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > So kids with leukemia have it because they’ll one day be wicked. Why don’t I have leukemia? Sure I’m just as wicked as those little bastards (who obviously deserve God’s wrath) in the children’s hospitals, right? > > Some of them are not direct punishments from God but natural consequences of living in an evil-filled world. It is not an evil filled world. It is neutral. It is you who react toward it that way. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/71 "2010-10-16T02:57:52Z")
> [@Freedom\_Is\_Not\_Free](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > Why would we lose our free will if God were to interfere? Did the miners lose their free will when the rescuers interfered? > > My point is free will would not exist at all if anytime we did something reckless or harmful to others God swooped in and put a bubble around us. Sure it would. Superman has free will. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/72 "2010-10-16T12:21:07Z")
I would imagine that if the accident happned say, 25 years ago before some of the drills were made, that the same men should be grateful they didn’t get trapped then, had they, they would have died a slow death. If the Psalmist is correct(Psalm 82 KJV) then the men who saved them are Gods and one could thank God in that sense? The Psalmist is quoted as saying" I say you are gods and sons of the most high" There was a joke once told about a man who didn’t go to church, so the minister stopped by one day to see if he could get him to come to church. The minister commented on what a lovely farm God had given the farmer. The farmer replied, “well, it wasn’t given to me, I paid the bank, and you should have seen the mess it was in when God had it all to Himself!” ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/73 "2010-10-16T15:01:38Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Got allowed that mine to operate and employ many for years using His protective ability because He loves us, and realizes that we are fooled to believe that we must do this type of work. By withdrawing His protection He is showing people that their job is not that important as other things, such as family, and allowing us to learn in the only way some of us will. So He is not to blame, we are for, He is to thank that they don’t all collapse, for without Him they will. Your god is a giant flaming asshole. Just so nice of him to show Chinese miners today that they should stop wasting their lives away working in coal mines by killing 20 of them. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn1767](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shawn1767](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn1767)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/74 "2010-10-16T15:34:22Z")
It’s funny to me how the whole world and universe acts EXACTLY how it would act if there were no god(s) and people were merely putting their own spin on events. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/75 "2010-10-16T17:50:09Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > If not why don’t you try that, and then come back and instruct the world what or whom everybody ought to thank? If someone opens a door for me, do I thank god or the person opening the door? When the bag boy helps me bring the groceries to the car, do I thank god or the bag boy? How is it different from rescuing someone from a burning building? A fireman rescued your sorry ass by risking his own life to do so, and you want to thank someone else for it? That would make you one ungrateful bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/76 "2010-10-16T18:29:11Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > As the final Chilean miners are brought to the surface, once again we hear a chorus of praise for “God” for delivering them. Not the devoted people and scientific equipment that got them out, but the invisible magic guy in the sky. I’m a theist not a Christian but I’m going to attempt a serious answer. Religion is essentially a means of encouraging people to do their moral best, because society benefits thereby. What that moral best is differs from religion to religion, of course. Without that encouragement, people might well have said that it was too difficult or too expensive to effect a rescue. So because these people are Christians and Christianity exhorts such efforts, then in a real sense God is responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/77 "2010-10-16T18:39:19Z")
It is too bad these miners and mine owners, Christians all, weren’t willing to spend the necessary time and resources to make the mine safe in the first place. Apparently, making a smaller, less visible effort to prevent the incident doesn’t fit into god’s plans or his follower’s. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/78 "2010-10-16T19:43:05Z")
> [@Valteron](#): > > **Remind me again why God is to be thanked for the Chilean Miners?** For the personal inner strength that religion gives people as a mechanism for getting through tough times. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/79 "2010-10-16T20:05:17Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Valteron](#): > > > > **Remind me again why God is to be thanked for the Chilean Miners?** > > For the personal inner strength that religion gives people as a mechanism for getting through tough times. The inner-strength he gives them to live through the problems he causes? Your ideas are mushy and need to return to the oven. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/80 "2010-10-16T20:36:31Z")
While watching and waiting for poor miners to be rescued (which was fantastic!), I was reminded of the Russian sub The _Kursk_ where 118 crew members died tragically. Other nations had offered to help but were denied. I would love to ask one of the faithful miners why their god chose to save them, but not the submarine crew. Then I would love to ask all 33 of them. I guarantee I would get 33 completely different answers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195.md?page=5)