# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**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 17, 2010, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/101 "2010-10-17T05:13:32Z")
Surprise! I tell people to go to hell, too, but I don’t think I’m actually damning them to a real place. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/102 "2010-10-17T14:50:27Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Surprise! I tell people to go to hell, too, but I don’t think I’m actually damning them to a real place. Years ago I was in the barber shop, getting a shave, when two of the barbers were arguing over the phrases _God damn you_ and _God damn the white man_. The more vehement arguer felt that the first was blasphemous, while the second was simple truth. ---
**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 17, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/103 "2010-10-17T14:56:14Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > Surprise! I tell people to go to hell, too, but I don’t think I’m actually damning them to a real place. > > Years ago I was in the barber shop, getting a shave, when two of the barbers were arguing over the phrases _God damn you_ and _God damn the white man_. The more vehement arguer felt that the first was blasphemous, while the second was simple truth. Black barbers and their wacky hijinks. Someone should make a movie about them. I’d watch it. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/104 "2010-10-17T19:46:11Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > > [@Magiver](#): > > > > I missed the part where a deity came down and caused the collapse. The video must be worth a fortune. > > Fact One: God drinks human tears. He fucking chugs them. This makes him a sort of vampire. > Fact Two: Vampires don’t appear in mirrors or electronic surveillance devices. > Fact Three: God’s roundhouse kick is more than powerful enough to cause a cave-in. > The only possible way to reconcile these facts is to state that there is no video tape. > > So you’re saying that God isn’t omnipotent, right? Because if he’s omnipotent, he’s omniscient. And if he’s omniscient he knew that this cave-in would happen when he built the universe. > > If so, why thank him for a problem he caused? Sooooo… do you see your reflection in a mirror? Were you enjoying the fermented fruits of your labor when you posted this? Entertainment value = 7. Not sure what the scale is but the number seems about right. ---
**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/105 "2010-10-17T22:31:40Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Surprise! I tell people to go to hell, too, but I don’t think I’m actually damning them to a real place. As an atheist I deliberately refrain from saying this. Not that I think hell exists: If I did I definitely wouldnt say it. Doing so is another example of the horrible morality of Christians. But saying it pays lip service to beliefs I dont hold, and as a secular insult, its about as hollow as you can get. ---
**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 17, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/106 "2010-10-17T22:38:16Z")
> [@FuzzyOgre](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > Surprise! I tell people to go to hell, too, but I don’t think I’m actually damning them to a real place. > > As an atheist I deliberately refrain from saying this. Not that I think hell exists: If I did I definitely wouldnt say it. Doing so is another example of the horrible morality of Christians. > > But saying it pays lip service to beliefs I dont hold, and as a secular insult, its about as hollow as you can get. Yeah, and I shouldn’t say “Fuck you!” to people I don’t actually want to have sex with, either. :rolleyes: If you sneeze I’ll say “God bless you”, if you piss me off I might say “Go to Hell” and if you do something really outrageous I may fire off a “Jesus Christ”. And I’m the most militant atheist I know. Sayings have meanings beyond the literal. ---
**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 17, 2010, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/107 "2010-10-17T23:45:08Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Lobohan](#): > > > > Fact One: God drinks human tears. He fucking chugs them. This makes him a sort of vampire. > > Fact Two: Vampires don’t appear in mirrors or electronic surveillance devices. > > Fact Three: God’s roundhouse kick is more than powerful enough to cause a cave-in. > > The only possible way to reconcile these facts is to state that there is no video tape. > > > > So you’re saying that God isn’t omnipotent, right? Because if he’s omnipotent, he’s omniscient. And if he’s omniscient he knew that this cave-in would happen when he built the universe. > > > > If so, why thank him for a problem he caused? > > Sooooo… do you see your reflection in a mirror? Were you enjoying the fermented fruits of your labor when you posted this? Entertainment value = 7. Not sure what the scale is but the number seems about right. What I’m saying is that your arguments are nonsense. If God is all powerful he most certainly knew the cave in was coming when he created the universe. He also clearly had the ability to make it not happen. So thanking him for rescue is inherently silly. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195/108 "2010-10-18T00:46:04Z")
> [@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. I’m curious as to your interpretation of Genesis 11: > [@](#): > > And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children built. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech Seems to me like that cooperative human undertaking is on track for success right up until God steps in to actively mess with the project; His involvement _ **isn’t** _ what they needed, it’s merely what can stymie efforts that (a) would not only have otherwise worked just fine on their own merits but (b) would also have led to yet _ **other** _ successes until and unless He stepped in to nip all of that in the bud. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remind-me-again-why-god-is-to-be-thanked-for-the-chilean-miners/557195.md?page=5)