# Why do some thank God when spared from a tornado? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 1, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915 "2012-07-01T16:18:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/81 "2012-07-03T04:18:01Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > Just because we haven’t landed on a novel response doesn’t mean it’s not a debate worth having. It’s not much of a debate. I’d like for it to become one, but mostly it seems to be focused on the fact that some of the things religious people say are stupid or don’t make much sense. And I don’t disagree with that, but it’s also not much of an insight. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/82 "2012-07-03T11:48:48Z")
Perhaps God wanted the ones he took, but rejected the ones Left?..a different way of looking at it? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/83 "2012-07-03T12:03:02Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > Perhaps God wanted the ones he took, but rejected the ones Left?..a different way of looking at it? That would imply he changes his mind all the time, since eventually, he takes them all. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/84 "2012-07-03T15:01:56Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s not much of a debate. I’d like for it to become one, but mostly it seems to be focused on the fact that some of the things religious people say are stupid or don’t make much sense. And I don’t disagree with that, but it’s also not much of an insight. I see what you’re saying now, though I don’t know why you’re saying it, as if commenting on the logical inconsistencies of religious belief should be off the table because it’s too easy. When a believer starts a thread, should we not respond to it? If there’s going to be any insight to the debate, believers are welcome to provide it, but until then, it is what it is. And my first post just corrected a misconception about the OP. That was hardly piling on as you implied.😕 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/85 "2012-07-03T15:08:05Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > I get that and agree with the logic, inasmuch as logic can apply here. But some would are argue that God only spares the righteous, which will have included countless monsters throughout history. He takes everyone eventually. The father of that student who caught the flesh eating cooties was on the news this morning thanking God. Presumably for leaving his daughter a deformed, limbless freak. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/86 "2012-07-03T15:10:04Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > Perhaps God wanted the ones he took, but rejected the ones Left?..a different way of looking at it? Assuming you’re referring to a kind, loving God, why does he have to take them so violently with all that pain and suffering? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/87 "2012-07-03T15:20:39Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > I see what you’re saying now, though I don’t know why you’re saying it, as if commenting on the logical inconsistencies of religious belief should be off the table because it’s too easy. I didn’t say anything about the subject being off limits or not responding in other discussions. That wouldn’t make sense. I said I don’t think this is much of a debate. It comes one obvious point (thanking God after a disaster God caused doesn’t make much sense) with a little bit of incomprehension (it’s easy to understand why people are thankful/greatful/relieved after surviving a disaster). > [@](#): > > And my first post just corrected a misconception about the OP. That was hardly piling on as you implied.😕 I didn’t say you were piling on. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/88 "2012-07-03T15:48:22Z")
I saw and heard countless interviews with people here after the tornado last year and it wasn’t, “Whew, thank God we survived even though everything we owned was destroyed” It was more of, “Oh, praise Jesus! Praise Jesus! Thank you Lord for sparing my life! Praise Jesus! Praise the Lord!” etc. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/89 "2012-07-03T18:53:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I didn’t say anything about the subject being off limits or not responding in other discussions. That wouldn’t make sense. I said I don’t think this is much of a debate. It comes one obvious point (thanking God after a disaster God caused doesn’t make much sense) with a little bit of incomprehension (it’s easy to understand why people are thankful/greatful/relieved after surviving a disaster). I haven’t seen any incomprehension here about people feeling thankful/grateful/relieved after surviving a disaster. Nobody’s disputing that. The question is why God gets credit for it. > [@](#): > > I didn’t say you were piling on. Well, you brought up the point of ridicule when I simply pointed out a misunderstanding about the OP. If that wasn’t meant for me, then I took it wrong, but it’s odd that you mentioned it. ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/90 "2012-07-03T19:10:48Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > Perhaps God wanted the ones he took, but rejected the ones Left?..a different way of looking at it? Makes more sense than what we usually hear. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/91 "2012-07-04T12:03:07Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That would imply he changes his mind all the time, since eventually, he takes them all. Except the one’s who go to hell? There were and are tornados, hurricans, earthquakes,etc. where no people live and were many before humans live in those places, so it makes me wonder why that happened. I wounder could it be…Just because they were in a different spot? If a person wasn’t home when a disaster happened was it on purpose or just because they were not home? ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/92 "2012-07-04T12:09:26Z")
> [@Esox\_Lucius](#): > > Assuming you’re referring to a kind, loving God, why does he have to take them so violently with all that pain and suffering? And it brings to mind the fact that many good people suffer so much in their lives, and so many evil do not! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/93 "2012-07-04T12:14:17Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > Except the one’s who go to hell? That what i have been told. God kills them all, and sorts the sheep from the goats afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2012, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915/94 "2012-07-05T11:35:01Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That what i have been told. God kills them all, and sorts the sheep from the goats afterwards. If God knows all things, then he knew before they were born they would be evil or good, and yet he allowed the evil one’s to harm (or kill) what was also some of his children, so it is hard to accept the fact that either God doesn’t know all things or just like to have some of his children suffer, a human father like that would not be considered good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-thank-god-when-spared-from-a-tornado/626915.md?page=4)