# Your god, in the Study, with the Kleenex

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [August 8, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917 "2006-08-08T20:33:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/1 "2006-08-08T20:33:43Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> [I would first like to thank God, but I would like to specify which God.](http://www.profootballhof.com/hall/story.jsp?story_id=2180)

I’m not sure if anyone else caught this and I’m even less sure where to post it. I don’t want to rant. I would like to know if this bothers other people, but I get the impression that IMHO is a fora for _less-than-cosmic topics._ (Regardless of one’s beliefs or values, I think it safe to say that the subject of an omnipotent being does not qualify as less-than-cosmic.)

That leaves me with a fairly lustless Pit thread destined for mediocrity.

Nonetheless, WTF? I want to thank God, but not _YOUR_ God; is that it? I want to thank God, but not the wrong God? I want to thank God, but not that Blue guy or any of those people with the animal heads?

If you’re making a speech and the best intro you can come up with is, “I want to thank God” you might just as well leave it at that and sit back down. I understand that Reggie White was very religious, and maybe his son is too. And maybe everyone in that audience thought, “Phew, I was afraid he might be thanking Allah!” But if everyone has to start specifying which god they’re thanking and which one is being called on to bless you after you cough or sneeze or fart or whatever then… then, well God damn it, they can all just go to hell!

I guess I did want to rant after all. Carry on.

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### Author: ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/2 "2006-08-08T21:12:17Z")

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“I’d like to thank the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”

He simply wanted to make sure we knew he wasn’t thanking Odin or the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Tiamet or whatever.

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### Author: ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/3 "2006-08-08T21:14:36Z")

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If his God is small enough not to know which God he means, then his God is not big enough for his needs. Or something like that.

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### Author: ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/4 "2006-08-08T21:23:24Z")

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Can these people _hear_ themselves? It’s laughable.

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### Author: ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/5 "2006-08-08T21:30:17Z")

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Good God, that woman do go on!

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### Author: ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/6 "2006-08-08T21:50:42Z")

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It seems to be an uncalled-for swipe at people with a different concept of God.

And is that the same as the God of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel, and Leah? (Some non-Orthodox Jewish prayer books include the matriarchs these days). I somehow suspect not… :dubious:

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### Author: ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/7 "2006-08-08T21:51:04Z")

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Associated Press: INNSMOUTH-- Abraham Marsh, current high priest of the Esoteric Order of Dagon, said that he was surprised and gratified by Jeremy White’s heartfelt remarks. “Our order is fairly small and insular, so I was deeply touched to witness Mr. White publically acknowledge his debt to the Great Old One, and commend his father’s soul into the care of mighty Cthulhu. Although my brothers Isaac and Jacob do not appear in public due to a shared hereditary medical condition, as fellow church officials they also wish to extend their sympathies to the White family, and to reassure them that even now Reggie is safe in the embrace of Mother Hydra.”

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### Author: ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/8 "2006-08-08T22:43:18Z")

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**Terrifel** : _snerk_

As to the, erm, interesting acceptance speech by Jeremy White, I agree with **Anne Neville** that it was a pot shot at any of us who think outside the box about what constitutes “God.” In the belief system of my family, that would translate into them standing up against All Things Wrong With This Fallen World ™. You can figure out the rest of what that means to those types from there. 🙂

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### Author: ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/9 "2006-08-08T22:53:05Z")

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I thought this thread was about the game “Clue.” Might be more interesting…

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### Author: ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/10 "2006-08-08T22:59:37Z")

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Hey Jeremy, if your god is so cool how come he killed your dad?

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### Author: ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/11 "2006-08-08T23:03:57Z")

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I’d like to thank god for this thread, not the short hairy one with the hammer, or that girl with a cat like head, but the one with loads of arms that looks like an Elephant. Ganache I think he’s called, wait no thats a chocolate filling, ok I’d like to thank chocolate for this thread.

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### Author: ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/12 "2006-08-08T23:18:18Z")

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So…what was your god doing in the study that needed Kleenex? Sounds embarassing if one of the Elder gods were to walk in on him.

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### Author: ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/13 "2006-08-08T23:34:52Z")

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C’mon guys, you know how embarrassing it can be when you call someone and manage to get halfway through your spiel before you’re interrupted and told you’ve dialled the wrong number. Well, it’s got to be ten thousand times worse when you’re half way through your prayer of thanks and Odin pipes up “hey, you’re that fucker that keeps praying to me by accident, aren’t you? Listen, I don’t know _anything about_ ‘giving you strength’. fucksake, \<mumble… click\>”

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### 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: [August 9, 2006, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/14 "2006-08-09T00:59:23Z")

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> [@Revtim](#):
>
> “I’d like to thank the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”
> 
> He simply wanted to make sure we knew he wasn’t thanking Odin or the Flying Spaghetti Monster or **Tiamet** or whatever.

It’s spelled [Tiamat](http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/tiamat.html) ! Hope you don’t get smited for that !

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### Author: ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/15 "2006-08-09T01:01:44Z")

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Of course, we all know Reggie White wasn’t a [racist, bigoted, homophobic asshole.](http://www.skeptictank.org/white.htm) He can have his god, if He gets credit for Reggie. Whichever one he wants.

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### Author: ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/16 "2006-08-09T01:14:30Z")

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> [@MikeG](#):
>
> So…what was your god doing in the study that needed Kleenex? Sounds embarassing if one of the Elder gods were to walk in on him.

Could God make a bottle of hand lotion so big that even He would never run out of it at an inopportune moment?  
(Am I going to Hell?)

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### Author: ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/17 "2006-08-09T01:23:29Z")

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Like father, like son.

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### Author: ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/18 "2006-08-09T01:30:07Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> **Revtim said** :  
> And maybe everyone in that audience thought, “Phew, I was afraid he might be thanking Allah!”

I thought Allah _was_ the God of Abraham, et al. In fact, despite Reggie White’s apparently rather benign racism I assumed the phrase was an attempt at inclusiveness and a way to distinguish from a more secular “Thank god for that!”

Course I don’t follow football at all, least of all a specific player.

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### Author: ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2006, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/19 "2006-08-09T01:32:13Z")

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Personally, I don’t find it that rude. It seems to me that he was paying homage to his particular religious belief-- yeah, he _wasn’t_ thanking Vishnu or Azura Mazda or Raven. I interpret that exclusivity as the subtext in most religiously-oriented statements anyway, so it doesn’t bother me greatly to see it spelled out.

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### Author: ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2006, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-god-in-the-study-with-the-kleenex/367917/20 "2006-08-09T01:33:07Z")

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> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> benign racism

Good one!

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