Quote:
Originally Posted by DewDropInn
I do have one question: is there something wrong with saying "thank you"? I thank God every day because I have food and shelter and clean water. I know many people on this earth don't have that. I don't think that's arrogance. I think that's gratitude. I've seen poverty in this country and abroad and I know I have a LOT to be thankful for.
Truth be known, I think some people don't say thank you because they are arrogant.
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I think it's a bit different to be thankful.
It's another thing to believe some supernatural entity is supplying whatever it is you're thankful for. Everything you have exists in your life most likely because you worked for it ... not because it magically landed in your lap or mysteriously showed up on your doorstep.
What's worse is when people thank these entities whenever they survive a traumatic experience. Hitler survived 42 separate assassination attempts - many of them seemingly quite miraculous and exceptionally lucky. People gush about God for surviving one experience. How does one explain the most evil man in the 20th Century surviving 42 such experiences? Would it not be reasonable, then, to assume God wanted Hitler to survive to continue his reign of terror?
There is a sort-of arrogance in thinking a Supreme Being reached down and saved YOU while letting many others die. Whether people realize it or not, to assume such a thing happened does imply a certain "chosen" status that apparently others who died do not possess. Too often these types of survival experiences gives the survivor a false sense of purpose - that God saved them for a reason, to fulfill a destiny, to accomplish some task or another. Bottom line, however, is that they become "special." I doubt many of these people really think about what it says about the people who died.
Sure, even as an atheist, there are those excessively rare moments when I do feel truly thankful. There is always a temptation to thank some entity or concept - call it God, fate, karma, destiny, yin-yang, whatever - but of course there isn't anyone to thank aside from, perhaps, other human beings who made it all possible.
Keep in mind, Dew Drop - you say that you've seen poverty both in this country and abroad. Yep, me too. I've more than just seen it. I've lived it. The problem in America, however, is that this "thankfulness" actually HAS become nothing less than arrogance. This is why many religious Americans actually believe in this ridiculous concept of America not only being "blessed" by God, but also that America has been given "exceptionalism," that the USA is somehow better than everyone else. The result is America's refusal to take heed of good ideas practiced by other nations - thus, if we didn't think of it right here in America, it can't be a good idea.
If it can happen to an entire society, it can easily happen to individuals.
Americans generally live a good life, even those in poverty (when compared to other nations). Unfortunately, this has given rise to the idea of American Exceptionalism. In fact, it had nothing to do with God or being blessed. It had to do with coming out of WWII untouched, and that had nothing to do with God and everything to do with being protected by two oceans and no one having the technology to launch an invasion of the US mainland.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is that there is still an undercurrent of disdain for the disabled in this country. Even with government programs such as Disability Compensation, a frightening number of Christians will grudgingly admit that such a program is necessary. BUT ... they only want the program to provide only the absolute basics for survival. Food - but only healthy foods. A roof, but the cheapest you can get. And health care. That's it. If you're disabled, you must live in utter destitution. In other words, these Christians are willing to accept Disability Compensation, but they still want to punish you for needing it.
Where does this sentiment come from? Why, the idea that people who are able to avoid becoming disabled are "blessed," that's where. Obviously if some people are "blessed" with good health, those who don't have it are "cursed." Sure, anyone can get cancer, but an actual disability that keeps you from working, that's a whole other ballgame. That's where God's anger is directed.
It is a direct result of people believing that a supernatural Supreme Being is up there micromanaging our lives - saving the special ones while letting the spiritual cannon fodder die like rodents; protecting the pious ones while cursing the sinners with poverty, poor health, and failure.
For me, it is not about being thankful. There's nothing wrong with that. It is who they are thankful towards and why ... that is what causes my eyes to narrow a little bit. Because I am all too aware of how that belief plays out in the social world.
We don't disagree on much Dew Drop so my apologies for doing so now, but the whole "thanking God" business does rankle me a bit, I'm afraid. Take care.
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