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4thTimeLucky · 06-03-2003, 08:33 AM

To all intents and purposes I can and do accept that there is no God (though strictly I am an agnostic).
My thread is (or has become) about whether people would like there to be a God or whether people would like to believe that there is.

I do not disagree with you when you say that *most* of the world is happy and coping fine. But those people do not give me any cause for concern.

You walk into a room and see a group of people happily chatting and one person alone in the corner looking distressed, with blood seeping from a wound in their leg.
What attracts your attention, the people chatting or the person in pain?
What do your instincts tell you to do: chat with the partygoers or go over and offer to help the person treat their leg?
You want to go and help, but also you are also afriad: They are a stranger. Why do they have a wound? Do you know enough about first aid? What if there is some important reason why everyone is ignoring this person, and you have missed it?

What might make you feel more confident/comfortable about going and helping?
Maybe knowing that it was all staged.
Maybe knowing more about why the person might be wounded.
Maybe knowing that an ambulance was on its way and would get there soon.
Maybe knowing that there were security cameras in the room, watching in case anything went wrong.

I think you will get the analogy, even if you don't agree with my conclusions from it.

I don't want to turn off the TV. I don't want to be a happy partygoer. I want to be the person who takes note and offers their help. *But* it would be nice to know/believe that the secruity cameras were rolling and the ambulance was on its way.

06-03-2003, 08:33 AM	#34 (permalink)
4thTimeLucky Psycho Location: 4th has left the building - goodbye folks	To all intents and purposes I can and do accept that there is no God (though strictly I am an agnostic). My thread is (or has become) about whether people would like there to be a God or whether people would like to believe that there is. I do not disagree with you when you say that most of the world is happy and coping fine. But those people do not give me any cause for concern. You walk into a room and see a group of people happily chatting and one person alone in the corner looking distressed, with blood seeping from a wound in their leg. What attracts your attention, the people chatting or the person in pain? What do your instincts tell you to do: chat with the partygoers or go over and offer to help the person treat their leg? You want to go and help, but also you are also afriad: They are a stranger. Why do they have a wound? Do you know enough about first aid? What if there is some important reason why everyone is ignoring this person, and you have missed it? What might make you feel more confident/comfortable about going and helping? Maybe knowing that it was all staged. Maybe knowing more about why the person might be wounded. Maybe knowing that an ambulance was on its way and would get there soon. Maybe knowing that there were security cameras in the room, watching in case anything went wrong. I think you will get the analogy, even if you don't agree with my conclusions from it. I don't want to turn off the TV. I don't want to be a happy partygoer. I want to be the person who takes note and offers their help. But it would be nice to know/believe that the secruity cameras were rolling and the ambulance was on its way. __________________ I've been 4thTimeLucky, you've been great. Goodnight and God bless!