God isn't "smiting" anyone.

[ladjf]

The laws of physics are reacting to fixed forces. The human experience as a minute subset of the whole. The human race is vain to think that such laws are responding to certain personal ethics or lack of.

[DIKB]

1. Regarding smiting.

I find it curious how the "god" of the bible was reknowned for smiting his and other people. Plagues, Locusts, Waters turned to blood, Flooding the world, Pillars of Fire consuming sacrificial altars, Raining down Fire and Brimstone, etc. Yet now, if we're to believe Pat Robertson, "god" works by putting a blockage in the brain of Ariel Sharon (nothing particularly notable or miraculous in nature there), without doing the thunderous voice in the sky as to WHY he's smiting him.

imo People see "god" where they WANT to see him, not where s/he/it IS.

[Island Blue]

2. I totally agree with you both,

although I wouldn't mind seeing "god" send a pillar of fire crashing into Pat's ass. That would be amusing.

Read (among other things) Thomas Paine's "Age of Reason". He explains it all very well.

[ladjf]

4. I'm a big fan of Thomas Paine. His advice served America

well once before and would do so again if we weren't so illiterate.

[ladjf]

3. The survival of any animal depends on it's ability to understand

cause and effects. When the cause isn't apparent by physical observation, humans will naturally fabricate their best guess. ("The volcano erupts because it's angry with the islanders. So, they decide that they will appease the volcano god by throwing a virgin into the crater. That seems to work until the volcano erupts again.")

Even with modern science there are more questions than answers. That doesn't justify making up reasons just to fit the occasion. In Robertson's case, he may well know that he is just shooting the bull. But, he's become a multimillionaire by doing it. It's a great survival technique for him.