Here’s what we teach our kids… Putting My Daughter to Bed Two Hours After the Bridge Collapsed
Talitha said, “Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.” “Yes, Talitha,” I said, “I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.”
Later these kids end up in Drug Rehab centres because of self-directed fear and judgementalism they learned from their parents and we have to deprogram them before we can get them to learn about a God of Love.
(Props to Friendly Atheist.)
You’d be surprised how many of the former addicts I know came to recovery taking drugs to control their fear of this deity – given my location (in the place where snake handling was invented) this is perhaps understandable. It’s a blessing to introduce them to God, who doesn’t cause earthquakes, bridge collapses or falls of cities to the Muslims “for our sins”.
They just need to meet God. But that vengeful god their parents most often used to control them scares them into not wanting anything to do with religion at all. Can’t blame them at all!
I think that Friendly Atheist (and you) have gone overboard on this one. I read the whole piece, all of which stressed God’s love towards us, including the song that the father sang to the little girl as she went to sleep. The phrase quoted above was one phrase, in passing, and in a context guaranteed to make sure that it would not be the main thing that the little girl would remember. There is very little sign that the pastor was programming that girl towards judgementalism, though your point is well made that some do program their kids in multiple and quite evil ways.
Hmm, unless you (and Friendly Atheist) are saying that any mention of a god who might just possibly judge is, in and of itself, an evil thing?
The idea of a God who might “let a bridge fall” is rather scarier (and evil) compared to the Merciful Judge. It’s worth correcting the idea: nipping it in the bud! God’s “pinky” wasn’t holding up the bridge: the Laws of Science were. And they caused the bridge to fall.
Evil happens. Theologically, evil happens for *our* fault – the entire world falls apart.
We don’t need to pin it on God.
Some years ago I worked on the staff for a workshop in Chicago and overheard a couple of people talking. One said, “Let’s ask Michael. He has an answer for everything.”
And I do. Sometimes the answer is “I don’t know.”
We should all use it more often.