Comments on: Atheist Amputees?

By: Derek

Derek — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:36:59 +0000

Shh! Don’t let anyone know there are for-real atheist amputees! Otherwise it stops being a rhetorical device and Christians can just accuse atheists of being “mad at God”.

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:13:47 +0000

Well, he’s not an amputee but my dad’s leg was rendered useless by polio when he was a baby.

God never made it better, either.

By: Noss

Noss — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:37:52 +0000

@Siamang, simple:
su god
****
make sandwich

(sometimes I think xkcd ruined us all, in a good sense)

By: Siamang

Siamang — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:36:23 +0000

I want a site called:

Why won’t God make me a sandwich?

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:34:57 +0000

Perhaps I should make a site called “Why won’t God eliminate AIDS, malaria and smallpox?”

By: Linda

Linda — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:45:45 +0000

It would be so much easier if they just accepted the most simple explanation: Shit happens.

I’d like to think of it as “Life happens.”

We go through so much in life. People are basically survivors, along with the rest of nature. Despite all the “shit” that happens, we continue to grit our teeth and live.

I saw this video of a two-legged dog with my jaw to the floor.

The miracle is not that his legs grew back, but that he forgot he was even missing those legs. Is he that special above the rest? I don’t think so. I think it’s just how life works. The will to live and thrive is a powerful force.

To me, that is of God. God is life. What we cannot even fathom in our narrow and pessimistic view, the God that I see as the very life-force in us performs miracles.

By: joel

joel — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:58:19 +0000

I’ve actually talked to Christians who have claimed they’ve seen amputee’s limb grow after the laying of hands and prayer, to which I replied, “Why didn’t your god finish the job then?” I guess they weren’t praying hard enough. It’s amazing how much power the false hope of religion has over some people. I’m glad I finally open my eyes.

By: cipher

cipher — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:39:13 +0000

Organ transplants are a very recent medical advance. I would think (from a layman’s point of view) that transplanted limbs would be the logical next step, given that limbs can sometimes be reattached when severed.

Jack Kessler of Northwestern has made some hugely important advances in growing nerve tissue. His greatest obstacle right now is that he’s using stem cells – and, of course, he comes up against the brick wall of the Bush administration.

He was the subject of a documentary film recently, Terra Incognita. It was on PBS’ Independent Lens, so it isn’t available online (as a Nova episode would be), but you can read about it here: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/index.html and here: http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2008/A-Docaand-a-Dad/

By: hoverFrog

hoverFrog — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:38:17 +0000

Mike, I read your wife’s entries too. It seems that she’s got a very positive outlook, thanks for posting the link.

By: MikeClawson

MikeClawson — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:23:37 +0000

MikeClawson: I read your wife’s thoughts on her disability and faith. To be honest, I’m surprised she’s not an atheist already; she certainly sounds like she’s well on her way.

LOL. Not even close.