Wednesday, March 4, 2009

What kind of nutcase God would create the stomach flu?

Here is a dilemma for Creationists.

I'm bleary-eyed this morning because my wife caught the new stomach flu that's going around, and was sick the whole night. Two nights before that, it was my step-daughter, so sick she was barely coherent. And the source of this flu was probably their trip to Disneyland two days before that – lots of strangers, lots of crowds and lines.

Now I'm sitting here, more-or-less waiting to get sick, hoping I won't, but the odds are bad. I HATE vomiting, more than just about anything else in the world. Several decades ago I did a lot of sailing in the South Pacific, and early in the trip (before I had my "sea legs") we hit some strong weather and I got REALLY seasick. That was the only time in my life I didn't care whether I lived or died, and a couple of times dying seemed like the right choice.

So while I'm waiting for this virus to hit me, I have to wonder how a Creationist would view his/her impending dual with a virus. Since there's no evolution, (or to take the "liberal" interpretation, there is mutation, but not speciation), that means God must have created this virus. Why? What possible purpose could a stomach virus serve? God created insects that plague us, but they have a role in the ecology. Large predators try to eat us, but they're important in the ecosystem too. Fungi, bacteria, algae, ... most of the millions and millions of species (God was busy, wasn't He?) seem to have SOME purpose.

But a stomach virus? If God really created it, He must have a pretty cruel sense of humor. It serves no purpose. If it's God's punishment for something – Eve's transgression? – then God picked the wrong person when He infected my step-daughter. Her life is hard enough, as she faces a lifelong challenge with mental health, and she is the most innocent, loving, sinless person I can imagine. What possible purpose can a stomach virus serve in her life? Other than to amuse a sadistic God?

How can a Creationist see a stomach virus as anything but a cruel joke played by a cruel God on His innocent creations? Did I miss some passage of the Bible that explains this?

Creationists have a real dilemma on their hands. If the Evolution Science is wrong, then their God is sadistic and evil.

7 comments:

  1. Of course its because he's a loving god, who makes us sick so we know how good we feel when we are better :)

    Of course, this is indistinguishable from a hateful god who only shows us glimpses of happiness so we know how much we are really suffering...

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  2. Maybe its one of those pesky Roman gods eh?

    Or it could be an Operating Thetan trying to escape from your body after you upset the scientologists?

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  3. Thats not really a problem for creationists. Just visit an evangelical sermon (preferably in your current condition, even more preferably shake hands of the preacher and give him a good, long hug). For them, the human life is a sinful one by definition. And god in his almighty and just nature has no choice but to punish us today for that apple crime our mythological ancestors committed.

    To them, a human is never innocent by definition. If you are alive, you are a sinner. Period. Exception: As long as you are a fetus, you are of course both a human and innocent.

    That said, a virus of course has a purpose. It's simply god's way of saying: "Humans are @$$holes".

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  4. Hey Patrick, that can be an explanation, but still, confirms god created this virus especially to bug us:-D

    That idea from Christians that human life is a sin by itself is repugnant by the way.

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  5. He gets us sick to teach someone else a lesson about how good their life is, and to even teach us a lesson. He is not at all a cruel god. He is very wise and makes everything for a reason, we as humans may not understand how he thinks but never doubt his choices.

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  6. Anon wrote: "He gets us sick to teach someone else a lesson about how good their life is..."

    Well, that's just wrong on the face of it. How do you explain why my dog got pancreatic cancer and died? Was God teaching my dog a lesson? How can you explain diseases, parasites, cancers and other illness that cause painful and horrifying illness and death in animals. Animals can't be sinful because they don't know right from wrong. Yet they suffer too.

    If that's your idea of God's wisdom, He's an evil and sadistic god.

    Life makes a lot more sense when you finally reject the antiquated superstitions and study science and evolution and learn the true wonders of nature.

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  7. If you can hear me god I can sorta understand you and your choices. No one likes the flu but in must have a purpose in god's eyes.

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