Giving Thanks

[Mountaineer]

Our friend who has been waiting for a new heart for more than a year got one last night.  He is doing well.  Thank you Lord!  Thank you to the family of the doner.  Thank you Lord, be with them and bring them comfort.  Thank you Lord!

This is a day of giving thanks for all my forum friends.  Thank you Lord!

... Mountaineer

[I Shrugged]

That's a heartwarming story, and a great day for it.

[MachineGhost]

The Lord had nothing to do with it.  What about all those dying on the waiting list the didn't receive a heart?  Thank the Lord for that, also? 

Ught.

[Mountaineer]

The Lord had nothing to do with it.  What about all those dying on the waiting list the didn't receive a heart?  Thank the Lord for that, also? 

Ught.

You will likely not understand, but yes; the Lord has EVERYTHING to do with it.  My friend would have been good either way.  See Jesus now, or Jesus has more in store for him to do on this earth.  Good either way - my friend's words, not mine.  If you choose not be thankful for the gifts of Jesus, so be it.  I choose to be thankful. 

... M

[Pointedstick]

The Lord had nothing to do with it.  What about all those dying on the waiting list the didn't receive a heart?  Thank the Lord for that, also? 

Ught.

You will likely not understand, but yes; the Lord has EVERYTHING to do with it.  My friend would have been good either way.  See Jesus now, or Jesus has more in store for him to do on this earth.  Good either way - my friend's words, not mine.  If you choose not be thankful for the gifts of Jesus, so be it.  I choose to be thankful. 

... M

I am reminded of http://squid314.livejournal.com/353621.html

IDEALISM: Jesus loves me! And that's great!

CYNICISM: Religion is just a stupid crutch intended to make people feel better and give them a sense of belonging. And that's an outrage!

POSTCYNICISM: Religion is just a stupid crutch intended to make people feel better. And it works so well that the religious have higher self-reported life satisfaction, longer lives with less disease, less psychopathology, and more friends. And that's great!

[Fred]

If you choose not be thankful for the gifts of Jesus, so be it.  I choose to be thankful. 

I don't think I would want to put it on a T-shirt that "Jesus gave me somebody else's heart".

[Mountaineer]

The senate and House of Representatives of the United States have by a joint resolution signified their desire that a day may be recommended to be observed by the people of the United States with religious solemnity as a day of thanksgiving and of devout acknowledgments to Almighty God for His great goodness manifested in restoring to them the blessing of peace.

No people ought to feel greater obligations to celebrate the goodness of the Great Disposer of Events of the Destiny of Nations than the people of the United States. His kind providence originally conducted them to one of the best portions of the dwelling place allotted for the great family of the human race. He protected and cherished them under all the difficulties and trials to which they were exposed in their early days. Under His fostering care their habits, their sentiments, and their pursuits prepared them for a transition in due time to a state of independence and self-government. In the arduous struggle by which it was attained they were distinguished by multiplied tokens of His benign interposition. During the interval which succeeded He reared them into the strength and endowed them with the resources which have enabled them to assert their national rights, and to enhance their national character in another arduous conflict, which is now so happily terminated by a peace and reconciliation with those who have been our enemies. And to the same Divine Author of Every Good and Perfect Gift we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land.

It is for blessings such as these, and more especially for the restoration of the blessing of peace, that I now recommend that the second Thursday in April next be set apart as a day on which the people of every religious denomination may in their solemn assembles unite their hearts and their voices in a freewill offering to their Heavenly Benefactor of their homage of thanksgiving and of their songs of praise.


James Madison

[Tyler]

An attitude of unwavering thankfulness is a rare gift that requires faith, humility, and joy.  I'm thankful for those unafraid to share it in a cynical world.

[l82start]

An attitude of unwavering thankfulness is a rare gift that requires faith, humility, and joy.  I'm thankful for those unafraid to share it in a cynical world.

+ 1

[MachineGhost]

An attitude of unwavering thankfulness is a rare gift that requires faith, humility, and joy.  I'm thankful for those unafraid to share it in a cynical world.

Be careful that you don't cross over into a mental delusion.

I'm an optimist, but I don't tolerate Bullshit and call it as I see it.  Thanking the "Lord" as with believers is incredibly nonsymmetrical in real world application.  It's just incredibly narrow tunnel vision and an insult to the actual hard work done by toiling, unthanked, nonpopular human beings.  The "Lord" is not the one deserving any fuckings thanks here and especially on this day.  Religious fruitcakes like Mountaineer and his ilk cheapen the entire human experience.  So no apologies from me!

[Mountaineer]

An attitude of unwavering thankfulness is a rare gift that requires faith, humility, and joy.  I'm thankful for those unafraid to share it in a cynical world.

Be careful that you don't cross over into a mental delusion.

I'm an optimist, but I don't tolerate Bullshit and call it as I see it.  Thanking the "Lord" as with believers is incredibly nonsymmetrical in real world application.  It's just incredibly narrow tunnel vision and an insult to the actual hard work done by toiling, unthanked, nonpopular human beings.  The "Lord" is not the one deserving any fuckings thanks here and especially on this day.  Religious fruitcakes like Mountaineer and his ilk cheapen the entire human experience.  So no apologies from me!

MG, I forgive you for having such a bigoted view of life.  I pray that someday you will give up feeling such hostility toward believers, gain a bit of tolerance toward others, and gain the peace and comfort of knowing Jesus who is in charge of all and gives us everything.  I pray He gives you the gift of repentance before your heart is completely hardened and you become lost for eternity. 

... M

[WiseOne]

Mountaineer, thank you for posting James Madison's letter.  A beautiful bit of history.

Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday.  There is something truly wonderful about a day set aside with no political agenda or that is specific to no religion, where people regardless of their beliefs can spend a day with their families honoring their blessings - however you choose to do so.  MG, how about being thankful that you live in a society where hard work can translate to personal benefits?  That has not always been true.

[Fred]

I'm sorry but I still fail to see the logic behind praising the Lord because one person died and another was saved by transplanting his heart.

I can see giving thanks to those who worked to invent and perfect heart transplant surgery and to those doctors who actually performed the surgery but just how does God come out looking good in this affair? For providing the heart donor?

[MachineGhost]

I'm sorry but I still fail to see the logic behind praising the Lord because one person died and another was saved by transplanting his heart.

I can see giving thanks to those who worked to invent and perfect heart transplant surgery and to those doctors who actually performed the surgery but just how does God come out looking good in this affair? For providing the heart donor?

Don't waste your time.  You'll never get through to a dyed in the wool true believer.  The hypocrisy probably isn't even self-aware.

Then again as a heretic, maybe you know a way in.  Good luck!

To bring this back on a more positive note, I'm incredibly thankful for the Age of Enlightenment as everyone in the West should be.  Otherwise, we'd be like Muslims kowtowing to Allah a ridiculous five times a day, literally thanking him for everything or not everything that has transpired or exists in life (like, say, the repression and sexual predation/exploitation of women and children), and still be stuck in the theocratic Dark Ages like the Middle East is.  Religious believers in the West get a free ride while belittling what allowed them to have that freedom of religion in the first place.  So no bigoted apologies from me!

[Jack Jones]

Mountaineer,

Allow me to apologize for these heathens. Not all of us atheists are insensitive and rude.

I'm glad to hear that your friend has turned a corner!

[Mark Leavy]

Allow me to apologize for these heathens. Not all of us atheists are insensitive and rude.

Hey!  I'm insensitive and rude.  But correlation is not causation.

Best wishes to all.  I know many folks going through some rough times right now.  My heart goes out.

[Mountaineer]

Mountaineer,

Allow me to apologize for these heathens. Not all of us atheists are insensitive and rude.

I'm glad to hear that your friend has turned a corner!

Jack,

Thank you, on behalf of my friend; so far, so good - his doctors are pleased with how he is recovering. 

Not all of us believers are ignorant, proselytizing, atheist hating, country boobs either. 

... M

[I Shrugged]

I'm giving thanks that with I82's help, I found, and deployed, the Ignore function! 

[Reub]

I shrugged, we know when you're ignoring us and can get to you through your fillings.

[I Shrugged]

That explains a lot.