[Ed Note: New Orleans-bred Juan Nogueira is a kind man and a friend of the Daily Snooze. But when opportunistic authors use his Crescent City as a doormat for personal gain, he doesn't take it lightly. And if you want to do something about the ongoing struggle to rebuild the hearts and souls of New Orleans' less privileged population, check out the website for Homeless Pride, and be reminded that for those who serve others, there is never a shortage of work.]
By Juan Nogueira
From Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation (Page 52) : "The City of New Orleans, for instance, was recently destroyed by a hurricane. More than a thousand people died; tens of thousands lost all their earthly possessions; and nearly a million were displaced. It is safe to say that almost every person living in New Orleans at the moment Hurricane Katrina struck shared your belief in an omnipotent, omniscient, and compassionate God. But what was God doing while Katrina laid waste to the city? Surely He heard the prayers of those elderly men and women who fled the rising waters for safety of their attics, only to be slowly drowned there. These were good men and women who had prayed throughout their lives. Do you have the courage to admit the obvious? These poor people died talking to an imaginary friend."
In this statement Sam is rehashing the old argument, God dosen't exist because bad things happen. By putting this argument in the context of a recent national tragedy Sam hopes to accomplish one of two things: make his argument appear as an original idea, or piggyback on the publicity of a current national tragedy to sell his book. I find this insulting and tasteless. Sam you are a Shithead.
1 comment:
Both Mr. Harris and Mr. Nogeira seem to be incorrectly generalizing a bit in their respective arguments.
In the aforementioned passage, Mr Harris is assuming that Christians believe prayers will change an individual's life on Earth for the better. In ACTUALITY, Christians believer's reward is received in afterlife for remaining faithful at times when Jesus' God seems MOST "imaginary."
As for Mr Nogeira, I believe he does have credibility in disagreeing with Mr Harris on the grounds that he understands the plight of New Orleans and, like most, is an American who's possessions were UNAFFECTED by Hurricane Katrina. Last time I checked, his parents' house is located in River Ridge, an upriver suburb with an elevation much above sea level. I do agree he is a kind man in the non-douche bag kind of way.
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