Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Arrogant Atheist

Saying for the Day:Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last.” Charlotte Bronte
The stereotype of the arrogant, obnoxious, Christian , fundamentalist is seen often on television. You know the person who is so sure their view of life and faith is the only one that they are willing to make other people miserable in the effort to share it. They will turn you into a Christian despite yourself. There is some truth in the stereotype, there always is. Some fundamentalist Christians act like that. But the majority I think are neither arrogant nor obnoxious.
Thus it was good last night to see somebody else portrayed as arrogant and obnoxious because of what they believed. I was watching House , one of my favorite TV programs. If you have seen the program you know that House is a great Doctor and an evangelistic Atheist . He makes fun of people who believe in God on a regular basis. But last night he reached the edge. He had a man who was dying of cancer ( well he thought he was). House could prolong his life for several months by removing his eye which was the center of the cancer. The man refused saying he was tired of suffering and he was ready to go home and see his loved ones. House told him there was no home, no God, no heaven, no loved one’s waiting for him. You can not get more arrogant or obnoxious than that. A Doctor who works with House chided him for not letting the man die with what little peace and joy that he could. House’s answer was that it was better to die miserable with the truth than to decide to die happy based on a lie.
The next time I see a TV program that depicts an arrogant fundamentalist I will think of House the arrogant atheist.
What do the two share in common? Both believe the truth is more important than people, than feelings, than anything else.
And they have the truth.

@@@@ News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life goes on. It is still zero in Pigeon Falls and there was a light snow last night.
All over Pigeon Falls people are trying to reason out why this is happening to them. According to Nancy these are the theories:
1. Somehow Petrovich and his driblets made it happen.
2. It is somehow related to Global Warming.
3. There is a secret government base someplace in the woods that is using Pigeon Falls for an experiment.
4. It is the Hemilah curse. When Max Hemilah was dying he cursed the whole town for not keeping the road clear . He prayed they would be stuck in winter forever.
5. It is somehow related to Arab terrorists. They set off some kind of snow bomb.
6. There has been a global shifting and the weather that should be at the North Pole is now in Pigeon Falls.
7. When drilling in the mine they hit some kind of gas that got out into the air and is acting as a refrigerant.
8. The cold is leaking in through the portal the dragon uses to enter our world.
9. God has punished Pigeon Falls for its evil ways. ( no wonder the prayer meeting didn’t work)
10. It is the work of demons who are punishing Mrs. Trumble for shooting the dragon.
Nancy says that what scares her are not the ideas of what is causing the problem but some of the solutions. Somebody, for example, wants to dig up Hemilah’s body and pour Holy Water over it and possibly drive a stake through his heart. ( Too many late night horror movies) Somebody else wants to haul Petrovich out of his office and force him to leave town. Let him go and inflict his driblets on somebody else. For the moment, though, the majority are putting their hopes on Saturday’s wrestling match.
Are any of these theories right? Will we ever know. Will it be winter forever. Can somebody from Pigeon Falls rise up and win that match ? Will poor old Hemilah stay buried? Can Eino and reason protect Petrovich? Is there a leaky dragon portal? How do you close dragon portals? Has Pigeon Falls really been that sinful?( How come it’s not winter in Iron River then?) And of course is Tommy UK really the undertaker’s kid?
*****

Today's Link:Confessions of a Dumb White Guy-Some beer drinking tips.
I had a good day. Again my oxygen level was up to the bottom edge of normal which meant I didn't have to haul an oxygen tank around all day. Betty and I finished the dining/living room cleaning. There is not a cluttered flat space left. The new rule is open it, read it, then act on it, store it, or throw it away. We'll see how long that lasts. We gave Maggie a dog mattress because we felt sorry for her sleeping on a bare tin floor in her crate. She took one look at it, grabbed it buy the corner and pulled it out. As far as she was concerned it didn't belong in her space. In the afternoon it was back to the basement. That job will never get done but we keep chipping at it.Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

10 Comments:

Blogger Janets Planet said...

Power of suggestion. Petrovich.

5:46 AM  
Blogger Margaret said...

House is an interesting character. I'm at such a point currently wondering how and in what way to share my faith. I care for an elderly couple. The Mr. I know for certain knows God. The Mrs. - has eye cancer also (oddly enough) and since loosing her eye has been worse mentally.

Loaded with worry, concern and insecurity. She I believe is not a believer. Part of me wants to free her from all of her worries and enjoy her final days here. To show her how to give it all to God.

But the timing hasn't been quite right for that. Such a dilemma.

7:25 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I love House. He is certainly no "Dr. Welby, MD" like that old tv show. I welcome his irrasableness.

8:35 AM  
Blogger QUASAR9 said...

Glad to hear you can watch the arrogant atheist without it making your blood boil.

What I love about it, is that it portrays doctors (surgeons/consultants) for what they truly are - MECHANICS.

Yes, they go thru certain steps and procedures, and they expect certain reaction or results from whatever tricks they have tested or learnt, but they cannot work miracles - and ultimately we all end up in the scrap heap - some sooner, some later.

And of course there are good mechanics and there are better mechanics - some can tune an engine just by the hummm
and there are an awful lot of bad or mediochre mechanics I would not trust with my car, never mind put my heart, lungs, hip or brain in their hands.

But then again when the car goes wrong tou have to take it to the nearest garage - or you can just trade it. When the body goes wrong we really have no choice, but to put your life in their hands. But I do find an increasing amount of people have lost faith in doctors and medicine or surgery...

1:50 PM  
Blogger QUASAR9 said...

Dr John,
how about this for My latest Will

1:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Arrogance in any form is annoying and doesn't work if its intention is to change people. I watch House too, despite his prickly personality there's something so lost and vulnerable about him.

2:26 PM  
Blogger J C said...

You know, Dr. John, I never watch House. I did a couple of times, but I came away depressed from watching it. This character is constantly annoyed at life, has a terrible attitude towards anyone and anything, never has a good word to say, and I just really don't need that in my life. So I don't watch it. Geesh, the writers of this program must have never heard of Thumper.

I wanted to come by and thank you for the complimentary comments you always leave at my blog. You are appreciated!

4:28 PM  
Blogger Jo said...

Dr. John, I'm glad you found my new blog. I had to delete my old one *sigh*. But I'm back. I have re-added you to my blog roll.

Yes, I have always had a problem with fundamentalist Christians who try to force their beliefs on me. It doesn't make me less Christian if I am not fundamentalist. But there are two sides to that coin, aren't there? I like House, but I didn't see it last night. He can be a pain in the *ss sometimes, though, with his arrogant attitude.

4:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think somebody should send House to Pigeon Falls.

8:01 PM  
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7:47 PM  

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