Some don’t believe in God

[PrinceMyshkin]

Some don’t believe in God.
Some do, but still
they have corns and bunions
and unhappy sisters.

Some don’t believe in God,
but still they pray
to win the lottery one day.
And sometimes they do!

[Alexander III]

sweet poem outlining the link between probability and divine intervention( well my take on it)

[Virgil]

:D You are getting too good at this. Wonderful!

[Buh4Bee]

This is a nice contemplative piece. I pray, but I never win the lottery. :)

[PrinceMyshkin]

This is a nice contemplative piece. I pray, but I never win the lottery. :)


Goldberg had been hoping to win the lottery for years. Finally, exasperated, he went to the synagogue:

“God," he prayed, "I've been a faithful Jew all my life. I've never asked anything of you in return. For years now I've been hoping to win the lottery. Would it be so bad if just this once you arranged for me to win?"

After a while he heard the voice of God call out to him:

“Goldberg, do me a favour - buy a ticket."

[Buh4Bee]

Prince, you are a humorist!! The last ticket I bought, I lost. Go figure.

[MorpheusSandman]

Hehe, it's quite good; really makes one contemplate (even if briefly) the actual difference in the lives of those who do and don't believe. I think it would be better if you removed that last parenthetical line; it's better left up to the reader to realize that most usually don't win the lottery and it gives the last line a more biting ironic potency.

[paperleaves]

Charming and contemplative....I love it :)

[PrinceMyshkin]

Hehe, it's quite good; really makes one contemplate (even if briefly) the actual difference in the lives of those who do and don't believe. I think it would be better if you removed that last parenthetical line; it's better left up to the reader to realize that most usually don't win the lottery and it gives the last line a more biting ironic potency.

Potent suggestion, will think about it a bit more. I confess that the current last line was a craven attempt to avoid offending deep believers.

[Babbalanja]

Hehe, it's quite good; really makes one contemplate (even if briefly) the actual difference in the lives of those who do and don't believe.
Do you consider belief that self-serving and facile? It seems the lottery metaphor (like Pascal's Wager (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_wager)) demonstrates a real materialism at the base of religious belief.

Regards,

Istvan

[blazeofglory]

In fact all I feel is that we are used to praying whether or not we are believers. It happens habitually, unconscionably, ritually and we both theists and atheists are celebrators. We cannot go without involving ourselves in the activities that are religious in nature.

In fact we are so much glued to a world of religions that now going without religions is almost unthinkable.

People beleive in God thinking that believing in supreme powers help us overcome some problems in life.

This poem is therefore very relevant and kind of mirrors human nature amazingly.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Do you consider belief that self-serving and facile? It seems the lottery metaphor (like Pascal's Wager (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_wager)) demonstrates a real materialism at the base of religious belief.

Regards,

Istvan

I've always regarded Pascal's Wager as the very antithesis of what I'd consider true faith or humane virtue, but yes, I'm guilty here of throwing a stone in the direction of belief.


To answer your question, however, I'd guess that both belief and anti-belief might be facile and self-serving. No one that I know of has the answer to the chicken & egg question: whether our naturalistic, patholo-biologic needs determine (precede) belief, or vice versa.

[PrinceMyshkin]

In fact all I feel is that we are used to praying whether or not we are believers. It happens habitually, unconscionably, ritually and we both theists and atheists are celebrators. We cannot go without involving ourselves in the activities that are religious in nature.

In fact we are so much glued to a world of religions that now going without religions is almost unthinkable.

People beleive in God thinking that believing in supreme powers help us overcome some problems in life.

This poem is therefore very relevant and kind of mirrors human nature amazingly.

Many thanks, Blaze. Personally, I do not pray, but I sometimes hope intensely, which is perhaps not so different from praying: prayers, that is, without belief in any intercessor.

[ampoule]

Deep, deep believer here, and not one bit offended. I liked it very much as I do all of your poems. I love the way you catch those snapshots of life.
In my prayers there is a receiver, not an intercessor, and the receiver is always off the hook cause I forget to say amen. ;)

[PrinceMyshkin]

Deep, deep believer here, and not one bit offended. I liked it very much as I do all of your poems. I love the way you catch those snapshots of life.
In my prayers there is a receiver, not an intercessor, and the receiver is always off the hook cause I forget to say amen. ;)

"Always off the hook" in the sense, I think, of forgiven?

Hopefully, you forget to say your "amen" because your mind is already busy concocting your next wonderful poem.

[9 Bean Rows]

Oh that Almighty God might look upon this child and see,

Not the odious frame of a broken and contrite man,

But the glorious visage of His only Son,

Looking up to Him, from deep within my heart.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Oh that Almighty God might look upon this child and see,

Not the odious frame of a broken and contrite man,

But the glorious visage of His only Son,

Looking up to Him, from deep within my heart.

What a deep and moving confession of faith!

[9 Bean Rows]

It appears even a monkey with a typewriter occasionally gets lucky. Thank you.

[MorpheusSandman]

Do you consider belief that self-serving and facile?Prince kinda took the words out of my mouth but belief, or how it is perceived by many, can certainly be nothing more than facile and self-serving. So as to not throw them under the bus, I'll use the anonymous "friend" to relate a bit of anecdotal evidence about how this "friend" is pretty much secular until their life starts going to crap and then they get extremely religious and introspective; I definitely see a connection there. I'm not implying that's how it is for everyone but that's not even really the point and has nothing to do with the intention or comment or observation or provoked question of Prince's piece; but I guess we all bring our natural bias to interpreting art.


whether our naturalistic, patholo-biologic needs determine (precede) belief, or vice versa.I'm not sure how belief COULD precede our natural biology considering humans or human ancestors certainly existed before religious belief.

[ampoule]

"Always off the hook" in the sense, I think, of forgiven?

Hopefully, you forget to say your "amen" because your mind is already busy concocting your next wonderful poem.

Haha....off the hook as in one of those old fashioned telephones. But I like your take on it. Gives it a whole different perspective. I love forgiveness.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Haha....off the hook as in one of those old fashioned telephones. But I like your take on it. Gives it a whole different perspective. I love forgiveness.

Reminds me of a glorious song (by Ry Cooder?), the refrain of which is something like

I know Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Jesus is on that mainline
Tell Him what you want
Call Him up and tell Him what you want

Well, the line ain't never busy
Tell Him what you want
Wo, that line ain't never busy
Tell Him what you want
Well, the line ain't never busy
Tell Him what you want
Keep on calling Him up
And tell Him what you want

As for the forgiveness you love - to give, I imagine, but if you also like to receive it, you have mine!

Now what is it I was forgiving you for?