Get over it, crybaby!
I was casually scanning the online version of The Age newspaper the other day and came across this article. I had never heard of the author before but thinking the Knock, Knock joke at the start was funny in a Crap Joke Wednesday sort of way I proceeded with the article assuming it would be a tongue in cheek or at least a dry humoured examination of faith but instead I ended up with a semi-clenched fist and nasty little taste in my mouth.
Essentially, the author presumptuously claims that we expect only good things from God and turn away from him/her when things go bad, or rather, and I quote
When overwhelmed with those bigger questions about how “bad things could happen to good people”, perhaps the enormity of such losses reduces us all to sulky children.
Now don’t go accusing me of paraphrasing when I have used the author’s exact words, not to mention providing a link to the original article in full, but my jaw could not help but literally drop upon reading the words “sulky children” in this context. To refer to just one variant of the soul-searching process any person invariably faces after a trauma, that is to say the questioning of one’s faith and the existence and nature of God, as akin to that of a sulking child not only belittles the victim but makes this guy look like an arrogant dickwad with little insight outside of the particular vision of faith he has created for himself.
As pretty much all of my readers are aware I have not exactly had the easiest run in life; not only have I personally experienced a bit of trauma to put it lightly, but many people dear to me have experienced trauma greater than I could ever possibly comprehend. It is no one’s right to tell me or any of those who I hold dear what we should or should not believe in matters of faith. As for myself, finding faith is a journey I choose to make on my own and if experiencing trauma personally or vicariously makes me question the existence of a benevolent God, or the existence of a God at all, does not mean that I am acting like a sulky child, it means I am exercising my right to independent thought. One’s relationship with God is not something that should be dictated by others, judged by others, belittled by others or, especially, used against others. It’s between the individual and God and should only be shared if the individual so chooses.
Instead of haughtily chastising people who face a crisis of faith after experiencing a trauma, maybe the fellow who wrote this article could lend a shoulder and a kind word rather than a worldly rebuke, as it were, and try to return people to faith that way, you know, all compassionate like.
Just an idea.
March 25th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
When faced with the real traumas in life (not the drama-queen variety), people are usually confronted with a great deal more than mere crisis of faith (assuming they have a deity of choice to contend with in the first place).
Should we all bake cup cakes and go skate boarding to work through such life changing times? You know, toughen up?
I haven’t even read the article yet, but he’s a dickwad. A thoughtless and shallow dickwad.
March 25th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
OK, the dude’s an insensitive turd:
“There I was trying to cheer them up, endeavouring to epitomise the optimistic widower.”
Ah huh.
Wonder if he has a set happy routine, with jokes, with which to “cheer up” his bereaved and traumatized pals.
This is about him, not anyone else.
I’m a bit surprised they published such twaddle.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Sounds like a trickle down Reagan Republican to me. It’s all “suck it up nancy” until your hunting pal shoots you in the face.
March 26th, 2009 at 2:18 am
And if you’re not a big fan of God in the first place, it gets even worse I am sure!
Yeah, good online content (or printed content) can sometimes be for some reason hard to find for some organizations.
Sheesh. Good rant, Rachel.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I got the feeling he’s had an easy ride in life so far.
I wonder why The Age would publish, and presumably pay Wakim for that work? Do they want to incite some controversy? Maybe you could send The Age a response and stir things up a bit.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:52 am
Mish, I like the way you think. If anyone can stir things up, it’s Rachel, for sure.
Speaking of which, I wonder if that Hooters T-shirt (singlet in Australian-ese, I think) is still in her possession…
March 27th, 2009 at 2:40 am
In my world, Rachy wears that shirt every day.
March 27th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Crikey Tom, TITS. And Stewie brings some lulz!
Expect Rachy-Hooters-singlet-pic within the next few days.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:48 am
I just read an interesting book by C S Lewis that has a rather more searching approach to faith/trauma/grief than old Joey Wakim. It’s Lewis’ ‘A Grief Observed’, which he wrote after the death of his wife, Joy. He doesn’t just suffer a crisis of faith, he practically invites it in, hurls all the questions about divine justice onto the page, and then proceeds to have a huge argument with himself. A very interesting book, if you can get hold of a copy (or of course you can borrow mine. Er, not that I’m trying to spread the Holy Word of Lewis, or anything like that.)
March 27th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I’m interested in any and all perspectives Tim, sounds like it would be a brilliant read. I had a look on Amazon but I might just take up the offer of borrowing the book in this current economic climate, in return I will find you something appropriately challenging/awesome to read of mine so we can compare notes upon completion!
Anyhow, I also like Amazon because of the reviews, I liked this line in particular from one reviewer
His writings allow that God is big enough to handle our toughest questions.
Bingo.
Maybe Wacky Wakim could take this little thought on board.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Fuck that punk. There’s a reason I’m an atheist.
Bad shit happens to good people all the time. Good shit happens to good people. “God” has fuckall to do with it.
Unfortunately, arrogant dickwipes like that guy happen to all of us all the time.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
who knows if bad things have happened to this guy, maybe they have… they could very well have… that being said, it doesn’t give him tickets to jump on the superiority complex ride… however as for the whole atheism thing, who knows? my beliefs are all over the place in spite of the fact it’s pretty clear in which direction they lean, however atheism dictates the direct proposition that there is no God… I am not saying that there is or isn’t, I am just saying that as worldly creatures we have no proof either way… there’s my rant for the evening
I just drank four glasses of wine with my mother, now I’m in bed… wasting time on my computer … clearly with no hope of any sort of greasy food prospects… now that is more of a crisis than any is there a God is there not a god kind of thing!
I AM SEMI-INEBRIATED AND HAVE NO GREASY FREAKING FOOD!
So let’s put the whole existential-religious crisis into perspective here I shall we? Greasy food for Rachy is of much more importance!
March 27th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
hm, Abbadon, I just realised that could have come across as really insensitive… I didn’t mean it that way… so let’s change the topic to more important things like Ms Rachy in her Hooters singlet… because with all honesty, tits are more important than God
March 28th, 2009 at 2:04 am
Right on! Plus, if we don’t move on, we’ll have to get into defining God (as best we can), which will put us in mortal danger of overtaking That Other Post for the most comments.
March 28th, 2009 at 7:09 am
hm, Abbadon, I just realised that could have come across as really insensitive…
This from the woman who routinely takes cripple jokes on the chin!
Not at all Rachy and I still love ya! And yeah,
TITS > GOD.
Hee hee. I may burn in Hell for that…but at least then I’l know I am wrong…
March 30th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Thank God for Rachy’s tits. And everyone else’s tits, while we’re at it. Except tits on men, because God’s not a damn fairy.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:46 am
I *told* you we’d get into defining God if we didn’t take care.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:47 am
god is nothing more than really good marketing and product placement.
As for tits, I get to look and play with mine every day. Tits are good.
March 31st, 2009 at 2:07 am
Hmmm… I won’t ask for evidence, I really won’t.
April 1st, 2009 at 1:40 pm
And suddenly we were at comment #8,234,987…
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:52 pm
There’s nothing wrong with paraphrasing, it’s a perfectly good literary tool. Don’t mess with paraphrasing!
Tim, that’s funny, Lewis is my #1 quoted guy on the subject of faith too.
Rachel, sounds like everybody agrees with you, except about your disregard for paraphrasing. Why don’t you pick something more controversial to rant about? You know, piss some of your readers off?
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:59 am
Good point. The Hooters thing isn’t going to piss us off at all, so it has to be something, uh, meatier.