Date: 28 Sep 93 06:40:00 To: All Subj: National Day Of Blame _ Forwarded by Starwyn using

Date: 28 Sep 93  06:40:00
From: Starwyn
  To: All
Subj: National Day Of Blame
____________________________________________________________________________

* Forwarded by Starwyn using SuperBBS 1.17-2
* Original message :
    Date: 09-25-93  21:36
    From: John Passaniti
    To  : all
    Subj: National Day Of Blame

     (I found this in "Free Inquiry," Fall 1993.  Enjoy.  Ignore
      typos.)

A National Day of Blame
Norm R. Allen, Jr.

During the Thanksgiving season last year, I did a lot of thinking
about this special day of thanks.  Americans routinely thank God
for historically blessing the United States with land, abundant
harvests, health, wealth, and many other good and desirable things.

But I have come to the conclusion that if it is good to thank God
for the good things in life, it is only fair and fitting that we
blame Him for the bad things.  After all, God would likely be
insulted if we were to lower our own standards of accountability
just for His sake.  I therefore propose a National Day of Blame
(which could be possibly held the day following Thanksgiving).

On this special day we could blame God for either causing or
refusing to prevent natural catastrophes such as earthquakes,
hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions.  We could blame him for either
causing or refusing to prevent cancer and various other devastating
diseases.  We could blame Him for hardening the hearts of pharoahs,
rapists, muggers, murders, war mongers, and various other mischief
makers.  We could blame Him for promoting sexism, patriarchy,
slavery, parochialism, and genocide.  We could blame him for being
inconsistent and contradictory in his sacred texts.

We could also ask God many questions-- and demand logical answers.
We could ask him why, if he is responsible for our plentiful
harvests, does he not bless starving Africans, Asians, Central
Americans and South Americans for a change. And why did he decide
to destroy /all/ life on the planet with the Deluge, though only
human beings were supposedly responsible for the planet's
mismanagement?  We could ask why, if Eve had to be punished with
pain during childbirth, were /all/ women consequentially cursed?
Furthermore, why did God curse /all/ female animals with pain
during childbirth, simply because one woman "sinned"?

There are also many questions about war we could ask him.  If he
helped us to "win" the war against Iraq, why did he cause us to
lose in Vietnam?  And why did he wait until after Hitler killed
millions to make us victorious in World War II?  And most of all,
why did he bless us with the nuclear bomb which today threatens our
very survival?

Certainly, if we have much for which we should be thankful, it
logically follows that there may be much for which we should be
angry.  Perhaps on this special day we could initiate contests for
those who have the most to complain about.  Perhaps we could even
have special interest groups present God with a long list of
grievances.  Native Americans could ask why God "blessed" America
at their expense.  African Americans could ask why God blessed
America via the Middle Passage.

Borrowing from Catholicism, we could have nationwide confessions.
People could go to their moral leaders and say things like: "I
blame God for blessing me with a job, and then allowing my factory
to go bankrupt, leaving me poorer than I have ever been in my
life."  Or, "I blame God for saving my life when my house was on
fire, while he allowed my other family members to die in the fire."
Or, "I blame God for blessing me with the talent to become a
champion boxer, only so I could go on to suffer permanent brain
damage at the end of my career."

A National Day of Blame.  What a concept!  But will the Congress go
for it? Probably not.  But that does not mean that we cannot
recognize it in our own way without official approval.

The National Day of Blame is an idea whose time has come.  I
strongly suggest that all Americans observe it-- just for the sake
of consistency.

==========
Norm R. Allen, Jr., is executive director of African Americans for
Humanism.


 * Origin: When I Turns 'Em Into A Newt, They Stays A Newt! (1:104/515)

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