Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: rain of the Almighty

The only triple pun I know is in a stanza from a Pete Seeger song, Passing Through:

I saw Adam leave the garden
With an apple in his hand,
I said, "Now you're out
What are you gonna do?
Plant some crops and pray for rain,
Maybe raise a little Cain,
I'm an orphan and I'm only passing through." (words and music by Dick Blakeslee)

Raise a little Cain/cane. Heh, heh.

It's fine for Adam to pray for rain and make a clever joke. Adam didn't exist. The Governor of Alabama does. Yesterday marked the end of the Governor's call for a Week of Prayer for Rain in Alabama. Yes. That's right. A state-sponsored week of prayer for rain. And it wasn't a clever joke:

With a severe drought devastating the state, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has called on all the state's citizens to unite in prayer for rain.

Last Thursday, he proclaimed the dates from June 30 to July 7 as "Days of Prayer for Rain," and feels that the response will make a significant positive impact for the area.

"Throughout our history, Alabamians have turned in prayer to God to humbly ask for His blessings and to hold us steady in times of difficulty," explained Riley in a statement. "This drought is without question a time of great difficulty for our farmers and for communities across our state." (Christian Post)

I could check the weather forecast for Alabama for today to see how they did, but why bother? If it rains, I'm not going to put it down to the Almighty. If it doesn't, it's no proof there is no Almighty if you think there is one. Obviously Alabama has a lot of religious citizens. Who else would vote for an idiot like Bob Riley. But then why is the state afflicted with the worst drought conditions in the nation? And why is prayer the proper response?

In his proclamation, Riley cited four reasons to delve into prayer. He mentions that the livelihood and quality of life is decreasing for local citizens; the state's largest industry is agriculture and is dependent on rain; low stream flows and lake levels have influenced recreation use, navigation, and power generation; and Alabamians have turned to God in times of need in the past and should do so again.

Four reasons. Three of them are about money. The fourth is that when Alabamians want something, they ask God for it. Who knows? Maybe they got what they deserve. Bob Riley.

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Oy. The radio yesterday said it did rain-- interviewed a guy who said they'd had 4 inches...

What's worse, a story in our local newspaper actually began, "Praise the Lord, it rained." I kid you not.

It amazes me that no one has the balls to ask why Gov. Riley waited to ask for divine intervention until the stable, sinking air mass that has kept us dry for so long gave way to an area of moist, tropical air.

But hey, if you're going to pray for rain and expect results, I guess that's the time to do it, huh?

Good thing it rained. He might have resorted to a human sacrifice.

Aha! Alabamians turning to god for help in times of need must be why Alabama is one of the most prosperous states in the country! I'm glad that's figured out.

Now to determine which prayers worked, I need rain fall by zipcode for the first week of July and churches by zipcode.

OH MY! I should have known. The church of the thunder god THOR.

Darwin

Idiots. Me and the fairies were working on that rain since May, and this imaginary old wizard guy takes the credit?

Ungrateful bastards.

By SmellyTerror (not verified) on 08 Jul 2007 #permalink

You have to ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?"

Likely as I am quick to point out in my believing nature, get perturbed by the invocation of God into a matter of global weather physics.That being that an entrenched Bermuda High has been sitting over the SE since late spring. It doesnt rain except on the peripheries of that. The same applies in the West, sinking air heats and makes it hotter than Hell.

God made us in his image but I think there was a bad case of replicative cloning disorder in those who would call on him for a thing, a want, or a need. That includes political aspirations.

By M. Randolph Kruger (not verified) on 08 Jul 2007 #permalink

How about the high school foot ball coach leading his team in a prayer to bring victory to the home team.

Back in the 60's I remember them saying such prayers over the loud speakers at every home game, at the public high school. Never did anything so crass when I was at parochial school.

Darwin

Yes here in Alabama, most if not all got rain. I am grateful but I wonder why God gave so much to Texas that they are drowning. Gov. of Texas maybe didn't word his prayer right.

Gov.Riley is against the lottery but he gambled and won. Of course given the conditions he made a good bet.

But here is another question - what kind of God would withhold a good until his people beg. Would any good parent withhold water to drink until their child begs? Frankly such a manipulative god is a bastard. A good god would give the necessities of life abundantly and be praised for it. He would not want begging abject subjects who bow their heads and bend their knees and prostrate themselves. Sure their have been monarchs who forced their subjects to do that, but do we think of those monsters as GOOD???

reveres,

Parody the wingers, but remember that most of us with a church, temple or mosque membership are members of the reality based community. For the weather, we look to our meteorological scientists, not our preachers.

It would be a good thing if The National Hurricane Servie wasn't in the same disarray as the CDC right now.