Why do people thank god in a tragedy?

I say thank goodness, personally.

I think it’s just one of those things people say… one of those phrases that has lost its meaning over time.

They are actually broudcasting religious services, it’s priests saying it as well. I think the priest probably means it literally.

I don’t think it implies anything except the fact that they are glad it didn’t happen to them or their family. I don’t think it has anything to do with the worthiness or lack thereof of the victims.

Okay, you didn’t mention it was during a religious service.

You don’t think they would praise God that there were survivors? There’s only praise to be had if everyone survived… otherwise, God dropped the ball or is cruel?

If you’re talking about regular people, my answer stands. If you’re talking about religious services/clergy, then you’re reading too much into it.

People that survived a tragedy thank god for saving them, which implies that they believe that god has the power to intervene with the laws of nature and save them individually. But if their god has the power to do that, why only select certain people to survive?

It certainly would seem hypocritical to call the god omni-benevolent, but maybe the survivors just believe that they are extra special in the eyes of their god and don’t think that it is omni-benevolent.

@Vinifera7 If one were to subscribe to that line of thinking, no one would ever die. If you want to pick apart the thinking of believers, a better question might be why are the survivors so happy to still be here, when the victims got to go to be with God in a wonderful place?

Individuals have very little control over the outcome of such a tragedy.

A survivor is likely to feel grateful for their survival.

If the person is religious, the obvious outlet for that gratitude is God.

What makes you think that there aren’t people who blame God for their hardships?
Gratitude and condemnation are very different emotions, but I think that both have been used when making addresses to God.

@fireside If that was a response to my comment, then yes, you are correct, but the same logic applies.
[Edit] If a person lost someone in a tragedy then they are likely to be angry. They had no control over it. If they are religious, then God is a reasonable target for their anger.

@Grisson – no, that was more of a comment about the qualifications made in the Question. I agree completely with what you said.

Some people will blame rotten luck or karma or other people or faceless corporations, too.
All depends on your mental models.

@fireside Great point!

No @scamp, people would still die just as much. Believing something doesn’t make it real.

Just as saying you don’t believe doesn’t make it go away.

That’s obviously correct. Your point?

@Vin: What’s yours?

@Vinifera7 My point is exactly as stated. Let me look at it again…. yep, I did type that in plain English. Out of respect to elijahsuicide, I think we should get back on topic.

He asked: I’m really curious how people who have faith in god justify who is saved and who isn’t.

I think people of faith don’t try to justify it at all. Their faith tells them it’s God’s will and they accept it as such. They may not understand it, but they trust him enough not to question him.

If they are thanking God for being safe, the likely hood is they are also asking god to help those left behind by the departed, and to welcome the departed into heaven as well.

I have always wondered this myself. Especially when someone says ‘an angel was watching over me’ or ‘God must have a plan for me’. How vain are we to believe that God chose to save ‘me’, but not ‘them’? If God is credited with the good outcomes, then He must be blamed for the bad.

From what I understand, Heaven is supposed to be our goal. So I think it’d be fair to say that, by the theory of religion, God, etc., the deceased are the ones God favored.

@poofandmook – That is exactly what I was about to write.

And it is what scamp was saying earlier, i believe.

@fireside , yes it was, thanks for pointing that out.

oops.

Ah, yes, sorry Scamp, I was focused on the interaction between your statement and Vinifera&.

People that survived a tragedy thank god for saving them, which implies that they believe that god has the power to intervene with the laws of nature and save them individually. But if their god has the power to do that, why only select certain people to survive? It certainly would seem hypocritical to call the god omni-benevolent, but maybe the survivors just believe that they are extra special in the eyes of their god and don’t think that it is omni-benevolent.

It would be hypocritical for someone who doesn’t believe or try to understand those who do believe, to call god omni-benevolent within the context of that line of “logic” as it picks and chooses elements in an attempt to make a point.

Very good point Scampper!

Personally, I’d be saying, “Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!” too much to be thanking anyone!!!

@loser heheheh

I would be asking for a new set of britches.

@Bri_L thanks for the compliment!

@loser You got me laughing again!!

you just want to show gratitude to someone, you know. so they thank God.

@augustlan I think you understand the question I am asking, but you worded it much better than me.
I’m sure the people on the plane (every one of them died) were screaming and begging dear god don’t let me die. I doubt they were saying woo hoo I get to go to heaven!
My point is god didn’t choose anyone on the ground where the plane fell to live over the people on the plane, it’s just coincidence that they weren’t killed. God didnt choose to save them OR kill the others, so why thank him? If you think he decided not to let that plane drop on you, then your saying for some reason you are favored. If god is supposed to love everyone equally, then no one is favored by him.

Is it vanity to believe that an all knowing body would be capable of watching over all of us?

For those who believe in him, truly believe, they do know he is responsible for what we decree as bad for a good reason. But, that job I lost a year and five months ago meant I got to be there for my wife’s 4 surgeries. So it was bad, no income, no job. But for a good reason.

People who believe in god as you seem to be characterizing him (that is to say the bible version) also believe that everything he does he does for a reason. They do believe we stay or go because of him. They also believe he gave us free will and fault. The ability to make mistakes and to have fear.

I would be scared as hell to die in a plane crash or have one crash on me and would not hesitate to say thank god if I survived. That in no way, means that I think god doesn’t love everyone equally.

I am sorry elijahsuicide but to say “If you think he decided not to let that plane drop on you, then your saying for some reason you are favored.” is an assumption and generalization that just can’t be made without ignoring certain things.

I am so not going to answer this one…oh wait, already did. Damn!

Because their theology is not well thought out. A loving God does not act in such a way that 50 people are killed on purpose. While others are spared on purpose.
I think the phrase is overused. I do think that as said above, loving people, while commenting on their thankfulness at having been spared, are also in sorrow and dismay at the randomness of life and death and tragedy.

Also, the God of the New Testament did not act directly upon the world but through intermediaries and ideas. To assume that God would directly intervene in our daily lives is hubris.

To express gratitude for your good fortune is not the same as assuming that your life was more valuable than someone else. Just the same way that giving thanks for a meal before eating is not an indirect way of sniping at those who go hungry.

Everything happens for a reason. Now, I’m not sayin that it was everone’s time to go, but it surely wasnt for the ones who survived. People thank God because they are grateful. I thank Him even through my hardships because i know that he will pull me through. The Bible says that all you need is faith the size of a mustard seed. So I belive that those people were telling themselves that they were not going to die while all that was goin down. And when they made it, they rejoiced.

-Sellz

You make the mistake of comparing your characterization of unfolding events with God, mercy and grace. The specific way you describe the relationships (survivors and the dead) are characterizations of the event.

I recently loss a young neighbor who hung himself and the family never loss their faith but praised God for the time we had Allen with us. No, we didn’t praise God for taking him away from us physically, but we praised his name for for the greater unfolding justice beyond our kin.

God represents salvation. When someone is saved, it is almost compulsive to say “Thank God”, I’ve done it on a few occasion.

I wonder about things like this too. My cousin and her husband always sent Christmas letters telling us how happy and prosperous they were. They would write, “The Lord has been good to us this year.” The year that her husband’s foot was amputated, I waited for a letter that said “This year the Lord was bad to us,” but it didn’t come. Why not? (They did stop mentioning how good he’d been. Wonder if he got coal in his stocking that year.) And what about all those other folks whose lives were less fortunate? Why was the Lord not so good to them in any year?