Cute letter to the editor - if it was a 6th grader

[UnrepentantSinner]

The following letter to the editor appeared in Monday's Dallas Morning News.

My guardian angels

Recently I was driving down Ferguson Road and blew out both of my passenger side tires because I hit the curb.
It was an amazingly stupid thing that happened, but from it came something equally amazing. There just happened to be two women standing on the side of the road at the time.

As my car swerved and spun out of control, these women prayed for me. I never got their names, only knowledge of their blessings and prayers. After I stopped, they talked to me and made sure I was free from harm. I made arrangements for my car and then I realized how truly blessed I was. There had happened to be no other cars on the road. I could have very easily hit a light pole, and somehow I ended up in a parking lot of a car wash/gas station.

Their names were anonymous, but I know who those women were: They were my guardian angels. To them I say: Thank you for your prayers.

Lisa Hannah, senior, Bishop Lynch High School, Dallas

Bishop Lynch is a Catholic High School.

[rustypouch]

If they were guardian angels why did they let it happen in the first place?

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by rustypouch
If they were guardian angels why did they let it happen in the first place?

I wondered the same thing. Why didn't they nudge her gently away from the curb?

If I look at my own accident with a miraculous outcome, I must have had a whole team of guardian angels watching over me.

I was travelling northbound on the left of 3 lanes going about 30 miles an hour. There were 3 southbound lanes. A guy in a Ford Explorer doing at least 70 smashes into my car, sideswiping me, sending me across the median, the 3 southbound lanes and into a parking lot. I didn't flip, and he missed rear-ending me by about 2 inches. If he had I might have flipped or my gas tank have exploded. Also there was no southbound traffic so I didn't get t-boned as I careened into the parking lot. The parking lot was empty so I just came to a halt instead of smashing into a parked car.

My guardian angels were quite busy making with the blessings and miracles that night doncha think? More so than young Lisa's.

[athon]

She obviously didn't have angels that were like mine.

My angels work overtime - today, for instance, a gunman that was going to shoot me didn't even get out of bed, the car I was driving didn't explode, or even veer off the road, and a dog that was going to bite me continued to sleep soundly under its owner's house.

I should thank them some time,

Athon

[Ipecac]

This is it! The solution to the thousands of traffic deaths each year on American roads! We'll simply station praying Christians along each and every road. Traffic deaths will be completely eliminated!

Plus, at twenty points for hitting a praying Christian, everyone's score will go way up!

[Diezel]

These women prayed for her?

I find it hard to believe that these two woman were the only human beings in the world that could shut off their fight/flight instincts while seeing this instant happen (anytime something like this happens, anyone involved/witnessing it will be evaluating their own danger and taking any actions neccasary) and, in a matter of a second or two, decided to pray for the well being of the person in the car!

John Edward has nothing on these two!

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by Diezel
I find it hard to believe that these two woman were the only human beings in the world that could shut off their fight/flight instincts while seeing this instant happen (anytime something like this happens, anyone involved/witnessing it will be evaluating their own danger and taking any actions neccasary) and, in a matter of a second or two, decided to pray for the well being of the person in the car!

;) Ummmm, don't forget, these two "women" were guardian angels and therefore not subjuct to mere human constucts.

I'm still wondering where my guardian angels were hiding on the night of my wreck. They might have been the two women staffing the tarot/fortune telling establishment, the parking lot of which I wound up in.

[Suddenly]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner


I wondered the same thing. Why didn't they nudge her gently away from the curb?

If I look at my own accident with a miraculous outcome, I must have had a whole team of guardian angels watching over me.

I was travelling northbound on the left of 3 lanes going about 30 miles an hour. There were 3 southbound lanes. A guy in a Ford Explorer doing at least 70 smashes into my car, sideswiping me, sending me across the median, the 3 southbound lanes and into a parking lot. I didn't flip, and he missed rear-ending me by about 2 inches. If he had I might have flipped or my gas tank have exploded. Also there was no southbound traffic so I didn't get t-boned as I careened into the parking lot. The parking lot was empty so I just came to a halt instead of smashing into a parked car.

My guardian angels were quite busy making with the blessings and miracles that night doncha think? More so than young Lisa's.

I always wonder about that.

I managed to wind up doing an end over end flip into what seemed like 4 roll overs once when driving on I-79 in north central West Virginia. I hopped out of the car mostly unhurt, just a bruise on the side of my face and some scratches from broken glass. Two cars saw the accident and stopped.

The first was two EMT's on vacation.

The second was a neurosurgeon.

The first words out of my mouth to the EMTs were "For my next trick, I will set myself on fire." They suspected shock. Turns out I'm just an idiot.

My mom said this was guardian angel type stuff. That makes we wonder first, why I had to go on that thrill ride at all. Second, if I'm not hurt why have a bunch of EMT's and a neurosurgeon happen by. Are the angels unsure of themselves or do they like wasting people's time?

[Samus]

As much fun as it is to poke fun at stories like this (and it is kinda fun), is there really any negative effects to a person thinking like this? She managed to negotiate an out-of-control car. Whether she thinks it was because of skill and luck, or guardian angels, is irrelevant.

That said, I'm no fan of stories like this, which border on religious glurge.

[KillerBob]

Not too long ago, I managed to lose control of my truck after hitting a patch of water doing about 55 mph. This happened at 4pm in one of Houston's busiest freeway areas. The truck spun around 3 or 4 times and finally stopped, rather abruptly, when the back end hit the center divider.

Despite it being rush hour, I didn't hit anyone else and I was completely unharmed except for a few sore muscles the next day.

As I started losing control, I remember saying "Oh sh*t"

I give all thanks to the great and mysterious fecal One.

[Grommitt]

Originally posted by Commander Cool
[B]As much fun as it is to poke fun at stories like this (and it is kinda fun), is there really any negative effects to a person thinking like this? She managed to negotiate an out-of-control car. Whether she thinks it was because of skill and luck, or guardian angels, is irrelevant.Are you serious? Do you really believe that there is nothing negative about this kind of thinking?

Claiming that it is all "irrelevant" is more negative than choosing one of your skill/luck/guardian angel options.

[c4ts]

Prayers caused the car to stop spinning out of control without being damaged? Or was it friction, timing, and the position of the car before it started spinning out of control? Occam's razor! Occam's razor!

[Samus]

Originally posted by Grommitt
Are you serious? Do you really believe that there is nothing negative about this kind of thinking? The only negative side effect is that if something bad happens, people just dismiss it as "god's will", or "fate", instead of accepting that their own actions could have changed the outcome.

Other than that, if someone wishes to believe they exist/survive because of a god's actions, then so be it. With hardcore theists, you'd be hard pressed to convince them otherwise.

I'm not endorsing people believing in guardian angels, I'm just saying it's not necessarily harming anyone if they do.

[Starrman]

As much fun as it is to poke fun at stories like this (and it is kinda fun), is there really any negative effects to a person thinking like this? She managed to negotiate an out-of-control car. Whether she thinks it was because of skill and luck, or guardian angels, is irrelevant.

In my opinion, the harm is when someone who is not so lucky or the family of someone not so lucky sees crap like this. Yesterday a 4 year old in Clevelend was run over and killed by a speeding tow truck. Is the mother supposed to feel that she didn't pray enough for her daughter? That god took the time to send angels to deal with two flat tires in an uncrowded road, rather than help this little girls sister get there 3 seconds sooner to save her life? Why people are comforted by a belief in such a capricious god is beyond me.

If you want to believe this I don't really care. But don't put it in the paper and in the faces of those who your god did not choose to save.

[Corey]

I find it amusing when people, like this person, ascribe divine intervention to something that was solved through completely practical means. She was driving, she hit the curb and popped both her tires, she stopped at a gas station, she made arrangments to have her car repaired. Where's the divine intervention? Two ladies were standing on the side of the road and they kept her company while she waited and prayed for her. If they had let her use a cell phone to call a tow truck or changed her tires for her it would at least be intervention of some sort, divine or not.

I realize the point made that it doesn't do any harm, but it's like saying "I got an ear infection and I prayed to God to heal me...and after 2 weeks of rest, plenty of fluids and antibiotics, I got better...see, God healed me". A more serious case is a doctor here in the US who used to be a reputable practicitioner and somewhere along the way went the road of the quack and started telling people they could heal their cancer by changing their diet and taking herbs and vitams...and cited that she healed her own breast cancer as proof...when she had a lumpectomy and chemo.

I think it's fine if she's religious and appreciates the prayers and the company, but even calling them guardian angels in the figurative sense is ridiculous because all they did was keep her company while she arranged to fix the mess she caused herself and said a prayer for her.

[LawnOven]

Originally posted by Commander Cool
As much fun as it is to poke fun at stories like this (and it is kinda fun), is there really any negative effects to a person thinking like this? She managed to negotiate an out-of-control car. Whether she thinks it was because of skill and luck, or guardian angels, is irrelevant.

That said, I'm no fan of stories like this, which border on religious glurge.


What I think is bad about it is it is sort of a perpetuation of mushy uncritical thought. It's not so bad really, but this sort of thinking may lead this person to be fooled more easily in the future; who knows. Still, I think it is funny.

[epepke]

Originally posted by Commander Cool
Other than that, if someone wishes to believe they exist/survive because of a god's actions, then so be it. With hardcore theists, you'd be hard pressed to convince them otherwise.

"I don't have to call a cab. My guardian angels will protect me."

[Rocky]

Originally posted by epepke


"I don't have to call a cab. My guardian angels will protect me."

Reminds me of the joke:

During a heavy rainstorm, a flood began in a man's neighborhood-however, his faith convinced him that God would "save him".

As the water rose, a truck pulled up and the driver said "Get in, I've got to get you out of here"-the man responded-"That's okay, God will save me".

As the water rose higher, the man retreated to the second story of his house-then a boat pulled up and the man in it yelled up-"Get in the boat, you've got to leave now"-the man responded-"No, that won't be necessary, God will save me."

The water rose more and the man was forced to sit on the top of his roof-then. A helicopter appeared overhead and lowered a rope-the pilot yelled-"It's time to leave-grab the rope!"-the man responded-"No, I don't need it-God will save me."

Then the water rose and the inevitable occurred-when the man arrived in heaven he asked God-"How come you didn't save me Lord?!"

And God responded-"What do you mean?-I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter."

[Samus]

Originally posted by epepke
"I don't have to call a cab. My guardian angels will protect me." Well, now that's just being naive. Besides, I covered this case in my second post:

"The only negative side effect is that if something bad happens, people just dismiss it as "god's will", or "fate", instead of accepting that their own actions could have changed the outcome."

Guardian angels won't (always?) protect you from your own stupidity. Of course, this would imply the existence of guardian angels to begin with.

I stand by my point that the belief of the "big guy in the sky" looking after you isn't inherently bad.

[canadarocks]

Unless, of course, you believe that the big guy in the sky will cure your sick child and you don't seek medical attention for them. Where is the "responsible" adult???? This, to me, is a BIG negative in believing in guardian angels too much......

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by rustypouch
If they were guardian angels why did they let it happen in the first place?

You know those body guards? Why do they allow people to get shot at in the first place??

[SquishyDave]

Originally posted by T'ai Chi
You know those body guards? Why do they allow people to get shot at in the first place?? Ok, so Angels, while being far superior to us, they can fly, glow, rain down fire and brimstone etc, are not omnipotent or omniscient, so they screw up sometimes trying to protect us.

Fair call, sounds plausible, I'm just wondering if perhaps they know someone who is omnipotent and omniscient, someone who could help them help us, their boss perhaps? Or depsite being all seeing and all knowing and all powerfull God is too busy doing something else. Playing pictionay with the morning star perhaps?

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by SquishyDave
Ok, so Angels, while being far superior to us, they can fly, glow, rain down fire and brimstone etc, are not omnipotent or omniscient, so they screw up sometimes trying to protect us.


Maybe, maybe not.

I don't see any reasons, assuming they exist of course, to think them superior, equal, or inferior to us.

[SquishyDave]

Originally posted by T'ai Chi
Maybe, maybe not.

I don't see any reasons, assuming they exist of course, to think them superior, equal, or inferior to us. [/B]Errr, OK, but at the least they can fly, and transport somehow between heaven and earth, and possibly visit hell too, they can also make themselve invisible to everyone, or just a select few. And they are also immortal, so even if they are just as incompetant as us, I personally would still count them as better.

But you didn't answer what god would be doing, if he cares enough to have angels looking out for us, why not do it himself? By definition he can't possibly be too busy.

[Samus]

Originally posted by canadarocks
Unless, of course, you believe that the big guy in the sky will cure your sick child and you don't seek medical attention for them. And if the child dies, it was just god's will. Yeah, I can see where that train of thought leads. However, I would venture to say a very small percentage of people actually think that way. There will always be extreme cases, but with few exceptions, you'd be hard pressed to convince me that having those beliefs is intrinsically harmful.

Having a belief in the big guy and his angels (not to be confused with Charlie and his angels), combined with utter stupidity, is what leads to the dangerous case you and others have pointed out. However, I would simply rebut that someone stupid enough to believe prayer in lieu of medical attention will heal a sick child were dooming their kids from the start.

[canadarocks]

However, I would simply rebut that someone stupid enough to believe prayer in lieu of medical attention will heal a sick child were dooming their kids from the start.

Agreed. I think that personal belief in something is fine as long as it doesn't affect someone else. One of the problems I have is the nuts that go around spouting their beliefs and holding up these ridiculous stories as "proof".

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by Commander Cool
And if the child dies, it was just god's will. Yeah, I can see where that train of thought leads. However, I would venture to say a very small percentage of people actually think that way. There will always be extreme cases, but with few exceptions, you'd be hard pressed to convince me that having those beliefs is intrinsically harmful.

Having a belief in the big guy and his angels (not to be confused with Charlie and his angels), combined with utter stupidity, is what leads to the dangerous case you and others have pointed out. However, I would simply rebut that someone stupid enough to believe prayer in lieu of medical attention will heal a sick child were dooming their kids from the start.

It seems like there's been quite the extrapolation of your original comments to what is being suggested.

I think CC was excluding lack of action or responsibility in his first post and saying there's no real harm in thinking "my angels helped me." I agree that there's no real harm, a long as one doesn't start doing things like have been alluded to as the thread progressed (like driving without a seatbelt or withholding medical help from children.)

The point does have to be made that there is some social harm (hurt feelings more than anything) that come from these sorts of assertions as was pointed out in Starrman's post and was summed up in a Larry King Show (which I can't find a transcript of) where I believe Mark Klaas objected to a caller saying God had brought Elizabeth smart home safely because it suggested that God allowed his daughter Polly to be raped and murdered**.

No actual harm, but some social harm for those whose family members were not saved from death or injury in similar situations.

** edit - found it, he's objecting to the suggestiong that prayer brough Elizabeth home.

KLAAS: You know, John, we absolutely do. I think this has to do more with the public than it has to do with prayer. I kind of take a little bit of offense when people say that prayer brought Elizabeth back and it sort of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) our own children. That somehow they didn't deserve to come back or that we didn't pray hard enough. But there's an organization out of Friendswood, Texas that needs a little bit of attention here. It's called the Laura Recovery Center. And they were in Salt Lake City on the second day after Elizabeth was kidnapped, and they're the ones that put all of the searches together in the early days and that trained the searchers. And I think this show would be remiss or this case would be remiss if they weren't acknowledged for their wonderful contributions as well.

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by SquishyDave
Errr, OK, but at the least they can fly, and transport somehow between heaven and earth, and possibly visit hell too, they can also make themselve invisible to everyone, or just a select few. And they are also immortal, so even if they are just as incompetant as us, I personally would still count them as better.


Perhaps, yes. However, there is aready a variety of non-humans whose hearing, speed, depth of diving, life span, strength, mode of locomotion, etc., is far superior to humans, yet we don't consider them as being able to do anything they want, nor are we disappointed or surprised when they make mistakes.

Again, assuming any such things as angels exist, I see no reason why we consider them able to do anything they want, simply because they are supernatural to us.


But you didn't answer what god would be doing, if he cares enough to have angels looking out for us, why not do it himself? By definition he can't possibly be too busy.

I guess, assuming any god even exists, it/they/he/she could be busy, not concerned anymore, not busy but doesn't care, is part of the angels in some way, is following a plan of some sort, or any number of other possibilities.

[athon]

Originally posted by T'ai Chi


Perhaps, yes. However, there is aready a variety of non-humans whose hearing, speed, depth of diving, life span, strength, mode of locomotion, etc., is far superior to humans, yet we don't consider them as being able to do anything they want, nor are we disappointed or surprised when they make mistakes.

Again, assuming any such things as angels exist, I see no reason why we consider them able to do anything they want, simply because they are supernatural to us.



I guess, assuming any god even exists, it/they/he/she could be busy, not concerned anymore, not busy but doesn't care, is part of the angels in some way, is following a plan of some sort, or any number of other possibilities. [/B]

Yes, but the understanding of angels in western culture is that they are ethereal beings who can do whatever they want. In other words, if they can summon together events for the right moment to prevent bad things from occuring (a doctor passing by at the time of an accident, or a phone call timed to prevent you leaving the house at the right moment), then whatever limitations they have to their powers are rather irrelevant.

As a writer (and a reader, I might add), I come across this stuff a lot. A 'system' where somebody gives an entity or a being some sort of mystical power, and then neglects to say why they didn't use it at some opportune moment. Like having wings for some hero, and when he gets to a ravine he spends five days trying to figure how to get to the other side.

If angels can prevent accidents through manipulating time, space and ultimately fate, I think it can be assumed their 'limitations' are not as simple as neglecting to prevent such accidents in the first place.

Athon
(Christians tend to fall back on the 'mysterious ways' policy)

[Bluegill]

Originally posted by Suddenly



The first words out of my mouth to the EMTs were "For my next trick, I will set myself on fire." They suspected shock. Turns out I'm just an idiot.



The ability to crack a joke in such a situation indicates to me that you either have a fine, rubbery brain or should be an action movie star.