Proof of God's non-existence?

[gruk]

BBC News reports (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5049082.stm) that an Ukrainian man got eaten by lions, claiming that "God would save him, if he exists".

Of course, we can't be sure if the eating was because God's non-existence or God existing and just not caring. But, nonetheless, worthy of high-lighting, I thought.

[aggle-rithm]

BBC News reports (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5049082.stm) that an Ukrainian man got eaten by lions, claiming that "God would save him, if he exists".

Of course, we can't be sure if the eating was because God's non-existence or God existing and just not caring. But, nonetheless, worthy of high-lighting, I thought.

Third option: It was "God's will".

[JamesDillon]

Sorry, proves nothing. Doesn't it say somewhere in the New Testament that thou shalt not test the Lord? Therefore, any attempt to experimentally verify the existence of god will fail, not because god doesn't exist, but because he doesn't like it when people try to outsmart him. Clever tactic, that.

[Bronze Dog]

I don't accept the results, yet. This was only one trial. We need a lot of independant replication.

[Abdul Alhazred]

The Lord had mercy on him and used the lion to call him home.

The man is in paradise now. :D

[Huh-What?]

Or..he was an idiot and now he is just dead, but I will take it as proof.

[n11/n12]

Consider the matter settled. Too bad he'll never know, being dead and all.

[TjW]

Maybe the lions preyed harder.
(spelling intentional)

[Azrael 5]

Maybe the Lion was a metaphor from God.What if it was an atheist Lion?

[Ririon]

It could also be an example of the rarely seen atheist martyr. :)

[Tricky]

Maybe the Lion was a metaphor from God.What if it was an atheist Lion?
Reminds me of the joke about the preacher who was being pursued by a bear and as he ran, he prayed to God, "Oh Lord, please let this bear be a Christian!" Just then there was a brilliant flash of light and the preacher looked back to see the bear on his knees praying, "Oh Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful."

[HidariMak]

Sorry, proves nothing. Doesn't it say somewhere in the New Testament that thou shalt not test the Lord? Therefore, any attempt to experimentally verify the existence of god will fail, not because god doesn't exist, but because he doesn't like it when people try to outsmart him. Clever tactic, that.

It figures. The workload finally subsided from 300% of normal, I find a juicy tidbit with the matching disclaimer, and it's old news here already.

Yes, specifically, it's Matthew 4:7 which states "Thou shalt not test the Lord thy God". So any attempt at proving a faith will be guaranteed to fail; not because it's a crock, but because it's the divine will of the supreme being. But they'll probably claim credit when the world continue to exists tomorrow, following their 24 hour prayer-fest today. Do a google search for "Dutch Evangelicals calls for pray-in against the Devil" for that story.

[WildCat]

God didn't do too good of a job protecting Christians from lions in Roman times either.

[Azrael 5]

On a slight off topic did anyone read about the Pope asking God why "He" let the holocaust happen whilst visiting Auschwitz?
Forget 9/11,the Tsunami,numerous wars and Tom Cruise marrying Katie Holmes..why the Holocaust?! Nice to see the Pope getting skeptical. ;)

[Rissask]

It's kind of sad in addition to being idiotic....the guy was obviously mentally ill and/or suicidal.
Oh well, he got his Warhol minutes.

[Pardalis]

Nice to see the lions haven't lost their predatorial instincts even in captivity.

[Sword_Of_Truth]

As I said to the village idiots on the World of Warcrack Off-Topic boards (where 80% of the threads used to be spastic hysterical "me too" christianity bash-fests); The first, best proof of God's non-existence would be that a real God would give us a better test of our faith than 13 year old kids who bash religion over the net because all the cool kids are doing it.

[Skeptic Ginger]

On a slight off topic did anyone read about the Pope asking God why "He" let the holocaust happen whilst visiting Auschwitz?
Forget 9/11,the Tsunami,numerous wars and Tom Cruise marrying Katie Holmes..why the Holocaust?! Nice to see the Pope getting skeptical. ;)
I believe that is called passing the buck. Instead of the devil, "God made me do it."

[Skeptic Ginger]

Do you suppose he went to Bible school as a kid?

Coloring page (http://www.coloring.ws/t/bible/daniel6.16.htm)
Kids's activity book (http://www3.calvarychapel.com/children/site/pdf/Old/Curr160.pdf)
Coloring page ( http://www.raindrop.org/rugrat/fun/cdaniel.gif)
Lesson 20 Test - Daniel - fill in the blanks (http://gardenofpraise.com/bibl20.htm)
Lion Theme
Preschool Activities and Crafts (http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/wild/lion.htm)
The Lions Weren't Hungry Last Night, song (http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/l030.html)
Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?, song (http://kididdles.com/mouseum/d039.html)
Daniel in the Lions' Den, song (http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/dovecot/SongPages/DanInLionsDen.htm)
Bible cupcakes (http://www.mssscrafts.com/crafts/recipes/cupcakes.htm)
Lions are your friends, kids. (http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/jungle-lions.html)

[highspeed3]

Making oneself an entree neither proves nor disproves the existence of God - the fact is we are considered tasty to a number of other creatures that share this planet with us. Although no valid religious argument has been made by this poor guys actions (well, his coming back as lion excrement may be an argument for Hinduism), Darwinism has enjoyed vote in it's favor :drool:

[Abdul Alhazred]

Even taking the Biblical story of Daniel at face value, it won't fly.

Daniel was thrown to the lions involuntarily and didn't know God would save him.

In the (historically verifiable) Christian Era, those thrown to the lions didn't fare so well, Androcles notwithstanding.

[Outhere]

When I read that the man had leaped into the lions' cage and that a lioness had pounced immediately, severing his jugular, I thought, "Sekhmet Rules!"

[rjh01]

A public service announcement from rjh01
If you ever think a lion wants you for lunch, stare at it. The lion will not attack. If there is another lion around that one get you instead.
Sorry I do not know of any links for you.

[Orphia Nay]

I didn't need any more proof of God's non-existence, but thanks anyway. I love a bit of shadenfreude.

[gfunkusarelius]

On a slight off topic did anyone read about the Pope asking God why "He" let the holocaust happen whilst visiting Auschwitz?
Forget 9/11,the Tsunami,numerous wars and Tom Cruise marrying Katie Holmes..why the Holocaust?! Nice to see the Pope getting skeptical. ;)

there was a thread on this recently:

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=57582

[Yahzi]

If you ever think a lion wants you for lunch, stare at it.
Are you sure? I thought that was tigers.

Tigers are loners, and have to be careful. Lions are pack animals. I'm not sure they care so much about sneaking up on stuff.

[Scott Haley]

I heard some interesting facts today about monarch butterflies. If a bird ate one, it would be poisoned by it. The vivid black and orange markings of the monarch are there to warn the birds away. If God loves us as his children, it's odd that he didn't make us poisonous to predators too.

[David Swidler]

Ah, but we're poisonous to gorillas. That's why they don't eat us. Same goes for iguanas.

It's true. :)

[Skeptic Ginger]

You don't need to be poisonous when you have guns.

[rjh01]

Are you sure? I thought that was tigers.

Tigers are loners, and have to be careful. Lions are pack animals. I'm not sure they care so much about sneaking up on stuff.

The trick will work with any cat. The problem with Lions is that the other one (the one you are not staring at; which you cannot even see) will get you.

[Sir Arthur Mortal Coyle]

If I were a fundie trying to prove my faith I would start off with something a little less fierce like a Chinchilla enclosure, and if that worked out OK with God then I would work my way up, going through small furry rodents cages to large goldfish infested ponds and finally to the deadly Tortoise lair.

Perhaps I wouldn't really have much faith in my faith? :scared:

[Skeptic Ginger]

The guy might have been having one of those psychotic delusions such as manics or schizophrenics have. Perhaps we are wrong to think of this incident in religious terms.

[drfrank]

The guy might have been having one of those psychotic delusions such as manics or schizophrenics have....
...And those differ from the ones suffered by Fundamentalist Christians how, exactly? ;)

[kitakaze]

"The man shouted 'God will save me, if he exists', lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up to the lions," a zoo official told Reuters news agency. The shoe bit was rather considerate. I can only speculate he was hoping for a bit of backup with some stanky feet or he didn't want a lion to choke on a loafer. Either way, another entry in the Long List of Pathetically Tragic Deaths.

[n11/n12]

The attack was captured on video, BTW.

If you want to see it, I can post a link.

[Jon.]

I heard some interesting facts today about monarch butterflies. If a bird ate one, it would be poisoned by it. The vivid black and orange markings of the monarch are there to warn the birds away. If God loves us as his children, it's odd that he didn't make us poisonous to predators too.

But then bears couldn't eat children who mocked bald prophets!

[EchoWars]

Give the man some credit...he didn't say that God exists, he said if.

Unfortunately, the methodology here is somewhat flawed...repetitive trials being somewhat tough after becoming an afternoon snack for said feline.