A dear friend I don't always agree with but love anyway posted a pic on her Facebook profile today that I found way interesting in a lot of different ways, so, I thought I'd share:
The caption on her post implied that the pic was "just in from Hell". Talk about things that make me go "Hmm....."
First off, the pic is meant to be funny. Hey, it's Saddam in bed with Osama bin Laden! Secondly, it's supposed to imply that both Osama and Saddam are in Hell. It got me thinking.....
The Mind of God
First thing I thought about was this assumption that Osama and Saddam are in Hell. Hey, they sure could be. I admit that. They were both bad guys, right? So, their both being in Hell wouldn't come as a big surprise I guess. But how do we know they're in Hell?
I'd argue....we can't. Sorry. Just can't. While I'm an atheist I try to keep up on my basic Christian theology and one of the core tenets of Christianity is that no one can know the Mind of God. Nobody. Not you. Not me. Nobody. We can never know what God is thinking or what his decisions are.
So, if we accept that premise to be true....and it makes sense, after all, if God is so much more superior than us, then we can never say we know who goes where after they're dead. Sure, there's a chance both Osama and Saddam wound up in Hell. There's also a chance they're in Heaven. We have no idea. Why? Cuz, we can't know the Mind of God.
Wait a minute! I hear some Christians yelling. Of course God sent them both to Hell because, why, oh why, would God let them into Heaven?
Umm....Mind of God? You ever hear the one where God works in mysterious ways? We just admitted we can't know what God's thinking so, it makes sense that if God allowed Saddam and Osama into Heaven, we might not understand it. Hey, God does stuff and we don't understand why he does stuff. He's God, we're not. End of story. We're puny little ant-like things in the presence of the glory that is God. How the Hell can we figure out why he does what he does?
Then there's the Christian problem of forgiveness. You know, if you ask God for forgiveness, sometimes he is cool and cuts you some slack. We don't know what Saddam or Osama's relationship with God was. Maybe they both asked the Big Guy for forgiveness and he was like, "Ahh.....ok. We cool yo'!"
Could happen. Lots of ministers and preachers tell us it can happen. That's a selling point for Christianity. No matter how fucked up you are....if you accept Jesus in your heart and ask God for forgiveness...bada boom bada bing! You're forgiven!
Fact is though, we have no idea really what God's forgiveness threshold is. And besides, didn't God's kid Jesus tell us not to judge lest we be judged or some shit like that? If we're judging these guys in Hell, sounds like we're not listening to The Kid very well are we? Aren't we being all judgmental in this case? Sure seems like it to me. I wonder if Jesus would get his rocks off laughing at this pic.
So, the more I think about it, the essential premise of the joke the pic is supposed to represent, that Osama and Saddam are in Hell.....you don't know and I don't know. The whole thing seems kind of silly, this idea of making a joke about something we don't know and can't know.
The Humor in Eternal Torment
Course, it gets darker though, as not well thought out things often do. The idea of the joke is that Saddam and Osama are in Hell and, even if we can admit that we don't know (and can't know) whether this is true or not, the simple idea of them both being there is supposed to be funny. Why?
What happens in Hell? Not good things, if you believe the Christian friends I know. It's torture, misery, unending bleakness, for all of eternity. Forever and ever. Not too guys kicking back smoking a smoke, drinking a drinky drink and hugging one out after thrusting one out. It's not a smiley, lovey-dovey post-coital glow session. It's Hell. It's torture. It's torment. And some people think that shit's funny.
That's funny? We think that torturing people forever and having endless amounts of pain inflicted on them without ever hope of any release or forgiveness.....funny? Really? Is that how we roll? What does shit like that say about us? We Americans assume we're superior to people like Saddam and Osama because they go around killing people but, at the same time, many of us get off on the suffering and torture of others. Really?
I don't know man....just the idea of that being funny is kind of sad to me. It seems pretty sick and twisted. A lot of the same people who get off at the thought of people being tortured in Hell for eternity and find it funny are caring, loving parents. They're good friends. They go to church. They give to charity. Yet, somewhere, deep down inside they still get off on the idea of other human beings being subjected to eternal torment. It gives them the giggles!
I mean, watching a guy trip and fall and have his face land in a pie is one thing, having someone tortured in pain for all of eternity....that's another. But you and I both know, reader, that there's no accounting for the tastes of others....
Two Naked Guys in Bed Are Funny Why?
The pic also implies that seeing Osama and Saddam in bed together, in Hell, is funny. They're both naked and they look happy, maybe even post-coital happy. Are two naked guys in bed funny? What? Is this like the 1950's or some shit when we made jokes about homosexuals because we thought being gay was something to be made fun of?
Uhh....no. Two naked guys in bed are, well, rather normal. Homosexuality happens in nature, it's a natural thing, it happens all the fucking time (go watch National Geographic if you don't believe me) so, two happy naked guys post a sweaty fuck session would seem.....natural. There's nothing about it that looks funny or presents itself as being worth poking fun at. Gay isn't funny. It's not anything to be ashamed of or be ridiculed or anything like that. So, why in the world is Saddam and Osama lying in bed together some grand ole' gag?
Unless....you're homophobic, maybe, and you think gay people are funny. Then I see a joke. Maybe. But even then all we see is two guys, apparently naked, kicking back smiling. In Hell. Don't forget the Hell part. Again....what's so funny about that?
Yeah....Looks Like Hell to Me.......
But, wait a minute. This pic is supposed to show Saddam and Osama in Hell, right? WTF? Does that look like any Hell you ever heard of? Aside from how twisted it is to be making fun of people presumably being tortured and hurt for all eternity without a hope of release, this doesn't look like Hell. Shit, it looks like a suite in the Four Seasons!! You got two happy, comfortable lovers who are in post-coital bliss enjoying a drink and a smoke! Is that what people in Hell have to worry about?! Fuck!!!! If that's the gig, send me to Hell!!!! It looks like a cool, happy place!
You'd think people hating on both these guys would want a pic that shows them suffering. You know, like, really having it bad! Maybe the 72 virgins Osama was hoping for turn out to be, like 72 Snookies or something. But these guys look good. Shit, they look great! Happy dammit! If this is supposed to be some joke on them, they actually look like they've turned the tables and are putting the joke on us. It's like they're both saying...."Yeah, we're dead bitches but we're having a great time so......suck our dicks!"
So, again, if this pic is supposed to depict Osama and Saddam in Hell....if we're supposed to be laughing at their eternal damnation and enjoying our certainty that God hates them as much as we do and....if this pic is supposed to be funny because they're being gay or, better yet for some people, being tortured miserably....the pic fails all kinds. It just does. You almost want to laugh at the pic, not because it depicts Osama and Saddam in Hell but because the pic is so divorced from the thoughts of what it's trying to do that it's really stupid.
One of my favorite things about emotional events is how little thought people put into them. Knee-jerk reactions to things often come out looking just plain dumb. Need proof? If it please the court, I'd like to present Exhibit A.....the alleged funny (but not so much) pic "Just in From Hell".......
The caption on her post implied that the pic was "just in from Hell". Talk about things that make me go "Hmm....."
First off, the pic is meant to be funny. Hey, it's Saddam in bed with Osama bin Laden! Secondly, it's supposed to imply that both Osama and Saddam are in Hell. It got me thinking.....
The Mind of God
First thing I thought about was this assumption that Osama and Saddam are in Hell. Hey, they sure could be. I admit that. They were both bad guys, right? So, their both being in Hell wouldn't come as a big surprise I guess. But how do we know they're in Hell?
I'd argue....we can't. Sorry. Just can't. While I'm an atheist I try to keep up on my basic Christian theology and one of the core tenets of Christianity is that no one can know the Mind of God. Nobody. Not you. Not me. Nobody. We can never know what God is thinking or what his decisions are.
So, if we accept that premise to be true....and it makes sense, after all, if God is so much more superior than us, then we can never say we know who goes where after they're dead. Sure, there's a chance both Osama and Saddam wound up in Hell. There's also a chance they're in Heaven. We have no idea. Why? Cuz, we can't know the Mind of God.
Wait a minute! I hear some Christians yelling. Of course God sent them both to Hell because, why, oh why, would God let them into Heaven?
Umm....Mind of God? You ever hear the one where God works in mysterious ways? We just admitted we can't know what God's thinking so, it makes sense that if God allowed Saddam and Osama into Heaven, we might not understand it. Hey, God does stuff and we don't understand why he does stuff. He's God, we're not. End of story. We're puny little ant-like things in the presence of the glory that is God. How the Hell can we figure out why he does what he does?
Then there's the Christian problem of forgiveness. You know, if you ask God for forgiveness, sometimes he is cool and cuts you some slack. We don't know what Saddam or Osama's relationship with God was. Maybe they both asked the Big Guy for forgiveness and he was like, "Ahh.....ok. We cool yo'!"
Could happen. Lots of ministers and preachers tell us it can happen. That's a selling point for Christianity. No matter how fucked up you are....if you accept Jesus in your heart and ask God for forgiveness...bada boom bada bing! You're forgiven!
Fact is though, we have no idea really what God's forgiveness threshold is. And besides, didn't God's kid Jesus tell us not to judge lest we be judged or some shit like that? If we're judging these guys in Hell, sounds like we're not listening to The Kid very well are we? Aren't we being all judgmental in this case? Sure seems like it to me. I wonder if Jesus would get his rocks off laughing at this pic.
So, the more I think about it, the essential premise of the joke the pic is supposed to represent, that Osama and Saddam are in Hell.....you don't know and I don't know. The whole thing seems kind of silly, this idea of making a joke about something we don't know and can't know.
The Humor in Eternal Torment
Course, it gets darker though, as not well thought out things often do. The idea of the joke is that Saddam and Osama are in Hell and, even if we can admit that we don't know (and can't know) whether this is true or not, the simple idea of them both being there is supposed to be funny. Why?
What happens in Hell? Not good things, if you believe the Christian friends I know. It's torture, misery, unending bleakness, for all of eternity. Forever and ever. Not too guys kicking back smoking a smoke, drinking a drinky drink and hugging one out after thrusting one out. It's not a smiley, lovey-dovey post-coital glow session. It's Hell. It's torture. It's torment. And some people think that shit's funny.
That's funny? We think that torturing people forever and having endless amounts of pain inflicted on them without ever hope of any release or forgiveness.....funny? Really? Is that how we roll? What does shit like that say about us? We Americans assume we're superior to people like Saddam and Osama because they go around killing people but, at the same time, many of us get off on the suffering and torture of others. Really?
I don't know man....just the idea of that being funny is kind of sad to me. It seems pretty sick and twisted. A lot of the same people who get off at the thought of people being tortured in Hell for eternity and find it funny are caring, loving parents. They're good friends. They go to church. They give to charity. Yet, somewhere, deep down inside they still get off on the idea of other human beings being subjected to eternal torment. It gives them the giggles!
I mean, watching a guy trip and fall and have his face land in a pie is one thing, having someone tortured in pain for all of eternity....that's another. But you and I both know, reader, that there's no accounting for the tastes of others....
Two Naked Guys in Bed Are Funny Why?
The pic also implies that seeing Osama and Saddam in bed together, in Hell, is funny. They're both naked and they look happy, maybe even post-coital happy. Are two naked guys in bed funny? What? Is this like the 1950's or some shit when we made jokes about homosexuals because we thought being gay was something to be made fun of?
Uhh....no. Two naked guys in bed are, well, rather normal. Homosexuality happens in nature, it's a natural thing, it happens all the fucking time (go watch National Geographic if you don't believe me) so, two happy naked guys post a sweaty fuck session would seem.....natural. There's nothing about it that looks funny or presents itself as being worth poking fun at. Gay isn't funny. It's not anything to be ashamed of or be ridiculed or anything like that. So, why in the world is Saddam and Osama lying in bed together some grand ole' gag?
Unless....you're homophobic, maybe, and you think gay people are funny. Then I see a joke. Maybe. But even then all we see is two guys, apparently naked, kicking back smiling. In Hell. Don't forget the Hell part. Again....what's so funny about that?
Yeah....Looks Like Hell to Me.......
But, wait a minute. This pic is supposed to show Saddam and Osama in Hell, right? WTF? Does that look like any Hell you ever heard of? Aside from how twisted it is to be making fun of people presumably being tortured and hurt for all eternity without a hope of release, this doesn't look like Hell. Shit, it looks like a suite in the Four Seasons!! You got two happy, comfortable lovers who are in post-coital bliss enjoying a drink and a smoke! Is that what people in Hell have to worry about?! Fuck!!!! If that's the gig, send me to Hell!!!! It looks like a cool, happy place!
You'd think people hating on both these guys would want a pic that shows them suffering. You know, like, really having it bad! Maybe the 72 virgins Osama was hoping for turn out to be, like 72 Snookies or something. But these guys look good. Shit, they look great! Happy dammit! If this is supposed to be some joke on them, they actually look like they've turned the tables and are putting the joke on us. It's like they're both saying...."Yeah, we're dead bitches but we're having a great time so......suck our dicks!"
So, again, if this pic is supposed to depict Osama and Saddam in Hell....if we're supposed to be laughing at their eternal damnation and enjoying our certainty that God hates them as much as we do and....if this pic is supposed to be funny because they're being gay or, better yet for some people, being tortured miserably....the pic fails all kinds. It just does. You almost want to laugh at the pic, not because it depicts Osama and Saddam in Hell but because the pic is so divorced from the thoughts of what it's trying to do that it's really stupid.
One of my favorite things about emotional events is how little thought people put into them. Knee-jerk reactions to things often come out looking just plain dumb. Need proof? If it please the court, I'd like to present Exhibit A.....the alleged funny (but not so much) pic "Just in From Hell".......
2 comments:
what the hell are you talking about?
you said that you're an atheist,but you're still used Cristian theory about God..So even your self does not know what are you thinking.. ahhh.. crazy guy..
I used Christian (not "Cristian") theology because I thought it made for a fun way to make my argument. But, no, it doesn't make me a believer in any way, shape or form. Thanks for reading!
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