54 replies to this topic

[ScubaCutie]

Navy SEALS are always taught:



1) Keep your priorities in order

2) Know when to act without hesitation.



A Navy SEAL was attending some college courses between assignments. He had

completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor

who was an avowed atheist. One day he shocked the

class when he came in, looked to the ceiling, and flatly stated, "God, if you

are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly

15 minutes." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten

minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still

waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the SEAL got out of

his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the

platform. The professor was out cold. The SEAL went back to his seat and sat

there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there

looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken,

looked at the SEAL and asked, "What the hell is the matter with you? Why did

you did that?" The SEAL calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting

America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid crap and act

like an ass. So He sent me."





(This is a joke.)

Edited by ScubaCutie, 27 December 2005 - 12:50 PM.

[Basslet]

How are his rights protected if he gets beat up for expressing them?

[PacketSniffer]

How are his rights protected if he gets beat up for expressing them?

He didn't get beat up for what he said. He got what he asked for. It was just delivered indirectly from God.

[Basslet]

He didn't get beat up for what he said. He got what he asked for. It was just delivered indirectly from God.

No, it was delivered by a human who thinks he's acting in behalf of God. Kind of like how the suicide bombers feel.

[Walter]

Ellen, you are 100% correct. It's usually a bad idea to act in behalf of God. OTOH, the professor did ask to get knocked off the platform. Unless the class was about religion, it wasn't the proper place for such statements. The man was paid to teach a class, not to express his religious views. Express your religious/political views on your own time.

[ScubaHawk]

He didn't get beat up for what he said. He got what he asked for. It was just delivered indirectly from God.

No, it was delivered by a human who thinks he's acting in behalf of God. Kind of like how the suicide bombers feel.

Gotta go with you on this one. Remember the World Trade Center was destroyed by people who knew they were doing "God's will"
The SEAL's argument that "God was too busy today" hold no water - Christians believe that God is Omnipotent, he can't be too busy, by definition.

If God was protecting the professor's right to say such things, who was the SEAL to go against God?

"He sent me"

According to Christians, god sent an Angel to tell Mary that she was to birth the Saviour, but he spoke directly to the SEAL?

By extension of the SEAL's thinking, it also must be God's plan for him to get charged with assault and get a DD.

Edited by ScubaHawk, 26 December 2005 - 10:07 PM.

[SuperDave]

So ScubaCutie, did you learn your lesson???? This should have been posted in the "Humor without someone taking it seriously" section.

Good for the Seal. God doesn't believe in atheism.

SD

[ScubaHawk]

God doesn't believe in atheism.

He would have to, if there is no higher power than God, he can't believe in a higher power. Ergo: God would be an Atheist.

[Latitude Adjustment]

I have seen so many different versions of this story, he was a Marine, a Ranger, Green Beret and even an ROTC cadet.
I'm starting to think that everything I read on the internet may be fiction like the one I got Friday about the perfect woman finding the perfect man and having a perfect wedding.

[George]

I have seen so many different versions of this story, he was a Marine, a Ranger, Green Beret and even an ROTC cadet.
I'm starting to think that everything I read on the internet may be fiction like the one I got Friday about the perfect woman finding the perfect man and having a perfect wedding.

Well the perfect woman and wedding part is certainly fiction!

As for what branch of the military that may have done the deed, I'm guessing all would have were they given the opportunity.

[ScubaHawk]

I have seen so many different versions of this story, he was a Marine, a Ranger, Green Beret and even an ROTC cadet.
I'm starting to think that everything I read on the INTERNET may be fiction like the one I got Friday about the perfect woman finding the perfect man and having a perfect wedding.

Well the perfect woman and wedding part is certainly fiction!

As for what branch of the military that may have done the deed, I'm guessing all would have were they given the opportunity.

I don't agree with bashing service men this way! No matter what your politics, the men and women of the armed forces don't set policy, they are out there every day putting their lives on the line. They have an impossible job, but do it anyway. To generalize them all as violent, reactionary, intolerant Atheist bashers seems to be a bit much. You are entitled to your own opinion, and I will defend your right to express it, but I have met many service men and women in my line of work and I find most of them to be peaceful, tolerant men and women who don't think God gives them special mandates to carry out his orders. I know the story is fiction, but I'm guessing that 99%+ of the military , no matter what the branch, would not have assaulted the professor.

[Walter]

I don't agree with bashing service men this way! No matter what your politics, the men and women of the armed forces don't set policy, they are out there every day putting their lives on the line. They have an impossible job, but do it anyway. To generalize them all as violent, reactionary, intolerant Atheist bashers seems to be a bit much. You are entitled to your own opinion, and I will defend your right to express it, but I have met many service men and women in my line of work and I find most of them to be peaceful, tolerant men and women who don't think God gives them special mandates to carry out his orders. I know the story is fiction, but I'm guessing that 99%+ of the military , no matter what the branch, would not have assaulted the professor.

I have to agree with you here, Hawk.

[AliKat]

Being one of those service members, I don't feel "bashed" at all by stories like this. Granted, I don't believe that this is how God would have chosen for the SEAL to handle this situation, but, from a human perspective, I don't think it was the least bit reactionary - besides folks, it was a JOKE - and service members can tell 'em, and we take 'em.

And, you're probably right that 99% of us would not have assaluted the professor, but 99.999% of would have wanted to and would have cheered on the one that did!

[ScubaHawk]

This was not presented as a joke. Nowhere in the title, subtitle or post does the concept of joke, or humor come up. The simple into of "Here's a little 'humor in uniform' for you" would have gone along way. Presenting this story as "fact", although no sources were cited, and holding it up as an example of proper behavior goes against my beliefs. The fact that many people condone assaulting the professor, and knocking him unconscious, because he questions their religious beliefs (in his own classroom), scares me. The set-up of the story implies a philosophy / religious studies / anthropology etc . . . class, not (for example) a math class. Would you also condone attacking teachers who teach that the earth is round, or the sun is the center of the solar system or (gasp) evolution?

And, you're probably right that 99% of us would not have assaulted the professor, but 99.999% of would have wanted to and would have cheered on the one that did!

Are you saying that 99.999% of military people condone the attacking of an apparent Atheist (although it doesn't mention what point the professor was leading up to) are the 99.999% willing to cheer any attack on non-believers? How about believers is a "False God"? (any god not believed in by the cheerers) What an insight. I will fight this every step of the way! I will not be the one cheering, I will be the one defending the right of the jeered!

[SuperDave]

I have an IQ of 48 which makes me legally retarded in most states. I read it as a joke. I would say we need to relax a little but maybe Christmas or the equivallent was to stressful on everyone.

It was funny. I know there was no political/religious agenda in ScubaCutie writing it. I wouldn't punch the prof but would do my best to get him fired.

SD