Counter argument for the religious belief that illnesses are a consequence of no

Question: Counter argument for the religious belief that illnesses are a consequence of not worshiping god!.!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

You could try all-powerful logic!. Though, some people are inherently needlessly irrational and won't understand logic no matter how hard you try!.

The logic fallacy committed here is 'correlation doesn't imply causality!.' ('c um hoc ergo propter hoc' in latin, or a similar fallacy 'post hoc ergo propter hoc!. you can search both on wikipedia and other resources)!.

This fallacy is committed when two events occur simultaneously(c um hoc), or one after the other(post hoc), and the person claims that one event therefore *causes* the other!. Frankly, it's one of the most common ones I personally see!.

Example from wiki: in the 1950's carbon dioxide levels increased, and so did crime rates (which is a true statistic)!. Here, a correlation is established between two events: increase in carbon dioxide and increase in crime!. However, it's clear that a logic fallacy is committed when someone tries to claim that 'carbon dioxide thus, *causes* crime," which as anyone can tell, is a retarded claim!.

In your example, the same fallacy is committed!. A correlation is established between two events: someone getting sick and someone not worshiping God!. Likewise, it would be equally irrational to claim that not worshiping god *caused* the illness!.

Some other obvious examples:

Correlation: Joe is diabetic!. Joe also robbed a bank!.
Irrational causation: Being diabetic caused Joe to rob a bank, or diabetics are bad people who rob banks!.

Correlation: The sun sets!. The street lights also turn on at the same time!.
Irrational causation: Turning on street lights causes the sun to set!.

EDIT-hmm, so the word 'c um' is censored, even though it's latin!.!.!.lolWww@QuestionHome@Com

Hadn't really thought about it but I guess there could be truth to that actually!. If you have God in your life, it is likely that your stress level will be lower and the corresponding likelihood of illness will also be lower!. Hmmmm, could be!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because everyone gets sick, not just the sinners and non-believers!. Of course the crazy religious zealots will come back at you about how God is testing his faithful!.!.!. BS!
And I mean the minority of crazy religious zealots not most of the religious community!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Illness is not a consequence of not worshipping God!. We live in a fallen world!.!.!. everyone gets ill!.!.!. God never said we wouldn't!. In fact he says very clearly that we will suffer!. Our reward for our faith is not in this world!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If one really believes in GOD, then illness and/or hardships strengthen their belief in HIM!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

When Adam and Eve were booted from Eden, they were made mortal!. Theoretically, becoming ill is part of mortality, so then you could accept that God making us PRONE to illness is divinely ordained, though the presence of new diseases dispels the argument that He is actively giving us illnesses!. That was not His intent in expelling the original sinners from the Garden, as He put us here as a testing ground to prove our faith!.

That aside, I'm an atheist and from a strictly existential sense, it is irrational to think that some divine being is punishing us (especially one who we claim is the essence of goodness)!. We can quite conclusively prove that life on Earth has undergone stages of development by tracing the genealogy of living beings and cross-referencing genetic codes, etc!.!.!. There were no seven days, there was no "then He created man" stuff, and that suggests that the very origins of most religious beliefs are flawed at their outset!.Www@QuestionHome@Com