A Mysterious Coincidence Can Lead Us To Think Some Agent Did it

Okay, okay, I'm an atheist. But I'll tell you that I was a bit shocked today with something that was so initially mysterious I attributed it to an agent. Yep, me, John Loftus the atheist. A friend on Facebook thought the late Ken Pulliam's blog no longer existed and asked me if Ken's posts on the atonement were lost. Ken's blog is still there so I linked to these posts in a message back to him. And guess what? Well, this is what. Look at the picture and tell me you might not conclude what I did. Remember, Ken was an atheist who is dead and gone. Or, is he? This is what I saw:


Here's a blow up of that picture:



















Pretty shocking isn't it? I couldn't believe my eyes. Is this some sort of message from God? Did some obnoxious Christian find a way to do this with Ken's blog? It took me back, honestly.

Then I scrolled down his posts and found that same image (do it, it's there). Facebook grabs an image along with a link so this is the one it grabbed. End of story.

Now here's how the mind of the believer works. It sees agents in that which is mysterious. I'll betcha some Christian will even comment below that Ken is in hell and that this is a warning to me from God. But this is nothing other than superstitious thinking. I know there is no hell, so it is pure superstition to conclude from a mysterious coincidence that it exists. Likewise, whenever there is a mysterious coincidence it's superstitious to consider it an answered prayer. The best check on a delusion is the evidence. The evidence strongly supports the fact that this picture was a chance happening. The evidence from scientific studies on prayer strongly supports the fact that prayer does not work. To think otherwise is superstitious to the core. Adults are scientifically minded, not superstitious children.

If this can happen ever so briefly to me, then it easily explains why there are believers in the world.

BTW: I miss Ken. Take a read through some of his posts while you're thinkng of him.

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