As Hurricane Milton approaches many cities were largely deserted but some people decided to shelter in place
Most left when they were told to. But some chose to stay, even though officials warned Hurricane Milton would turn their homes into coffins.
Along Florida’s Gulf coast, where millions of people were urged to get out of harm’s way, cities were largely deserted on Wednesday afternoon as time ran out to evacuate. Those who remained were advised to shelter in place as best they could. Others who fled spoke of their dread at what, if anything, they would return to once the storm had passed.
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William Tokajer, police chief of Holmes Beach, told islanders who planned to stay to write their names, dates of birth and social security numbers on their limbs with Sharpies to help identify their bodies after the storm.
I feel bad for these people because I have a feeling that they are staying not because of religion, politics or any other reason other than … they can’t afford to do anything else. I know a few people in Florida and from what I’ve gathered from many people who live down there, life is expensive and it got even more expensive in the past decade.
Many people can’t afford to evacuate. No car, no cash, nowhere to go… plenty of people like this exist.
But that’s not these people. No, this article addresses those who, in the face of a very real and very deadly storm, choose to believe in a wish-granting invisible sky wizard instead.
Evolution is cruel, but fair…
But here’s a bedtime story for the “faithful”:
Sleep tight.
Yeah … I’m as anti religious as the next guy … I’m indigenous so I’ve seen a lot of “Christian love” to know that these people are probably religious nuts.
But I also know desperation and being cornered into a life you have no control over … especially if your life leads you into a dangerous situation and you have no money, no wealth, no options and no hope.
I know a lot of proud people that would never admit to anyone that they can’t afford to save themselves and they’d rather raise their hands and praise the lord than admit defeat.
I may not share the same beliefs as these people and chances are they might not appreciate me either … but it doesn’t mean I’ll give up my sense of empathy for my fellow man.
It’s wild seeing a message of intelligence, empathy and compassion getting downvoted, while several other messages condemning all religious folks everywhere get solidly positive responses. I’m strongly atheist myself, but only sith deal in absolutes… Or maybe I’m just fortunate like you, to have met a real variety of people in my life, so I know that there’s a possibility that there is more to someone than just what I read about them on the internet. Either way, I like your take and I appreciate that you voiced it here.
Ah, I was gonna post that joke but you beat me to it.
When I heard this story, the man wasn’t just being obstinate, every time he was offered rescue, he turned it down because he was sure someone else needed the help more than he did. It’s a minor difference in words, but a major difference in the tone of the story.
You’re completely missing out on how many religious people want to die, there’s a reason virtually every major religion say suicide makes you go to the bad place.
If you legitimately and completely believe in an ever lasting paradise, any type of life will be disappointing.
If they die it’s just “god calling me home”.
It’s why religions are so dangerous. If someone believe in an eternal afterlife, throwing your life just means skipping to the good part. Literally any action can be justified by saying the god(s) desire it for whatever reason. Even an ineffable one.
“The Lord will save me” ones want to die, it’s passive suicide to get around the punishment for it
it’s almost like it was designed that way to make people throw their lives away for a ruler and to bare the misery created by aristocracy. it’s classic good cop bad cop the church tells you it’s going to be alright just keep your head down and keep working it will all be over soon oh and btw gives us a 10% tip on your way out. While the elite torment you making you work more and live less.
I think it’s more that they want to prove to themselves God exists, because if he does, than clearly, he would save them through miracle. Arrogant bastards they are, they think God will personally help them out. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
If that is the case, they should say so and seek assistance. Not lie about it.
Their problem is they’ve already convinced themselves…
There are other reasons too. I was told by someone that they know a person who couldn’t evacuate because they run a cat rescue. You can’t leave rescue animals behind, but you also can’t take 10 of them (or however many) with you.
One of my friends is stuck right now because his mom took the car and bailed while he was taking out the dogs. So there’s also that…
Pretty sure your friend could have found someone to give them a ride, including emergency services.
Yeah, I think religious explanations are often given when someone can’t tell or can’t face why something is happening. When people tell me they’re doing something out of religious conviction, I usually wonder what the real reasons are.
I don’t know, I think you may underestimate the depth of religious convictions in some areas of the country.
Yeah there are definitely some earnestly religious people.
I just think that material circumstances, group identity, social status and things like that are what determine the behavior of social primates. Religion is a convenient explanation because it makes you look upstanding and can justify absolutely anything, really.
I think that the modernist and materialist interpretation of society is very lacking and outdated. Humans are not purely rational creatures, and incredibly counterintuitive behavior, up to and including massive movements of millions of people contrary to their material interests and the interests of their own social advancement, has been and is caused by religious mania.
We’re definitely capable of some amazingly counterintuitive behavior - things like moral panics, groups who make high risk travel, or high control cult groups. But again I’m not convinced that religion is causing that. A lot of those things have non religious examples as well - large parts of the cultural revolution sounds like a secular mania to me.
I still suspect these sorts of things are just human behavior. Even if we finally cast off religion for good, I fear we’d still see all the same things happening just with different explanations.
I mean, I’d include that in the list of “Things that have weak material triggers and are largely outbursts of irrationality based on abstract beliefs”
I would imagine that it might also be that maybe it’s all they ever known, and so t know where else to go. I know that’s how I’d feel if it were to be me in their shoes.
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