When a believer in God is blessed (by God) with something for free or drastically discounted by another in distress I question whether a “God” has anything to do with it – at least a God that I would be drawn to. Not one that causes others to lose in order to get stuff for His followers. I think the concept can be applied not only to an individual on individual scale, but on a nation to nation scale. The claim of “blessings” arises most often from the guilty conscious of the winning parties.
As I respect believers and non believers alike, I insert here a disclaimer – not all transactions fall into the category discussed.
When a Christian nation triumphs over a nation of non-believers (or believers in another type of God), slaughtering millions in righteous authority, is it the Christian God who wields the bloody sword, or is it the ingenuity, strength, and commitment of the Christian soldiers who bring victory to their people? I am not even sure a good Christian will claim that their God kills on their behalf. A good one, that is.
When Fred’s wife leaves him after his business takes a turn for the worse causing him to liquidate everything and short sell the house, some guy named George makes bank off buying and flipping that house. With a portion of the proceeds George takes his wife on a Hawaiian vacation. Sipping on her Blue Hawaii while lounged on the terrace at the posh hotel they are shacked up in for two weeks, she says to her-flush with cash George-with a twinkle in her eye, “We sure are blessed.”
I think any good individual knows that the winner is the smarter of the two. There is nothing wrong with thanking their God for the conquest, but even He will give them the ultimate credit.
This business of thinking that God takes sides, even for a moment, is detrimental to us all. Winners or losers.