1.12.2006

keeping his children under control

A facetious blog entry from Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert:

According to MSNBC, about 50 people died in Saudi Arabia during the annual ritual of throwing stones at the devil. Apparently a stampede broke out when somebody tripped on luggage. That sounds like a poorly conceived punch line, but it actually happened. And it isn’t the first time. In 1990, 1,426 people died in a stampede while throwing stones at the very same devil. (No word as to whether luggage was involved.) And in 2004, the devil killed another 244 stone-throwers the same way. By my count, the score is Devil 1,720 and Believers 0.

This is on the same day that the guy who shot John Paul II was freed. Clearly, the devil is having a good day.

I think it’s interesting that when you pray to God for a new bike, it hardly ever materializes in your bedroom within seconds. But when you throw stones at the devil, quite often you get an immediate response.
A few remarks:

(1) Obviously Adams posted early as the death toll rose to 350, making it devil 2,020 and believers 0.

(2) This resonates with what I wrote about yesterday as far as immediate satisfaction versus long-term satisfaction.

(3) The devil always has a good day in this world -- because it's his. We are not of this place, so the scorecard will always seem overmatched.

(4) The devil always seems like he's responding quicker, because he is waiting to trap you, sin crouched by the door. Don't forget this.

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