Would You Like to Thank Someone?

It seems like believers are always thanking God for just about everything. I even hear it at work: "I'm just so thankful, praise you, Jesus!". Is this just some natural human need to be grateful to someone or something for being alive? Because people are thanking God for the mostly unmiraculous; it doesn't take anything out of the ordinary to create the response. The everyday, the mundane (even finding a close parking spot at the mall), is good enough to cause some people to shout out thank yous to a deity.

Does this describe you? If not, why don't you thank God more often (if you believe in God, that is)? Do you wait for something worth thanking "him" for? Or are you more like one of my old landladies, Miss Silva, who once berated her tenants for things like saying grace. "I've got no need," she would say, "to mumble over my food. God knows you're thankful, and if he don't he ain't God, and there's no need to say anything to him."

Miss Silva spent most of her time watering her yard and watching her "stories" (soap operas) on her battered old television set. She seemed happy enough with her life, and she didn't want for money, so why didn't we ever hear "Praise Jesus" coming out of her mouth?

If you're don't believe, do you ever feel like thanking someone? Do atheists feel the same urge to shout the equivalent of "Praise Jesus!" to someone or something?

How about you? Are you thankful right now for Skeptical Eye? Are you grateful to Nikkolas Jakson for bringing this extraordinary blog to you on a daily basis? Shouldn't you be on your knees right this minute pouring your heart out in gratitude?

I have a suggestion. If you are an atheist or agnostic, why don't you direct all that suppressed worship and praise to me, and not just about this blog, but about everything. Go on, it's okay. Just say "Thank you, Nikkolas, praise you Nikkolas, Dear Nikkolas, you've given me so much!"

Now, don't you feel better?