I was going to write a piece about the insanity of more than a thousand Muslims dying in the last few days from heat stroke during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca — but my friend Nolan Dalla beat me to it and said everything I would have. Here are a few excerpts:
What kind of sick old demented sadistic “god” dictates that every member of the flock make a pilgrimage to some “holy” Disneyland while demanding a lifetime of ceaseless sacrifice, blind obedience, and unwavering devotion…..and then rewards those most dedicated believers with 1000+ deaths from heat stroke?
Well, it just happened. Again. If this were any other public spectacle — a rock concert, a political rally, an international festival — and a thousand people dropped dead, it would be stopped immediately. But hey, this is *religion* and you know what they say about God working in “mysterious ways.”
This madness is common. Hundreds of needless deaths. Mass suffering. It happens every year. In 2015, more than 2,000 “pilgrims” were killed in a stampede. A stampede? Like running of the bulls, with no bulls. Thousands of worshippers following the sky daddy’s commandments — savagely trampled to death while boarding the godly merry-go-round.
Do these believers really think some benevolent old wise guy is up there listening to their prayers? If so, how about starting the prayer with this: “Please God, don’t let me get trampled to death or die in a heat wave.” I don’t want to seem ungrateful for our many blessings, but is that really too much to ask?
Now go read Nolan’s full piece.