Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Arrogant Thanksgiving?

Arrogant Thanksgiving?

Last updated on: May 3, 2020 at 6:53 am by James F. McGrath

Arrogant Thanksgiving? 2020-05-03T06:53:24-04:00 James F. McGrath

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Randal Rauser commented on Twitter about the following meme image, saying ‘There’s nothing “arrogant,” “vain,” or “self-absorbed” about believing that you’ve been granted a blessing and being thankful for it. If you want to see arrogance in action, just look at this tweet.’

Here’s the conversation that ensued between me and him in response:

James F. McGrath
@ReligionProf

I disagree. I think the Book of Job and much else in scripture as well as experience highlights the theological problem with claiming that we have avoided suffering while others have not because God favors us. I think one can make this point as a Christian and not an atheist.

Tentative Apologist
@RandalRauser

I never made the claim that people avoid “suffering while others have not because God favors us.” I don’t even know what “favors” means in that context.

James F. McGrath
@ReligionProf

I thought you were commenting on the image, which seems an appropriate response to the belief of some Christians outside the majority world who thank God for providing them with a parking spot at the mall while other Christians have no car, no mall, and little or no money.

Tentative Apologist
@RandalRauser

There isn’t any reason provided in the tweet to interpret “special favors” as only trivial requests. But even so, there is nothing arrogant per se about being thankful for small blessings as well as big ones. That is perfectly consistent with a person being humble and kind.

James F. McGrath
@ReligionProf

Being thankful is one thing. Being thankful that someone chose you over others to receive good things rather than bad is something else.

Tentative Apologist
@RandalRauser

I’m sorry, but you’re simply misreading the meme. The target isn’t people who say “I’m so thankful that God blessed me over you.” The target is people who say “I’m so thankful that God blessed me.” It’s a general critique of providence and thankfulness.

James F. McGrath
@ReligionProf

I think you’re misreading the implications of claiming you have what you do because God has blessed you. It implies something about those who lack what you have.

Tentative Apologist
@RandalRauser

Let’s keep this tethered to the original meme. Are you claiming there are implications that entail anyone who is thankful to God for a blessing is thereby “arrogant,” “vain,” or “self-absorbed”? Because that’s the claim in the meme. And if you agree, on what basis?

James F. McGrath
@ReligionProf

I think that anyone who says they have been blessed because they have experienced X implies that those who have not experienced X have not been blessed. Do you agree? If so, the only question is whether it is arrogant and self-absorbed to do so.

Tentative Apologist

@RandalRauser

I am thankful that I have been blessed with a career I love, a healthy child, a happy marriage. I know others not blessed in that way I don’t think I am thereby arrogant and self-absorbed. Do you?

James F. McGrath

@ReligionProf

Are you thankful to God for having singled you out to receive those things while others did not? It is possible to be thankful without being thankful to an anthropomorphic deity for arranging everything precisely to your advantage at the expense of others.

And then a bit later…

Tentative Apologist

@RandalRauser

So if Jimmy gets a new train for Christmas, his thankfulness to his parents includes, by implication, thankfulness that other children who wanted a train did not receive one? I mean, that just doesn’t follow. Why do you think it does?

James F. McGrath

@ReligionProf

If Jimmy’s siblings also asked for a train and didn’t get one? Do you really believe that while you thank God for providing you with food, no children of the same Heavenly Father experience hunger?

Tentative Apologist

@RandalRauser

Once again, your implication claim is manifestly false. A child can simultaneously be thankful that *he* received a train while also being disappointed that another child did not, and indeed hopeful that the other child will receive something even better.

James F. McGrath

@ReligionProf

One can be grateful in all circumstances. But to thank a person for giving you what they did not give to others has implications.

Tentative Apologist

@RandalRauser

There are many possible implications, but being grateful that others aren’t blessed need not be one of them. Your position entails that a couple who is grateful to discover they’re pregnant must thereby be joyful that other couples are infertile. Again, that’s clearly false.

James F. McGrath

@ReligionProf

Two points, which I’ve made already but apparently need to repeat: 1) The implication only follows if people attribute their good experience to an anthropomorphic deity. If they do, then saying thank God for my pregnancy does indeed imply something about the infertile.

2) I’ve said all along people ignore this implication of the language they use. They don’t rejoice in the suffering of others. They do, however, make it worse by using language that implies those others are not favored by God the way they are.

What’s your view of this? Was my take or Rauser’s on the meme correct, or perhaps both are possible and neither is “correct”? What else ought to have been said if anything?

Previous Post

May 2, 2020

Academic Consensus for Laypeople

Next Post

May 4, 2020 Altered Carbon

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Peter 1 Samuel 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Corinthians 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 Samuel 2 Thessalonians 2 Timothy academia Acts of the Apostles afterlife Akhaten Alcatraz American Academy of Religion Amos Anglican Arabic Aramaic archaeology art artificial intelligence astronomy atheism atonement Babylon 5 Baptists Battlestar Galactica Bible Biblical Studies Carnival biblioblogging Black Mirror Blade Runner Book of Job book review Buddhism Call for Papers China Christianity Christmas Christology Chronicles Coptic creation Daniel Deuteronomy Doctor Who Dune Easter Ecclesiastes economics education Eldad Keynan Enoch Seminar Ephesians eschatology Esther Evangelicals evolution Exodus Expanse Ezekiel Ezra fantasy Fringe fundamentalism Galatians games Ge'ez genealogy Genesis Gnosticism Gospel of Jesus' Wife Gospel of John Gospel of Judas Gospel of Luke Gospel of Mark Gospel of Matthew Gospel of Peter Gospel of Thomas Greek Harry Potter Hebrew Hebrews Hinduism historical Jesus history Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Holidays horror Hosea humor incarnation India inerrancy information literacy inspirational Intelligent Design Ireland Isaiah Islam Israel Italy James Jeremiah John the Baptist Jonah Joshua Judaism Jude Judges Judith Lamentations languages Latin Leviticus libraries literature Lord of the Rings LOST Mandaeans Mandaic memes Methodism Micah monotheism morality Mormons movies music mythicism NASSCAL Nehemiah new perspective New Testament news Numbers Orthodox paganism panentheism pantheism Patheos Paul and his letters Pentecostals Philippians Philippians 2:6-11 philosophy physics Planet of the Apes podcast politics Progressive Christianity Protestantism Proverbs Psalms pseudoscience racism religion Revelation Roman Catholicism Romania Romans Ruth scams science science fiction Secret Gospel of Mark Society of Biblical Literature Song of Songs Star Trek Star Wars Stargate Swahili Syriac Taoism technology Terminator The Handmaid's Tale The Hobbit The Matrix theodicy theology theory Timeless Titus tomb Torchwood travel TRON Uncategorized United Kingdom Westworld X-Files young-earth creationism Zechariah

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 February 2007 January 2001

Follow Us!

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Blessed are the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the meek. Where was this sermon delivered?

Select your answer to see how you score.

In a synagogue On a mountain By the sea In the temple

Books by This Author Books by James F. McGrath

See All Titles »

Related posts from Religion Prof: The Blog of James F. McGrath

The Sin of Biblical Inerrancy

Religion Prof: The Blog of James F. McGrath

Imagine No Churches?

Religion Prof: The Blog of James F. McGrath

This Is How I Fight...Just Be Kind

Religion Prof: The Blog of James F. McGrath

Happy Thanksgiving!

Religion Prof: The Blog of James F. McGrath

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian

The Sermon on the Mount, Part I: Matthew...

The Sermon on the Mount, Part I (Matthew 4:12-5:12) St. Matthew moves...

What's up from Crossway

What's up from Crossway: Reviewing some of their latest A few weeks...

Janie Learns the Way of the Cross: A...

Teaching children about Jesus' Passion can be challenging. Many parents and educators...

Looking For Good Catholic Writing - October 2026

He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of...

Luther on Tools

In "Irreplaceable," our book on vocation and technology, Trevor Sutton and I...

The British Museum-- Part Two

I was strolling through the top floor of the brand new Parthenon...

view all Progressive Christian blogs

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos