Assuming that Christians are right about life -- that we live because God has a "plan" for us -- then why did he construct miracles to preserve the lives of some of the most reckless and self-destructive people on the planet? Why are some people able to cheat death?
it's supposed to leave you with more than just a "scratch" on your finger.
Karma: None. The former NBA rebounding champ was not on his way back from volunteering at a soup kitchen; he was returning from a DJ gig in St. Tropez.
Other high-risk behaviors: Lived in Detroit for seven years, taunted Karl Malone during the 1997 NBA Finals, became a professional wrestler, developed substance abuse habits that required multiple trips to rehab, had sex with Madonna and Carmen Electra. Spit in the Grim Reaper's eye with a book titled I Should Be Dead by Now.
God's plan: This was a man created to rebound the basketball, but since he doesn't do that anymore, it's hard to understand why the Big Guy's in Rodman's corner. Maybe he just enjoys groovin' to Rodman's DJ mixes?
Fidel Castro
Why he should be dead: Because when the CIA wants you dead, it usually succeeds. Now I don't necessarily believe what former bodyguard Fabian Escalante claims, that the CIA tried to kill Castro 638 times (although that number is eerily specific). But the exploding cigar? The fungal-infected scuba suit? Come on, you can't make that kind of thing up!
Karma: Maybe Castro really is the people's hero. Maybe his revolution really was intended to empower workers at the expense of the nation's former ruling class. Maybe God and the forces of karma are very gullible.
Other high-risk behaviors: He staged a daring attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953 that left little doubt about his intentions to topple the Batista government -- and in banana republics like Cuba, leaders of failed coups are not typically long for this world. Also, he spent a half-century atop a regime that squelches public dissent, a climate in which domestic assassination plots tend to bloom.
God's plan: Considering God hates socialism (a Republican told me so), this is a tough one to figure. Most likely, Castro's longevity owes itself to God's desire to show his chosen country (America) the folly of Communism.
Keith Richards
David Blaine
Jack Bauer
Why he should be dead: Because even for a fictional character, it's hard to imagine how a single man can fight so much terrorism, to the point that he literally appears to be doomed in every single one of 24 hours, across eight separate days. Jack's overall record in kill-or-be-killed matchups with bad guys: 266-0.
