God-DOES-Answer-Your-Prayers

[fuelair]

Don't you all know what Sylvia Browne has to say about this? She says,
"God answered your prayer. He said no." : (

Thus proving Mark Twain and Me right all along: if there is a Dog, "God is a malign Thug!"

 

[The Atheist]

That's good they never had a chance to get to you. Imagine the woo you could throw if you were a believer.

I've often thought about starting a church - the easy money is pretty attractive.

 

[fuelair]

Oh, pick an easy one - I can answer that for 10 points:

Life, as you're talking about it, is life on Earth. As you know, even if we live to be 100 years old, that is but an eye-blink to the enormousness of eternity. Do you never make plans for the future? To a terminally-ill person, the illness gives that person the luxury of being able to plan for the Next Life while still here. Any of us Sinners could be taken at any time, but imagine the perfection of knowing of your forthcoming death and being able to lay the foundation with Our Lord Jesus^TM in your last days. What could be a more perfect ending to life as a human than a terminal disease? Even better if the disease should be excruciatingly painful - pain is a great cleanser and the short amount of suffering is rewarded at the right hand of Jesus Christ.

I think it's accordingly fair to say that his goal of perfection in this Earthly life was achieved. Who among us would not take the chance at securing eternal happiness for the sake of a few short years on Earth?

As to "life is Prayer", again your problem is your short-sightedness. When one is at peace with our Lord, "life" is Life Eternal. You may die and revert to dust, but those in whom Our Lord finds favour have an awful lot longer to think about and we merely consider it part of our life, exactly as this is. Praying is no more than being at one with Jesus, talking to him as the Father of His people and our Guide in this life and the Next. As you grew up, no doubt you talked to your father. As we progress through our lives, we talk to Our Father. We just happen to call it Prayer. We think communication with Our Lord Jesus is worthy of a name better than "conversation".

That the boy's short Earthly life has served as an inspiration to others to emulate his perfection is a Testament to the Love of Our Lord, Jesus Christ and should be rejoiced as the Divine Miracle it is.

Yours in Christ

The Atheist.

Since you are speaking reasonably in terms of your beliefs, I won't respond with trademark smartoffisms. I will simply say, the problem of the existance/allowal of evil prevents me from believing in any of this. If it makes someone feel better and they do not try to force it on others, that is fine - but I cannot logically or emotionally accept it.

 

[A_C_C]

Well, as a pretty-much-lapsed Catholic I have to say that God answer your prayers... although a lot of times the answer is NO.

And sometimes is like a joke that I heard the other day:

During a flood a devout guy was praying for God to save him. Before the water reached his house, the sheriff came to evacuate him, and he refused saying that God would save him. Later, he was inthe roof, his house already half in the water another guy with a boat came to get him to safety. Again, he refused, saying that God would save him. Sometime later, his house was almost entirely under water and an helicopter came to rescue him. again he refused saying that God would save him. He drowned and went to Heaven, and there he asked God why he hadn't been saved, and God answered that He had sent him the sheriff, the boat guy and the helicopter, so if he was so determined to drown what could He do?

 

[DRBUZZ0]

Well, there is some truth to the idea of god being possible through quantum theory. One of the pillars is that basically nothing is impossible, since probabilities are the basis of partial physics.

So there is the possibility that god does have all kinds of crazy powers and is watching me right now. It's also possible that all the atoms in my body will realign themselves to the other side of the room, or that all the instable isotopes on earth will decide to decay at the very same moment.

Also, monkeys could fly out of my butt.


But I wouldn't count on any of these things happening within a timespan of a few quintillion years.

 

[polkablues]

Well, as a pretty-much-lapsed Catholic I have to say that God answer your prayers... although a lot of times the answer is NO.

And how do you tell the difference between a system in which some of your prayers are answered and some rejected, and one in which there's nobody listening to or doing anything about them? The results will look exactly the same... i.e., sometimes things will work out the way you hoped and sometimes they won't. And especially if there's no direct correlation between the purity of one's character and the efficacy of their prayer (and we're all aware of how bad things can happen to good people, just as good things can happen to bad people), how can we tell that there's a god up there making those calls?

 

[The Atheist]

Since you are speaking reasonably in terms of your beliefs, I won't respond with trademark smartoffisms. I will simply say, the problem of the existance/allowal of evil prevents me from believing in any of this. If it makes someone feel better and they do not try to force it on others, that is fine - but I cannot logically or emotionally accept it.

You did see my name, didn't you? "The Atheist"?

None of those are my beliefs - remember; atheist = no god.

 

[Bionic Hips]

My first post in a very long period of time and I think my second.

Integrating Dustin's thread on Beating A Dead Horse, has anybody else noticed we are sitting here poking holes in "God Does Answer Your Prayers" while Ryan G. is doing the dirty work of being a lone voice in the wilderness on that site? Kudos to Ryan, but he probably could use some support.

 

[A_C_C]

And how do you tell the difference between a system in which some of your prayers are answered and some rejected, and one in which there's nobody listening to or doing anything about them? The results will look exactly the same... i.e., sometimes things will work out the way you hoped and sometimes they won't. And especially if there's no direct correlation between the purity of one's character and the efficacy of their prayer (and we're all aware of how bad things can happen to good people, just as good things can happen to bad people), how can we tell that there's a god up there making those calls?

You can't. That is the reason because is called belief.

 

[Baron Samedi]

Found while surfing........

-------------------------
I hate to say this, but my brother is a member of the James Randi website which is a website for skeptics and critical thinking. They totally trash the movie "What the 'bleep' do we know?".

more ....

http://vitalvotes.com/blogs/public_blog/God-DOES-Answer-Your-Prayers-7918.aspx#9788
-------------------------

You know, some days you wake up and the world is great and full of wonder and amazement and just full of possibilities. You're here in your limited time frame, and now is the time to actually live.

Then you read this tripe, and then wonder why you even bother to try.

I guess they were implying that the movie was biased cause the producers were spiritual Tibetan monks I think.

No, it's stated that the movie is dreck because of so many reasons, none having to be Tibetan monks. (Who was the monk? JZ? I thought she was from Atlantis? And please, not implied. I've never heard anyone describe this film negatively and use such a passive word such as 'imply'.)

Oi.



I really should go back to producing Emoto-certified 100% holistic and homeopathic energy charged bottled water for these nutters... potential consumers.

 

[Freethinker]

Well, as a pretty-much-lapsed Catholic I have to say that God answer your prayers... although a lot of times the answer is NO.

I presume you have evidence and can cite a documented example of god ever answering a single prayer? Check out: http://www.whydoesgodhateamputees.com/

It seems god chooses only to respond to prayers if the requested action could happen with no intervention. In obvious cases, like amputation, god NEVER helps. No matter how good you are or how fervently you believe and pray, god won't see fit to restore even an amputated finger. Apparently Christians believe he'll cure metastasized cancer, but he won't bother with amputees.

 

[fuelair]

You did see my name, didn't you? "The Atheist"?

None of those are my beliefs - remember; atheist = no god.

Thought name odd - but trying to be nice (I get an occasional burst of it)!

 

[A_C_C]

I presume you have evidence and can cite a documented example of god ever answering a single prayer? Check out:

It seems god chooses only to respond to prayers if the requested action could happen with no intervention. In obvious cases, like amputation, god NEVER helps. No matter how good you are or how fervently you believe and pray, god won't see fit to restore even an amputated finger. Apparently Christians believe he'll cure metastasized cancer, but he won't bother with amputees.

*sigh*

I have said before that is a question of faith. There is no proof that God had answered any prayer.

And if by the methastasized cancer you mean some of the supposed miracles at Lourdes or Fatima, I have my own big doubts about them.

Note: I have deleted the direction because I have not enough posts to post an URL

 

[The Atheist]

Thought name odd - but trying to be nice (I get an occasional burst of it)!

You are a true gentleman, then!

I would've just gone straight for the kick in the nuts.

 

[pv+]

You can't. That is the reason because is called belief.

Not! It's called "faith". A belief can be based on supporting evidence of some kind. Like, I believe a bus might be coming along in ten minutes because it says so here on the timetable, or one came along at this time yesterday. Faith, on the other hand, is evidence-free. In fact, faith not infrequently exists in spite of evidence to the contrary.
Words are important.

 

[Baron Samedi]

Not! It's called "faith". A belief can be based on supporting evidence of some kind. Like, I believe a bus might be coming along in ten minutes because it says so here on the timetable, or one came along at this time yesterday. Faith, on the other hand, is evidence-free. In fact, faith not infrequently exists in spite of evidence to the contrary.
Words are important.

Absolutely agreed here. Think of it this way. Take the following statement, and fill in the blank with the following:

I <blank> I will get a raise this year.
a) am positive
b) believe
c) know
d) have faith

With each of these four statements, ask yourself what the likeliness of each of actually getting that raise. (c) seems most certain, while (d) makes it appear that it is the most unlikely to happen. You're also implying that for (d) to occur, that someone outside of your control has to step in and break a few rules and overwrite a few things here and there. If I take the statements introspectively, I would think:

(a) = I had a great year at work, and accomplished a number of tasks
(b) = My performance was okay, but maybe the business isn't making money, and besides, maybe the boss likes that Bill Johnson more than me.
(c) = The boss took me out with his golfing buddies and talked out stock options, off the record of course.
(d) = I really bungled the status reports for two months and made everyone look like a fool, and I still can't get a hold of proper SQL coding, and people rarely talk to me any more. But somehow, somewhere, something good will happen none the less.

Try the same exercise with the statement:

I <blank> that the Seattle Seahawks will beat the Green Bay Packers.

In each of the four cases, who would you guess is winning the football game at that time? What do you think the score is? How much time left in the game? And look at it the other way as well. If the score is Seattle 41 Green Bay 3 with 5 minutes remaining, who would claim to have "faith" Seattle would win?

 

[Freethinker]

*sigh*

I have said before that is a question of faith. There is no proof that God had answered any prayer.

You have? You've made 6 posts and your only mention of prayers is where you said "...I have to say that God answer your prayers...", and here where you say there is no proof.

Indeed, there is no proof god has answered any prayer. Not only that, there is evidence to indicate prayers are not answered.

 

[A_C_C]

Not! It's called "faith". A belief can be based on supporting evidence of some kind. Like, I believe a bus might be coming along in ten minutes because it says so here on the timetable, or one came along at this time yesterday. Faith, on the other hand, is evidence-free. In fact, faith not infrequently exists in spite of evidence to the contrary.
Words are important.

Yes, you are right. It's faith, not belief, I have the tendence to use both words as synonims.

You have? You've made 6 posts and your only mention of prayers is where you said "...I have to say that God answer your prayers...", and here where you say there is no proof.

Indeed, there is no proof god has answered any prayer. Not only that, there is evidence to indicate prayers are not answered.

See above, about my second post in this thread (and the opportune correction by pv+). And regarding your second paragraph, I thought that it's impossible to prove a negative.

 

[Moochie]

Jesus picks winners?

What can ya say?

After winning the Masters yesterday Zach Johnson said, “My Christian faith is very important to me. It was very special to win the Masters golf tournament on Easter Sunday. I am very blessed. I would like to thank God. I felt Jesus Christ with me on the golf course every step of the way.”

M.

 

[NobbyNobbs]

I don't know about you, I'm going to live forever or die trying.

Maybe, if I remain imperfect, this will help.

Or, to put it another way...

Some people try to achieve immortality through their works or their children. I prefer to achieve immortality by not dying.

*sigh*

I have said before that is a question of faith.

Are you implying that there isn't a single amputee in this entire world with enough faith?