The power of prayer: in action

Meanwhile...It's good that God had the time to personally return her wallet, though. And that she saw the safe return of her wallet as a top priority which warranted the mass mobilization of her friends' prayers.

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"If I had to write ten jokes about potholders, I don't think I could do it. But I could write ten jokes about Catholicism in the next twenty minutes. I guess I'm drawn to religion because I can be provocative without harming something people really care about, like their cars."
-George Meyer, Simpsons writer

This might be the time to ressurect my old prayer/drugs/meditation thread. But I don't know where it is.Any admins know?

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"If I had to write ten jokes about potholders, I don't think I could do it. But I could write ten jokes about Catholicism in the next twenty minutes. I guess I'm drawn to religion because I can be provocative without harming something people really care about, like their cars."
-George Meyer, Simpsons writer

I'd like some orange soda.Does this mean God is working through Schraf to tell me I want orange soda? It's good to know he's got the time to do that.

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"If I had to write ten jokes about potholders, I don't think I could do it. But I could write ten jokes about Catholicism in the next twenty minutes. I guess I'm drawn to religion because I can be provocative without harming something people really care about, like their cars."
-George Meyer, Simpsons writer

God is a dadaist?

Yes, riVeRraT. When I said "God", I meant "Dan". Right on the nose, good work.

Good to see he's got nothing better to do. Ask him for what?If I did something, I'd kind of like to know what it was.

More than God. Hell, just saying, "Y'know, that should stop" is doing more than God. No... only that he thinks that whispering in peoples' ears about orange soda is a top priority. You were the one who suggested that God mucks about with mankind, answering prayers. I'm sure there are people who pray for an end to violence. So why does God answer peoples' prayers about meaningless crap, and let the big stuff slide?

Do you not see how the end of this paragraph contradicts the start of this paragraph? I mean directly contradicts it?If God is as powerful as you say, then there is no reason why these bigger issues should take any longer. Speak for yourself, guy. So God'll get around to this stuff later. For now he's got important soda-related matters to attend to. Got it. So... what, the things that happen on Earth are unimportant to God because of that? (Except for soda-related matters, of course.)Wow. Actually, I don't believe in God for a number of reasons. But it just seems odd to me that God would personally take the time out to tell you where to pray, but let millions of people die in Africa.

Unless, of course, it's about losing wallet, or figuring out where to pray. Then God's totally comfortable stepping in and sorting things out for you. Okay: there's no God. What you see is what you get.Enjoy! Heck, long as he's coming down anyway to make sure you don't pick the wrong prayer spot, it sure would be nice of him. I'm sorry, everyone. It was ethnocentric of me to just go ahead and assume that Africans don't like to be killed. You're right. They should really appreciate just how good they have it over there. Heck, I do my part by doing what I can for everyone I encounter. I just wish God would do the same. That'd be awful swell of him.

I'm sorry, I'm busy proving that there are no invisible, intangible, inch-tall baboons crawling around inside my rectum. Once I've got that done, I'll move on to God.But let's humor you a second. You say there's a God. Cool. What's "God"?I'm not asking for a resume line, such as "the creator of the Earth". I'm asking for what it is. Once you've established that, you can start quibbling about whether or not it's there. What about them? I don't recall speaking on their behalf one way or the other. The only thing I said about them was that it was within God's power to stop them, and that he chooses not to do so, presumably because he's far too busy making damn sure you pray in the right spot. I see... so the millions of Africans killed thus far simply didn't take advantage of the many chances God gave them to have an awesome life.You should tell them that. I'm sure they'll appreciate it. (Oops, there I go assuming that Africans want an awesome life.) I notice you don't say how I twisted your words. Only that I did. It sure would be a shame if people were just good to each other for the sake of doing so, rather than because God expected it of them.What a nightmare world that would be. Heck, I can't even get anyone to tell me what God really is!Besides, I have yet to see all this love God is laying down on the people. I guess he loves the Africans by allowing all that pain and death? (Although in fairness, I can't say for sure if they don't like pain and death. Hey, maybe they do, and it is God's way of loving them!)This message has been edited by Dan Carroll, 10-28-2004 02:59 PM

Considering you skipped half my post in favor of just calling me ignorant, I'm not overly concerned. And this has the sum total of what do to with an African child born into a war zone having "everything he needs" to live an awesome life? As long as someone believes in God, I see no problem with them doing something good both because it's good and because they love God. I also see nothing wrong with someone doing good because it's good, and because they love delicious chicken salad sandwiches.Of course, It'd be stupid if I told someone that they could not do good without chicken salad sandwiches.Try and learn from this little parable. That's good, because you're sure as Hell not answering anything. See above, re: not answering.

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"If I had to write ten jokes about potholders, I don't think I could do it. But I could write ten jokes about Catholicism in the next twenty minutes. I guess I'm drawn to religion because I can be provocative without harming something people really care about, like their cars."
-George Meyer, Simpsons writer

Watch my complete and utter lack of shock.

See, this just isn't true. In response to me saying how I help others, your exact words were, "I'm sorry to say this, but taking God out of the picture, and teaching others to feel the same way, to me is not really helping." And as individuals, they most certainly do not. Once again, how does a child born into a war zone have everything he/she needs to be happy? It is by no fault of the individuals that they are in this situation.If God is everything you say it is, then it has the power to help these individuals. But it chooses not to do so. Meanwhile, God does choose to help you find the right place to pray.Again... God's priorities, as far as who he's willing to help, and with what, are utterly fucked.

Again, it would sure be a nightmare if people just did the right thing because it was the right thing, without God being involved at all. Yes, and I don't recall ever saying otherwise. I've said that God has the power to help them and can't be bothered, not that God is directly responsible for their woes. It must be nice to have that much power, and no responsibility whatsoever to use it to help others. Actually, you can read the news, and count the dying. You can't actually see the bullet cracking their skull and drilling into their brain, but you can still know it happened. Then you can make the wild assumption that people dying for no reason is bad. I love when people tell me what I want. It's such a treat. By looking at what he does and doesn't do. What he does do is clearly a higher priority.Pretty simple, when you think about it. No. They would be done at the same time. So is God all-powerful or isn't he? If he is, then this is bunk.

Has done: Told you where to pray, allowed many many people to die in Africa.Doing, going to do: Who knows? But while he's been getting around to it, millions of people have died. And that's just a lovely abstract thought. Maybe we can put it on a sign, and hang it over a mass grave or two. Can't. Of course, I'm not omnipotent and omniscient. God is, apparently.