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Jesus comments here are only promised to true believers, not to all people. A second point should be made. Considering the context, it appears that he is speaking primarily spiritual blessings, not material goods, like request for a million dollars. Finally, all our requests will be fulfilled, but not until heaven. On earth, a Christian should always pray also, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, as Jesus instructs in the Lord's Prayer. Ultimately, a Christian who prays in faith should understand that Jesus loves us all, and so will gladly will give us what we need and things that are good for us, and keep from us things that would be harmful to us.
Jesus comments here are only promised to true believers, not to all people. A second point should be made. Considering the context, it appears that he is speaking primarily spiritual blessings, not material goods, like request for a million dollars. Finally, all our requests will be fulfilled, but not until heaven. On earth, a Christian should always pray also, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, as Jesus instructs in the Lord's Prayer. Ultimately, a Christian who prays in faith should understand that Jesus loves us all, and so will gladly will give us what we need and things that are good for us, and keep from us things that would be harmful to us.
But of course it isn't true that Jesus gives good Christians what they need or what is good for them, and he doesn't keep things from you that are harmful.
Find the best Christians in the world, and their cancer survival rate will be the same as anyone else's. Prayer won't help them at all.
The children of Christians die at birth at the same rate as the children of atheist or Hindus.
God says "no" at the same rate and in the same circumstances as coincidence would have the same effect otherwise.
Is the power of prayer strong enough to regrow an amputated limb?
As I figured out when I as talking about Dylan praying to be a better person on here, it's not. And it's not because God is uncaring, it's because he only cares about sin and virtue, and sometimes it's easier to be filled with virtue from a wheel chair. This is why we get the verse about, it's better to cut off your hand than have a hand that sins.
Therefore, it would be impossible to know if our prayers our answered, since it blurs the lines of knowing whether our vice or virtue belongs to us or the divine.
Now I'm wondering more what Hell is, and if it's an ethical place to put someone. What about Sheol? I want the biblical depiction, not popular belief of fire and brimstone or Dante's version of it.
As I figured out when I as talking about Dylan praying to be a better person on here, it's not. And it's not because God is uncaring, it's because he only cares about sin and virtue, and sometimes it's easier to be filled with virtue from a wheel chair. This is why we get the verse about, it's better to cut off your hand than have a hand that sins.
Therefore, it would be impossible to know if our prayers our answered, since it blurs the lines of knowing whether our vice or virtue belongs to us or the divine.
Now I'm wondering more what Hell is, and if it's an ethical place to put someone. What about Sheol? I want the biblical depiction, not popular belief of fire and brimstone or Dante's version of it.
There is a way to tell if prays are unanswered.
Take a group of 500 Christians with sick Christian Children. At least some of those Christians will be good Christians. And they will all pray that their child gets better.
Then compare that to 500 non-Christians, none of which will be good Christians, and almost none of which will pray to God.
Is their a statistical difference in the rate at which their children die? Are Christian children more likely to recover?
Studies similar to the above have been done. Praying has no different effect than meditating, which is to say it doesn't really have an effect.
Is their a statistical difference in the rate at which their children die? Are Christian children more likely to recover?
Studies similar to the above have been done. Praying has no different effect than meditating, which is to say it doesn't really have an effect.
That's because as I just said before, prayer only changes our vice or virtue. That's it. It has no effect on lifespan, other people or anything else.
Prayer is probably the undoing of many people's faith, I know I was born believing, and then stopped at 4 or 5 because I didn't think prayer did anything.
Hiker45, you're right about what it infers. What I said made it seem like Hugh Hefner would be starving.
I do wonder why God doesn't seem to intervene in animals lives on earth. They are innocent, yet loins eat their own babies. During war, animals are maimed just as soldiers are. Maybe this is why frogs regrowing limbs comes in. Divine intervention on their behalf.
As an atheist, how much time/money do you give to charity?
If you really are interested in what I have done for charity rather than assuming that because I am atheist I haven't done anything, I'd be happy to tell you via a private message. I'll guarantee one thing though.... I've done more for charity than you have. I'll wager that you have never wept in Somalia as a 1 year old child that had never known a full stomach, died in your arms - looking up at you with eyes pleading for help that you couldn't give.
Did you really say that "their god" I don't think that star fish are stupid enough to believe in a god.
Oh I don't know Ash. I have a large number of goldfish out in my garden pond. I'm sure that just before I feed them in the morning, one of them gathers them all together and says...
'Hark ye, creatures of the Pooliverse. I say unto thee that soon will appear the Eyeballs In The Sky for they cometh always at this time'. Verily, I say unto three that the Great Provider will come any minute now and food will fall from the heavens.'
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