Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Religion and Spirituality
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-21-2012, 02:54 PM
 
30,864 posts, read 36,786,213 times
Reputation: 34421

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffpv View Post
...why does one need insurance, go to a doctor, or buy a gun to protect oneself?
It's not a black/white thing. It's better to think about prayer as increasing your odds of a favorable outcome.

There was a whole book written called Healing Words by Larry Dossey. Dossey is a doctor who found many studies on the positive effects of prayer had been buried away and ignored because they didn't fit with the scientific establishment's anti-religious, anti-spiritual mentality.

Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine: Larry Dossey: 9780062502520: Amazon.com: Books
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-21-2012, 02:59 PM
 
Location: where people are either too stupid to leave or too stuck to move
3,982 posts, read 6,668,586 times
Reputation: 3689
I think whether you pray or not doesn't matter because it depends on if god is willing to do what you are asking for or if it's in his will for it to happen, so what difference would a prayer request matter . However maybe you can use prayer just to talk or say thanks :-/
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-21-2012, 03:48 PM
 
Location: SC Foothills
8,831 posts, read 11,581,510 times
Reputation: 58253
Ah well, as a Christian I never really prayed I guess, not in the traditional sense. I sorta just talked "at" God after so many unanswered prayers and no resolution to even how I felt as far as doubt and questions, so I did the only thing that was left and started looking at things rationally and removed all of what I had been taught, the denial and fairy tales, which left me with atheism.

But if prayer makes one feel better, I have no problem with that.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-21-2012, 04:12 PM
 
1,595 posts, read 2,756,142 times
Reputation: 849
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffpv View Post
...why does one need insurance, go to a doctor, or buy a gun to protect oneself?

Original Sin entered the world and changed what was intended for humans. Free will does not mean god will always be Johnny on the spot rub the magic lamp genie for everyone, especially when everyone does not worship him (it). Do you ask for a job and then never go look for one?

Prayer is more for hope than having every want given.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-21-2012, 07:25 PM
 
Location: S. Wales.
50,081 posts, read 20,523,846 times
Reputation: 5927
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lolipopbubbles View Post
Original Sin entered the world and changed what was intended for humans. Free will does not mean god will always be Johnny on the spot rub the magic lamp genie for everyone, especially when everyone does not worship him (it). Do you ask for a job and then never go look for one?
Hmm. Eating an apple is the reason why God can't or won't answer prayers, half the time. 'Free will' is the catch - all excuse as to why God doesn't deliver, as often as not. But because some people don't worship God is a new excuse as to why God doesn't deliver on the promise made in the gospels - that for those who ask in Faith, God will do it. That's what it says and it doesn't happen more frequently than through coincidence. That's what the results of tests show.

If we look for a Job, we look for a Job, but not on our knees in a church.

Quote:
Prayer is more for hope than having every want given.
That I can agree with.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-21-2012, 07:51 PM
 
Location: City-Data Forum
7,943 posts, read 6,035,171 times
Reputation: 1359
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amaznjohn View Post
You must have the perfect family, with no sickness, no injuries, no death, just total bliss.
That, or a perfect understand of bliss not being the result of comfort, but comfort the result of bliss. Happiness and acceptance is the path, not the destination.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-21-2012, 08:25 PM
 
7,381 posts, read 7,669,494 times
Reputation: 1266
Quote:
Originally Posted by LuminousTruth View Post
That, or a perfect understand of bliss not being the result of comfort, but comfort the result of bliss. Happiness and acceptance is the path, not the destination.
Seriously though, if one of your family members gets sick, do you get mad at God for not watching over you, or do you pray asking what you did to deserve this punishment?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-21-2012, 10:18 PM
 
Location: Victoria TX
42,579 posts, read 86,648,499 times
Reputation: 36642
My favorite Simpson's scene: Homer on the roof of his house shouting, "O God, why does this happen to me?". The booming voice from the firmament says "Your call is important to us . . ."
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2012, 02:07 AM
 
Location: S. Wales.
50,081 posts, read 20,523,846 times
Reputation: 5927
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr5150 View Post
Ah, yes. The "God is my whipping boy servant" concept-again.

Clueless, with an agenda!

Study up on Christian theology. You will then understand.
Can we take that as a 'No, we call a doctor, but give the credit to God if the treatment works'?'
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2012, 03:19 AM
 
3,448 posts, read 3,121,924 times
Reputation: 478
Quote:
Originally Posted by AREQUIPA View Post
Which is not answered positively, as often as not, even if you don't ask for mountains to be uprooted. Thus it is not as described in the gospels. Therefore it is a human activity and there is no reason to suppose that any Christian divinity is paying any attention.

only a farce suggests asking is for individual material need....everyone knows the idea of prayer has nothing to do with ..."getting". (what is this anyway, just more of the grab and go culture.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Religion and Spirituality
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top