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  #1  
Old 06-27-2005, 12:53 PM
wozo30 wozo30 is offline
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Default Prayer

I have a question to all religious believers. If God is perfect in every way, why pray?? Isn't that asking God to change his idea or path for you?? And wouldn't that be implying that God is imperfect?? I understand the table grace and the implied dialect but asking God for a miracle or to save another's life is just a theorhetical smack in the face is it not??
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  #2  
Old 06-27-2005, 01:09 PM
Stu Pidasso Stu Pidasso is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

[ QUOTE ]
I have a question to all religious believers. If God is perfect in every way, why pray?? Isn't that asking God to change his idea or path for you?? And wouldn't that be implying that God is imperfect?? I understand the table grace and the implied dialect but asking God for a miracle or to save another's life is just a theorhetical smack in the face is it not??

[/ QUOTE ]

The best example of prayer in the Bible(that comes to my mind) is when Christ is in the garden and he begins to asks that he be spared the crucifixion but concludes by asking that the will of the Father be done.

Prayer is about glorifying God and submitting to his will. Its not about asking him to change his will.

Its apparent you have a warped understanding Christianity Wozo.

Stu
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  #3  
Old 06-27-2005, 02:55 PM
wozo30 wozo30 is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

I wouldn't say warped just ignorant. I don't knock anyone for their beliefs I just don't fully understand the degree to which some go. I respect what you say but still have a hard time basing my life on faith instead of hard facts. But I guess faith is a solution to the unanswerible questions.
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  #4  
Old 06-27-2005, 04:05 PM
Aytumious Aytumious is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

[ QUOTE ]
But I guess faith is a solution to the unanswerible questions.

[/ QUOTE ]

Faith is an excuse to not ask further questions.
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  #5  
Old 06-27-2005, 05:57 PM
TomCollins TomCollins is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

Hey George Carlin, welcome to the forums.
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  #6  
Old 06-27-2005, 07:02 PM
TStoneMBD TStoneMBD is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

well stated stu.

id like to further add that god is capable of divine intervention, but in most cases divine intervention is in direct conflict with free will and i do not believe that it is god's intent to intervene free will.

studies have shown that prayer has helped people in hospitals over people who have not been prayed for. i dont know the validity of these tests, but assuming that they are true for the purpose of this arguement shows that god is capable of divine intervention in this situation in which free will is not broken.
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  #7  
Old 06-27-2005, 07:52 PM
Aytumious Aytumious is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

[ QUOTE ]
studies have shown that prayer has helped people in hospitals over people who have not been prayed for. i dont know the validity of these tests, but assuming that they are true for the purpose of this arguement shows that god is capable of divine intervention in this situation in which free will is not broken.

[/ QUOTE ]

Placebos have also been shown to lead to benefits in health. How are we to distinguish whether prayer is not benificial due to the same physiological mechanism?
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  #8  
Old 06-27-2005, 08:01 PM
TStoneMBD TStoneMBD is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

i really dont know the extent of the test, but from what i understand the patients that performed better were unaware of the prayers being sent out for them.
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  #9  
Old 06-27-2005, 08:47 PM
Aytumious Aytumious is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

[ QUOTE ]
i really dont know the extent of the test, but from what i understand the patients that performed better were unaware of the prayers being sent out for them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought of that after posting. Statistical fluke perhaps, who knows. I'd need to see the study. I'd be more inclined to believe in some sort of unknown psychic connection amongst humans before I did in a god answering prayers, however.
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  #10  
Old 06-27-2005, 10:57 PM
David Sklansky David Sklansky is offline
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Default Re: Prayer

"Faith is an excuse to not ask further questions"

It is worse than that in many cases. It is an excuse not to study hard subjects. That's probably why so few highly religious people get Phds in the subjects that require precise answers. (The other alternative is that people who don't have the smarts to get these Phds, even if they desired them, are forced to turn to faith as a rationalisation, just as some unlikeable or ugly people become fat.)
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