God truly is faithful to those who believe? Ok. I wanted to believe this for a long time.

[gbate]

Does God really? I mean, really?? A friend of mine posted on her blog today that she believes her son is making such good progress in school because so many have "lifted him up in prayer", thus concluding that if you really do believe (and pray enough, I suppose) that all good will come to you. You just have to be faithful enough.

Sorry for such a heavy topic here on the lounge. I don't know whether to envy those with such a simple worldview or feel cheated because my son is having problems in school and apparently my prayers haven't been good enough.

Geez.

[idgiehkt]

1. My brother and his wife and daughter

went through a category 4 hurricane in that little town outside Pensacola Florida (can't remember the name) because their 'faith' was so strong, rather than evacuate. And even afterwards, and even though the living room ceiling fell in on them, she bragged on and on about how little damage they had compared to the other ones around them because they are 'such good Christians'.

[sakabatou]

16. ...

:eyes:

[mainegreen]

2. Ask yourself: How many limbs has god caused to grow back due to power of faith?

The answer, none, is rather illuminating.
Faith is important, but it should be a faith in oneself.

[pitohui]

12. as jesus himself said, no man ever added an inch to his height by prayer

when even jesus and buddha advise skepticism, i'm going to assume those two know more about god than some halfwit praying for her son to get good grades

it just don't work like that

[Xipe Totec]

17. Excellent riposte n/t

[AlCzervik]

3. people prayed for him to get better grades?

[PassingFair]

4. You would have to be "deaf, dumb and blind" to believe that.

I have seen too many bad things happen to too many good people,
and too many good things happen to too many rotten people to even
BEGIN to believe that crap.

I find it interesting that people believe
they can influence "gods" through
mind control.

I am of the *hit happens variety of believer.
We play with what we are dealt. Every day.

[Reverend_Smitty]

5. I've been struggling with my own idea of faith for several years now...

and maybe because I was raised Catholic and very much suffer from Catholic guilt that my faith in God and an afterlife is holding on by a finger nail. Every bit of my rational self tells me that there is no God, no fate, etc. Life is just a series of choices you make and events that just happen, some good and some bad and all the prayer in the world won't change things...just your actions. I would really like to believe that your life will be changed if you pray enough or that there is a Heaven but I just can't anymore. Another part of "faith in God" that bothers me is the whole bit about bad things happening to good people. If God is all powerful, then he can stop it but he doesn't so how does that make him a benevolent being? and if he is like the Deists idea of God (a hands off being) then what is the point of praying to him in the first place because he won't do anything anyway.

[Arugula Latte]

6. People who believe a deity did them some favor 'cuz they prayed make me sick

How frickin' ARROGANT can you get?

And how frickin' STUPID do you have to be to actually believe that....

Like people who survive a plane crash where others have died and it was because they prayed and "God" "saved" them. Yeah, right.

[Tyo]

7. Soooo....

God smiles on those who are lucky enough to have lots of people to pray for them, but if you are kind of alone in the world with not a lot of prayers going up with your name on them then God isn't as interested in you? So your worth in God's eyes hinges on how many prayers people send up on your behalf? Hmmm.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. yeah

all those parents whose children die of cancer, say, just didn't pray hard enough. God's a bastard.

[SocratesInSpirit]

9. I think God always hears our prayers

But sometimes his answers to them are "no", or "not yet". If God is supposed to be omnipotent and all-knowing, then his answer is always right (That's not to say I don't struggle with believing this, though! :) )

Did you ever see the movie "Bruce Almighty"? There was a scene where Bruce, as God, is sick of reading everyone's prayers, so he sets up an automatic "yes" response to each and every prayer - and this ends up causing a lot of trouble.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

10. Think of faith

if that word works for you, as a ray of light. Think of all the earthly and worldy distractions as awnings that block the light. Think of trying to move out from under the awning in to the light. Faith is what keeps us from commiting suicide or taking revenge or turning into a cynic when life deals us shit.
Not to be dismissed either is the idea that when you have faith and ask for help, you find that maybe you are attracting others to you who feel the same way. Others that can help, assist or point out the error of your ways (thinking) to you.

[SPKrazy]

11. Try Posting In Religion Theology Forum...

well maybe not

Does a "God" care about things such as what you describe?

Me thinks it is pure narcissism to think that out of all the things in the universe, a "God" would care about progress in school, etc.

Also a bit strange, really, but unfortunately not uncommon at all.

:shrug:

[L A Woman]

13. All things are possible if you believe (Mark 9:23)

The problem is that some people don't understand the concept. It doesn't mean that if you believe you can win American Idol, and you pray, God will make you the American idol. It has more to do with faith and making the best of the hand we are dealt. You can be in an accident and become a quadraplegic - and you can choose to stop believing OR you could have faith that all things are possible if you believe. Christopher Reeve did - and he did not walk again - but he sure left the world having made it a better place. That is what it means.

These simpletons like the people in "Jesus Camp" have such a superficial understanding of biblical concepts. What makes me sad is that so many people on THIS site think those people are representative of the Christian community and they are not. They are simply the loudest.

Ugh, sorry. Don't get me started. :-)

[UncleSepp]

15. Thank you :-)

I think that when what a person wants to believe, what he thinks he should believe, what he thinks he does believe, what he says he believes, and what he actually does believe are all the same, he will act according to his beliefs without effort. It becomes easy for him to do what is right, because that is also what he wants to do. It becomes easy for him to accept his world, because the external world and the internal world affirm each other instead of conflicting with each other. Tests of faith are experienced as real tests, as opportunities to assess, use, and strengthen faith rather than as assaults from the outside.

Praying for someone to get well is often interpreted and experienced as talking, as making a wish. I think that deep prayer is about listening. I believe that the answer to a prayer about 'please make this undesired thing stop happening' or 'please make this desired thing happen' happens inside the person who prays, not outside in the world. Perhaps the person who prays realizes how to handle the undesired thing and can cope with it. Perhaps he gets ideas about how to act toward achieving the desired thing. Perhaps the desire lessens, and he realizes that what he thought he wanted wasn't what he actually wanted.

[Ms_Dem_Meanor]

14. IMO, all things are possible

if you beleive in a higher power. Be it God, Allah, Buddah,etc. If you are a person that has strong faith, then your prayers will be answered.