The Uselessness of Prayer

Lotan · Post by **Lotan** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:50 pm

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Matt. 21:22

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. James 5:15

Q. Is prayer a waste of time?

A. Prayer is an ineffective superstitious behavior, and the Bible's claims regarding it are false.

Lotan · Post by **Lotan** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:02 pm

Confused wrote:I would say that anyone who didn't look at extraneous variable before considering a miracle was blind. No person responds to treatment or disease the same as another. An autopsy can give some of the picture, but it still can't say why two identical cases would result in one death and one recovery.

That's about what I expected. This is like the 'God of the Gaps' argument; if the doctors can't say exactly why a patient recovers (or even if they can), then 'Hosanna!' it's a miracle! Our pastor's mom was near to death, but then to everyone's surprise she rallied and has been relatively well for a few months now. You can imagine the mileage he gets from that

Confused · Post by **Confused** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:26 pm

Lotan wrote:
Confused wrote:I would say that anyone who didn't look at extraneous variable before considering a miracle was blind. No person responds to treatment or disease the same as another. An autopsy can give some of the picture, but it still can't say why two identical cases would result in one death and one recovery.
That's about what I expected. This is like the 'God of the Gaps' argument; if the doctors can't say exactly why a patient recovers (or even if they can), then 'Hosanna!' it's a miracle! Our pastor's mom was near to death, but then to everyone's surprise she rallied and has been relatively well for a few months now. You can imagine the mileage he gets from that

You will get no argument from me. Prayer could be equated with the God of Gaps argument in the case of "miracle cures".

(psst: I agree with you, just having fun getting a rise out of you, BAD GIRL))

Cogitoergosum · Post by **Cogitoergosum** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:11 am

i'll admit to a miraculous recovery when a critically ill patient recovers without treatment. If he recovers with halliluyahs and holy water, i will convert, but as long as they are recieving treatment there is no reason to suppose the metaphysical or the paranormal. The treatment was given because it works in most people, and when it works it is no miracle.

Cephus · Post by **Cephus** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:45 am

I'll believe in miraculous healing when I start seeing things that are just medically impossible. Let's see people regrowing limbs and organs spontaneously. Let's see a complete reversal of Alzheimers. Let's see serious, disfiguring diseases vanish without a trace instantly. Then I'll start considering miracles and not until.