Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolores de Barriga
In this case, what would be the point of praying for God's help?
Let me explain my thought. A person prays to God for help for two basic reasons - either because of being hurt by another human being, or due to some natural disaster/disease. The latter are beautiful acts of God who just wants to see people suffering loosing their possessions, families, and apparently He has a real thing for little children suffering and dying from cancer. So you'd be basically praying to God for Him to change His mind, and therefore make Him acknowledge that He was somehow wrong when He smote your house with a hurricane. Not a very smart thing.
However, if you are praying because you are being hurt by another human being, God -- according to your own definition of free will -- cannot interfere because He would be interfering with your tormentor's free will. Hence, God cannot reply to a prayer of a raped child. He cannot reply to a prayer of a beaten and starving slave. He cannot reply to a prayer of a tortured political prisoner. He cannot reply to a prayer of any innocent person suffering any sort of persecution - because that would be infringing on the free will of the people doing the persecution.
So basically, if the free will is so important, then prayer is meaningless.
Thank you for your lecture, Pastor Bathfire. It's always so humbling to read words of a person whose passionate faith cannot be changed by some pesky secular evidence.
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I think it depends on who you ask does prayer have meaning? It can... depending on who. I found prayer to be uneffective I'd much rather take action.
Bad things happen to people all time...it's just a fact of life. It's the complex state of being human. We're not animals I believe God when he created life merely told the animals be what you are created to be except cats.
Did I mentioned I think cats are the best gift from God? They seem to do as they please...and all have different personalities. All of them are special in every way. I think good personally crafts each one then breaks the mold when he's done. They're just special.
I think he does the same for dogs...but only personality as they are man's best friend...
Sorry I just love animals.