I was watching a basketball game the other day, and the winning team said that God helped them win. So I guess he’s too busy helping guys make the 3-pointers to worry about world peace.
You make a great pointfluiddruid. If only we could all do our parts and treat each other on a daily basis with loving kindness and care, the world would truly be a better place. I do believe though, that God does know the beginning from the end and the way our world has evolved was probably not what he had in mind,though he allowed it to happen for a greater purpose. He gave us all free will and this is what we have chosen to do with it. God help us to pray and believe through faith that he is in control and someday there will be peace and safety here on earth.
Yes, but God apparently was a bit too busy on Monday to help them win again, so maybe he was busy in the Middle East that evening.
More power to whoever feels that prayer helps them out, but wouldn’t an omniscient God know that I’m not happy with what’s going on over there? For that matter, does he really need my opinion to wake him up to the realization that what’s happening in the Middle East isn’t a good thing? People are killing in his name, after all.
I’m confused. On the one hand you emphasize that we have free will and a choice to mold the world a certain way, but on the other hand, we are expected to have faith that God’s ultimately in control of everything and will fix all of our problems (when he feels like getting around to it)?
I’m afraid I just can’t accept that. Just because people have made poor decisions, and continue to do so, doesn’t mean that we can’t solve some of our own problems. Does that mean that world peace will break out and everyone will beat their guns into plowshares? No, of course not. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t make things better, and I think one must focus on your own behavior to do that. Prayer is fine, and I think that having a spiritual life can be very much a part of being loving and compassionate, but prayer simply is not a substitute for doing something.
I object to this sort of debating tactic. What you are saying, in effect, is: “Either you believe that prayer is effective, or you are a fearful, hateful, unloving person.” This is, of course, a false dichotomy. It is quite possible to note the ineffectiveness of prayer AND be a loving person.
Also, skepticism is NOT the same as cynicism.
I never said God will fix all our problems. I said to believe that he is in control of the world and knows the ending to the story. If you’ve read any of prophecy and what the end times entail, you would see that there is something to hope for for each individual. Eternal life in Heaven. God never said life on earth would be easy. He said to trust him in your daily struggles and he will get you through it.
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If you meant that God will actively participate in the end of the world in the Christian worldview, then that is what I was referring to.
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I’m familiar with Revelation and with other Christian teachings. I’m simply not a believer. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
I don’t think that everyone needs to share a faith to make the world better.
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I’m afraid I’m not a Christian, but I manage to get through my daily struggles. However this was not the point I was trying to get across. We were talking about prayer.
Ignoring the little sidelight on God’s will and how it affects our own free will, I was taken by the idea that we need to pray, yes, but also to do what we can that needs doing…
Cliche that it is, the Serenity Prayer is applicable:
“God grant me the serenity to accept those things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Taken seriously and with the intention to follow through as and when God gives the requested results…
Somebody (C.S. Lewis?) once said we don’t pray to change things, we pray because prayer changes us.