Your thoughts on prayer 2

 It does seem the modern trend today when refering to God as He/Him to write it in small letters as he/him. This constantly happened in the original prayers thread. I guess I'm old fashioned.

On 13th September 2008 18:22, John Ravenscroft wrote:

Me too, Catherine.

You look like a girl I knew when I was a student - and also like a colleague I used to work with. She taught Religious Education! 

Was that a compliment?

On 13th September 2008 09:48, John Ravenscroft wrote:

"Nothing fails like prayer." Anne Gaylor 

I'm sure prayer can have beneficial psychological effects on the person who is praying. Other forms of meditation can do the same kind of thing. But as I don't believe there's a God listening to your every word, and waiting to do whatever it is you want him to do, I find I have to agree with Anne Gaylor.  

Hi John:  Well, you and Anne Gaylor are missing the point of prayer.  Remember, God isn't a genie:

I got nothing that I asked for,

But everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself,

My unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among all men, most richly blessed.

 

Answer to Prayer is often a paradox, John.  And God answers in ways that we don't expect, notice of even want.  Often His care of us in answering is only noticed in hindsight.

 

Two questions, John.

1)  Do you have hope?  I ask because when I think of atheism, it just seems so cold and clinical and seems to want to take hope away from those who believe in God by telling them they're foolish.  If atheists want to do good for their fellow man by warning them not to believe in something that's not true, and that something they believe in gives them hope, what would atheism offer them, in terms of hope, I mean?

2)  Why do you think Lewis' theology was a mess?

Two questions, John.

1)  Do you have hope?  I ask because when I think of atheism, it just seems so cold and clinical and seems to want to take hope away from those who believe in God by telling them they're foolish.  If atheists want to do good for their fellow man by warning them not to believe in something that's not true, and that something they believe in gives them hope, what would atheism offer them, in terms of hope, I mean?

2)  Why do you think Lewis' theology was a mess?

On 13th September 2008 19:29, Catherine England Schleunes wrote:

On 13th September 2008 18:22, John Ravenscroft wrote:

Me too, Catherine.

You look like a girl I knew when I was a student - and also like a colleague I used to work with. She taught Religious Education! 

Was that a compliment?

Well, Catherine - as they were both attractive women, I guess it is a complement! 

The student was called Catherine, too. The religious education teacher was called Helen, and believe it or not her surname was Moses! 

Hi John:  Well, you and Anne Gaylor are missing the point of prayer.  Remember, God isn't a genie:

I got nothing that I asked for,

But everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself,

My unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among all men, most richly blessed.

 

Answer to Prayer is often a paradox, John.  And God answers in ways that we don't expect, notice of even want.  Often His care of us in answering is only noticed in hindsight.

 

Ruth, I'm sure you've heard of confirmation bias.

Confirmation bias is a form of selective thinking that focuses on evidence that supports what believers already believe while ignoring evidence that refutes their beliefs. Confirmation bias plays a stronger role when people base their beliefs upon faith, tradition and prejudice. For example, if someone believes in the power of prayer, the believer will notice the few "answered" prayers while ignoring the majority of unanswered prayers, or will say things like 'prayer is often a paradox' - God answers in ways we don't expect - his care of us is only noticed in hindsight etc.

This article is worth reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias