Does prayer work?

[Sammy Baugh Fan]

[QUOTE=Hog1;351765]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Q1
Well, that's what the Bible says. But how do we know the Bible is right? How do we know some other religion is the correct one? Just because of a Christian belief?

A1
It's the chance you take. The choice is yours to make! After all, it ONLY affects you.

Q2
What if I'm praying to the wrong God? What if the Greeks had it right, and there are multiple gods? What if the Taoists were right? What if the Buddhists are right?

A2
Same as A1

Q3
If I lead a good life, as Jesus wanted me to live it, but I don't believe in God, would God still allow me to go to hell? If so, I don't see what's so great about God.

A3
That is but one of......MANY things Jesus speaks. Most importantly, the way to eternal life is through Jesus, and acceptance of him. Being a good guy will not suffice.

Q4
Seems to me, priority one should be how you treated your fellow man while you were on Earth, not whether you actually believed in God or not.

A4
Although in your mind, I have no doubt that your own opinion of the "Heavenly Hoyle" and it's attendant rules are paramount. I don't think God shares your view................because, it's His way, or the HIGHWAY TO HELL........sing it Brian!!!!

For answers to this and other life questions like it, please consult your local King James.

My boy speaks the truth.
Accept or Reject God. There is no Middle Ground or Gray Area.

If you think Hell will be a party with cool people for FOREVER then God gives you that choice.

Still a good thread so far even if a bunch of you don't beliebe. That's not my job to "make" you believe, just share the Word.

Keep giving this thought folks yer only out of time if you die.
peace

[saden1]

Originally Posted by DEVIL'S OWN

i prayed for a superbowl......

Hopefully the one that shall not be named shall answer your prayers this year.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by saden1

Some clarifications are in order. How does one say God in Chinese (神) or French (Dieu) or Italian (Dio)? Allah is the Arabic word for God. Even Christian and Jewish Arabs refer to God as Allah.

Allah -> God
God -> Allah

I would also like to add that Muslims believe in Jesus, just not as the Son of God.

Yes, but the bigger point is the various religions contain varying teachings and views on the afterlife.

[Crazyhorse1]

Can anyone tell me why Christian evangelists almost alway look evil and are constantly getting busted for some kind of sexual offense, often involving members of the same sex; and why Christian priests prefer young boys to such an extent and like to whip themselves in their rooms.

I'm also all wrapped up trying to figure out why the Vatican supported the Nazis and before that the church burned a million innocent women as witches. I would also like to know why Christians caused the deaths of over 32 million Indians during the Age of Exploration, and why more people have been slaughtered in the name of God than for all other reasons since recorded history began.

Oh yeah. Why should I be tolerant of religions when the world is on the brink of World War because of two of the dumbest religions ever invented by man. Sorry about my attitude, but I've got kids, not that the evangelical fool in the White House cares.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse1

Can anyone tell me why Christian evangelists almost alway look evil and are constantly getting busted for some kind of sexual offense, often involving members of the same sex; and why Christian priests prefer young boys to such an extent and like to whip themselves in their rooms.

I'm also all wrapped up trying to figure out why the Vatican supported the Nazis and before that the church burned a million innocent women as witches. I would also like to know why Christians caused the deaths of over 32 million Indians during the Age of Exploration, and why more people have been slaughtered in the name of God than for all other reasons since recorded history began.

Oh yeah. Why should I be tolerant of religions when the world is on the brink of World War because of two of the dumbest religions ever invented by man. Sorry about my attitude, but I've got kids, not that the evangelical fool in the White House cares.

While I think many of your "facts" and accusations are well off base, I agree with the sentiment.

One of the problems with faith is you believe so deeply in something, and because of that you close your mind off to other possibilities and thereby refuse to even consider the differing viewpoints of other cultures and other men. The closemindedness creates a breach between ourselves and other cultures that can only be bridged by keeping an open mind. What's worse is to take actions based on your close-minded beliefs - as Al Qaeda is doing. It leads to holy wars.

"How can something well guided turn out to be divisive."
- 311

[70Chip]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse1

more people have been slaughtered in the name of God than for all other reasons since recorded history began.

Demonstrably untrue. To wit: Mao Zedong alone killed at least 60 million people which is more than were killed by all the religous peopel in history put together. Throw in Stalin, Pol Pot, your friend Fidel Castro and the number surpasses 100 million. To borrow a phrase, "Why must you turn this forum into a house of lies?"

[Crazyhorse1]

[quote=Sammy Baugh Fan;351912]

Originally Posted by Hog1

My boy speaks the truth.
Accept or Reject God. There is no Middle Ground or Gray Area.

If you think Hell will be a party with cool people for FOREVER then God gives you that choice.

Still a good thread so far even if a bunch of you don't beliebe. That's not my job to "make" you believe, just share the Word.

Keep giving this thought folks yer only out of time if you die.
peace

How do you know there's no gray area? You don't, of course. Actually, there are so many possibilities in relation to notions of God that there is infinite gray area in regard to a creator. Maybe the creator was/is an inanimate object or gas for instance, which is a popular notion in science these day because of new discoveries about black holes. Try readings in physics. Get back to me of why the Bible has no knowledge that space is curved and light moves as both a particle and a wave.

[Crazyhorse1]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

While I think many of your "facts" and accusations are well off base, I agree with the sentiment.

One of the problems with faith is you believe so deeply in something, and because of that you close your mind off to other possibilities and thereby refuse to even consider the differing viewpoints of other cultures and other men. The closemindedness creates a breach between ourselves and other cultures that can only be bridged by keeping an open mind. What's worse is to take actions based on your close-minded beliefs - as Al Qaeda is doing. It leads to holy wars.

"How can something well guided turn out to be divisive."


- 311

Why point fingers at Al Qaeda. We voted for Neo-cons twice and put them in office twice. They are a thousand times more dangerous than Al Qaeda . They've killed far more people than Al Qaeda has and certainly threaten American freedom more than Al Qaeda could ever hope to.

You warn us about close mindedness and then fail to recognize your/our own. Apparently, you are incapable of seeing any validity at all in Al Qaeda's point of view or even try to examine it. How knee jerk can you be.

Here, for instance, is an Al Qaeda view you can probably understand if you try: Al Qaeda doesn't think we should be shipping arms to Israel for the purpose of killing Arabs or using our superior power to take over their lands, establish bases in Arab countries. and steal their oil.

In relation to the deaths caused by religious wars, try Sam Harris' book, "The End of Faith."

[Crazyhorse1]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

Demonstrably untrue. To wit: Mao Zedong alone killed at least 60 million people which is more than were killed by all the religous peopel in history put together. Throw in Stalin, Pol Pot, your friend Fidel Castro and the number surpasses 100 million. To borrow a phrase, "Why must you turn this forum into a house of lies?"

Why do you call people liars when you haven't done your homework. Just to mention one Christian atrocity: over 30 million Indians were killed during the Age of exploration in the America's alone. That's just a tip of the iceberg.
I'll return to this when I have more time.

By the way, saying I'm a friend of Castro is a cheap shot and unworthy of someone who doesn't want this forum to be a house of lies. I'm not a friend of Castro's, or any other tyrants, including butchers like Pol Pot and George Bush.

[Crazyhorse1]

Originally Posted by Sammy Baugh Fan

I agree. And to answer MattyK. Yes, if you reject God He will let you go to Hell. He gave you Free Will to accept Him and His truth or turn your back and reject Him and be eternally without Him. That's Hell.

~still can't believe this thread has not imploded. Thanks to everyone and Mods for stay very civil.

peace & prayers
mike
<><

If you would say you believed such and such instead of " I know," I would be more receptive to your comments. I don't believe you know any more about heaven or hell than I do, which is nothing.

Why not just tell us why you believe what you do? That might be more instructive.

[Crazyhorse1]

[quote=Lady Brave;351788]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

There are christians and missionaries everywhere in the world. Also, Christian satellite television has exploded in the past 20 years. I would find it very hard to believe that in this day and age a person could go through their entire life and have not heard the gospel at least once.

Oh, only primitive people in the past got thrown into hell for not believing in Jesus, of whom they had never heard. Makes me feel much better about God's fairness.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse1

Why point fingers at Al Qaeda. We voted for Neo-cons twice and put them in office twice. They are a thousand times more dangerous than Al Qaeda . They've killed far more people than Al Qaeda has and certainly threaten American freedom more than Al Qaeda could ever hope to.

You warn us about close mindedness and then fail to recognize your/our own. Apparently, you are incapable of seeing any validity at all in Al Qaeda's point of view or even try to examine it. How knee jerk can you be.

Here, for instance, is an Al Qaeda view you can probably understand if you try: Al Qaeda doesn't think we should be shipping arms to Israel for the purpose of killing Arabs or using our superior power to take over their lands, establish bases in Arab countries. and steal their oil.

In relation to the deaths caused by religious wars, try Sam Harris' book, "The End of Faith."

Wow, did you ever misunderstand me. That statement was not to point fingers at Al Qaeda; it was to provide an example of religious belief providing a basis for taking hostile action towards other people. Is that not the very definition of a jihad? I'm equally fine with pointing towards the Salem witch hunt, or the Crusades. Religious belief provides humans with a reason to close their minds off to the ideas of other cultures. The west has been guilty of it throughout history, just as Al-Qaeda is now.

I don't care to argue politics in this thread. This thread is about prayer and religion. My point is that religious belief causes division in our world.

So strange for you to jump down my throat after I was one of the very few people on this forum that actually agreed with something you had to say. But whatever.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse1

If you would say you believed such and such instead of " I know," I would be more receptive to your comments. I don't believe you know any more about heaven or hell than I do, which is nothing.

Why not just tell us why you believe what you do? That might be more instructive.

Now this was a good post. This is exactly why religious belief can be so dangerous. People actually become convinced that they "know" things rather than only "believing" them.

It's important to draw the line between belief and fact (ie knowledge), otherwise your beliefs come across as arrogant and inflammatory.

[SmootSmack]

If this is going to be another of Crazyhorse's "I'm going to educate the world about how smart I am, and how stupid the rest of you are about GW Bush and the evils of the world" threads, it's getting locked.

Comparing Bush to Pol Pot, amazing.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

If this is going to be another of Crazyhorse's "I'm going to educate the world about how smart I am, and how stupid the rest of you are about GW Bush and the evils of the world" threads, it's getting locked.

Comparing Bush to Pol Pot, amazing.

Thank you. This has been a very good thread, the discussion has been thought provoking on the subject of prayer, religion, and higher powers. Last thing I'd want to see is the thread driven into the ground by politics.

I heart SS.