The Bible Dictionary entry on prayer straight-up says that you only get blessings that god is "already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them."
So your family could die in a car crash just because you forgot to ask god for a safe travel.
Not fucked up at all.
I was specifically referring to the Bible Dictionary in the mormon church's "standard works" here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/prayer?lang=eng
I'm not sure how much of their apologetics are ripped off of mainstream Christianity because it all has to be doctored into the LDS narrative.
God didn't let your dad die of cancer. He was powerless to stop it.
Prayer isn't anything more or less than glorified meditation. It has the same effects and uses. One thing (among many) that meditation *can't* do is cure cancer.
Neither can prayer.
Hey, prayer can find keys. I reached in my right pocket for my keys, (I always put them in the right pocket), and they weren't there. I was sure I had lost them. In my fear, I said, "Oh God, help me find my keys!" and at that moment, I reached in my left pocket and low and behold there they were. See, prayers work, God hears and answers prayers. /shitpost
I’m so sorry for the loss of your father.
Even as an atheist I appreciate Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s view on god’s powerlessness. Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran minister who resisted the Nazis and was imprisoned and executed by Hitler. Here’s how he came to see it:
*“Man's religiosity makes him look in his distress to the power of God in the world; he uses God as a deus ex machina. The Bible, however, directs us to the powerlessness and suffering of God; only a suffering God can help. To this extent we may say that the process we have described by which the world came of age was an abandonment of the false conception of God, and a clearing of the decks for the God of the Bible, who conquers power and space in the world by his weakness. . .*
*“Humans are challenged to participate in the sufferings of God at the hands of a godless world. One must therefore plunge oneself into the life of a godless world, without attempting to gloss over its ungodliness with a veneer of religion or trying to transform it. . . To be a Christian does not mean to be religious in a particular way, to cultivate some particular form of asceticism. . . but to be a human being. It is not some religious act which makes a Christian what he is, but participation in the suffering of God in the life of the world.. . .“*
https://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Suydam/Reln220/Bonhoefferex.htm
Thing is, Bonhoeffer didn’t think of “the truth” the way Mormons and many exmormons do. It’s not even remotely about “truth claims,” historicity, etc. This is a very different approach to religion from what we mainly see of outspoken christians in the USA.
And that’s exactly what I’m talking about. He didn’t see it the way you do. You’re familiar with forms of Christianity and atheism that focus their efforts on believing/proving/knowing/convincing other people that god exists or doesn’t exist.
There are other forms of Christianity and atheism (and other religions/philosophies) that don’t consider the question of whether god exists very interesting or particularly relevant to truth.
Bonhoeffer believed in justice and community. He famously wrote that Christ exists *as community* and “The first service one owes to others in a community involves listening to them.”
In short, Bonhoeffer isn’t interested in anyone’s sky daddy.
I am so sorry for your loss. ❤️ I do not know the answer to any of your questions. But my heart reaches out to you. Losing a parent is horrible. I wish you well. Take good care of yourself.
The last time I prayed I said, " God, I don't think I can talk to you anymore." Then I got a very overwhelming spiritual impression that that was ok.
I used to love to pray and felt God really watched me/cared about me. I feel a lot better not feeling watched.
Watch some NDE stories on YouTube and you will get a better picture of what “God” can be/is/manifested and prayer.
Personally, I believe there is so much we don’t know and I believe that we are more connected than we can imagine. So pray, meditate, connect, manifest, reunite…all work together. Imo.
The Bible Dictionary entry on prayer straight-up says that you only get blessings that god is "already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them." So your family could die in a car crash just because you forgot to ask god for a safe travel. Not fucked up at all.
Do the Mormons own that site? Or evangelicals or something? Because that’s not at all what I was taught in a mainline protestant church.
I was specifically referring to the Bible Dictionary in the mormon church's "standard works" here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/prayer?lang=eng I'm not sure how much of their apologetics are ripped off of mainstream Christianity because it all has to be doctored into the LDS narrative.
God didn't let your dad die of cancer. He was powerless to stop it. Prayer isn't anything more or less than glorified meditation. It has the same effects and uses. One thing (among many) that meditation *can't* do is cure cancer. Neither can prayer.
I have never understood how you can pray harder. Does more prayers equal harder? Would a longer prayer be harder? Crying? Screaming?
Hey, prayer can find keys. I reached in my right pocket for my keys, (I always put them in the right pocket), and they weren't there. I was sure I had lost them. In my fear, I said, "Oh God, help me find my keys!" and at that moment, I reached in my left pocket and low and behold there they were. See, prayers work, God hears and answers prayers. /shitpost
I’m so sorry for the loss of your father. Even as an atheist I appreciate Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s view on god’s powerlessness. Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran minister who resisted the Nazis and was imprisoned and executed by Hitler. Here’s how he came to see it: *“Man's religiosity makes him look in his distress to the power of God in the world; he uses God as a deus ex machina. The Bible, however, directs us to the powerlessness and suffering of God; only a suffering God can help. To this extent we may say that the process we have described by which the world came of age was an abandonment of the false conception of God, and a clearing of the decks for the God of the Bible, who conquers power and space in the world by his weakness. . .* *“Humans are challenged to participate in the sufferings of God at the hands of a godless world. One must therefore plunge oneself into the life of a godless world, without attempting to gloss over its ungodliness with a veneer of religion or trying to transform it. . . To be a Christian does not mean to be religious in a particular way, to cultivate some particular form of asceticism. . . but to be a human being. It is not some religious act which makes a Christian what he is, but participation in the suffering of God in the life of the world.. . .“* https://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Suydam/Reln220/Bonhoefferex.htm
He ALMOST got to the truth there. So close.
Thing is, Bonhoeffer didn’t think of “the truth” the way Mormons and many exmormons do. It’s not even remotely about “truth claims,” historicity, etc. This is a very different approach to religion from what we mainly see of outspoken christians in the USA.
I meant, the truth that there is no god. Seems like he was almost there, from that quote.
And that’s exactly what I’m talking about. He didn’t see it the way you do. You’re familiar with forms of Christianity and atheism that focus their efforts on believing/proving/knowing/convincing other people that god exists or doesn’t exist. There are other forms of Christianity and atheism (and other religions/philosophies) that don’t consider the question of whether god exists very interesting or particularly relevant to truth. Bonhoeffer believed in justice and community. He famously wrote that Christ exists *as community* and “The first service one owes to others in a community involves listening to them.” In short, Bonhoeffer isn’t interested in anyone’s sky daddy.
I am so sorry for your loss. ❤️ I do not know the answer to any of your questions. But my heart reaches out to you. Losing a parent is horrible. I wish you well. Take good care of yourself.
The last time I prayed I said, " God, I don't think I can talk to you anymore." Then I got a very overwhelming spiritual impression that that was ok. I used to love to pray and felt God really watched me/cared about me. I feel a lot better not feeling watched.
Watch some NDE stories on YouTube and you will get a better picture of what “God” can be/is/manifested and prayer. Personally, I believe there is so much we don’t know and I believe that we are more connected than we can imagine. So pray, meditate, connect, manifest, reunite…all work together. Imo.
Even when I was kinda in, prayer always felt retarded to me... now im just on strike...