I didn't want to take away from the thread in the campfire, offering prayers for those hit by the tornado. But it does bring up an interesting point of praying to the God who caused the tornadoes in the first place.
I just pray for everyone ("God bless everyone"). That way, no one's left out. I'd also be asking why he did that?
Then there's Westboro Baptist Church, praising God for the tornado.
Yes, if you believe statistics, that means that approximately 10% of the people affected were gay and DESERVED whatever they got....and the other 90% of the non-gay people was "acceptable collateral damage."
Seriously, what I don't understand is those who say God created everything by design plan and watches our day-to-day trials and tribulations and we we pray to him to intervene in something. But at the same time that same God causes tornadoes and other natural disasters that kill people.
So which is it? Can our prayers really do any good in influencing God? Can praying to God give strength to those affected by natural disasters? If so, why doesn't everybody just pray for no more natural disasters and see if he will answer that prayer? Why does the same God who supposedly looks over us also allow death and destruction?
JSG wrote: Seriously, what I don't understand is those who say God created everything by design plan and watches our day-to-day trials and tribulations and we we pray to him to intervene in something. But at the same time that same God causes tornadoes and other natural disasters that kill people.
So which is it? Can our prayers really do any good in influencing God? Can praying to God give strength to those affected by natural disasters? If so, why doesn't everybody just pray for no more natural disasters and see if he will answer that prayer. Why does the same God who supposedly looks over us also allow death and destruction?
That's why it is called "faith" blind or not some people believe there is a greater plan that we cannot understand.
Life.
JSG wrote: Seriously, what I don't understand is those who say God created everything by design plan and watches our day-to-day trials and tribulations and we we pray to him to intervene in something. But at the same time that same God causes tornadoes and other natural disasters that kill people.
So which is it? Can our prayers really do any good in influencing God? Can praying to God give strength to those affected by natural disasters? If so, why doesn't everybody just pray for no more natural disasters and see if he will answer that prayer? Why does the same God who supposedly looks over us also allow death and destruction?
I've had the same argument with my father, but I used a different scenario....
How many times have you heard about some church-group headed off for a retreat, or conference, or something. They hit a patch of ice; a drunk driver runs into their bus; their bus driver is driving too fast or goes to sleep at the wheel; the bus blows a tire or the brakes fail, whatever... It's safe to say that they probably prayed before they left for a "safe trip", but now they're all dead... So, assuming they did, that means they were praying for "Divine intervention" to make their trip safe...And now they're all dead. So, A) praying for a "safe trip" obviously means nothing; and the response was that "It must have been part of the 'Plan'..." So, if it's "part of the plan", then praying avails you nothing.
OR...The whole thing is a crap-shoot, you're not praying to anything, and whether you arrive safely or not is a statistical set of circumstances and it's a statistical set of odds, and you either arrive safely or you don't, based on luck.
Whatever. I read something to the effect that no matter what happens, God is there to give you strength. When I think of the Holocaust, I just don't see it.
And if that's what you need for "strength", and it works for you, more power to you.
Where I have a problem with it is when other people try to codify their particular flavor of superstition into law. When they want to insert their "church" into MY "state", (and justify it by saying that anything that goes against their particular set of beliefs is "threatening their 'freedom of religion"), THEN I have a problem. That gets back to the basic construct that "If you don't like gay marriage, don't marry someone of the same sex"; "If you don't like abortion, don't have one.", etc.....
But I agree...When I think of the Holocaust, I just don't see it either....
JSG wrote: I didn't want to take away from the thread in the campfire, offering prayers for those hit by the tornado. But it does bring up an interesting point of praying to the God who caused the tornadoes in the first place.
I just pray for everyone ("God bless everyone"). That way, no one's left out. I'd also be asking why he did that?
Then there's Westboro Baptist Church, praising God for the tornado.
JSG wrote: Once again with a strawman to avoid discussing the issue.
I never said I was outraged.
Edited to add: You know, I don't think you CAN discuss an issue without bringing the poster into it.
That would be rather boring... especially when dealing with jerks that have no concepts of christian theology and denominational dogmas. Westboro represents nothing even in the fringe christian environment. They are the fringe of the fringe. They are a group of inbred-illiterate-throwbacks to a brand of christianity that has barely existed since the inquisition, and even the framers and thinkers of the inquisition were more intelligent then this group.... and you.
the response was that "It must have been part of the 'Plan'..." So, if it's "part of the plan", then praying avails you nothing.
