How many are enough?

Looks like poor vic is never going to have a rational thought.

Hi Dog:

Here is my take on prayer.  I see prayer as a technique for adjusting myself to universe realities, not for adjusting the universe to my reality.  I think that prayer works best when one prays for values or for a better understanding.  Praying for a thing, whether it be a job or a million dollars, is, quite frankly a waste of time.  It can be comforting to the person you are praying for, I guess, but expecting God to give your friend a job just because you are praying for it, is just a bit silly. 

We are given this existence for the express purpose of gaining valuable experience.  This life is the vestibule of an eternal existence.  Here we are given the invaluable opportunity to choose life eternal or to forsake it.  This is our time; we are here to do things on our own.

You may be better served to help your friend find work, it you can. 

But keep praying.  Prayer is the best way to adjust yourself to the eternal realities of which we are becoming aware by just living our lives doing the Father's will.  Remember, if it is our will that the Father's will is done, then all things are possible, as long is we remember to work within the Father's framework.

Hope this helps.

Al

If people believe in prayer you will never convince them that it doesn't work.

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Let me reword it buffalo to make it clear. If people believe praying to a god works you will never convince them that it's them that are solving their problems.

Is that a bit clearer?

Well, it is certainly the Father's prerogative to thrust his hand into any aspect of the universe at any time, including our small and insignificant lives, but to demand it thru prayer, or to attempt in any fashion to barter with deity for a material purpose, defeats the entire purpose of prayer.

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So prayer is a demand, & not a request?

Whether demand or request, it is a waste of time.

The friend I spoke of in the OP called me this morning. His proscate cancer returned  a couple of months ago and he had been getting treatments and paying as he could. His doctor is no longer willing to treat him. Just when I think that *I* have troubles, something like this happens. With everyone that I am praying for on a daily basis, I sometimes feel like I have the whole weight of the world on my shoulders.

And jimi, I've even begun praying for you......

Go ahead. Waste your time. It doesn't affect me at all. Your time might be better spent praying for yourself. If your God turn out to be black, you might be in big trouble.

Dog, I wish I did have an answer besides "that's life". I realized a long time ago that life goes on whether or not I like the things that happen. I've heard so many people say things like "god is testing" a person, (why would their loving god test them) "god won't put more on you than you can bear", all sorts of feel good things like that. In the meanwhile you get to watch people you care about suffer, and then you feel helpless. Then when they can't bear it, and go to something like drugs/alcohol or even suicide those same people say the person lost their faith. If they do work through it, overcome, it was GAWD that did it. They won't "blame" their gawd for the bad things, but they're ready at the drop of a hat to give him credit for the good. I don't get any of it.

Stand by for more excuses on behalf of a just and loving God. Stand by for more excuses for why it is God's will/plan that your friend, his family (and billions of others) suffer daily. Stand by for excuses involving free will and original sin and the need to repent and grovel even more sincerely for an ancient ancestor's sins, so that a loved one can be spared their misery. It's all paralyzing nonsense and it helps absolutely no one.

Some possible answers on how to obtain Cancer treatments with no insurance/job from a quick search on the godly Google:
http://www.caring.com/question...nt-with-no-insurance
http://boards.straightdope.com...ex.php/t-555387.html

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Dog, I'm so sorry about your friend. I wish I had the answers to give you but I don't. I don't even have any excuses to give for why these things happen.

I can say that your friend is very lucky to have you for a friend.

The things Jenn & A.R. say are making more & more sense to me.

Stand by for more excuses on behalf of "superior logic" that can't solve a single one of your problems. Stand by for more excuses as to why life is tough and then you die. Stand by for more excuses involving the  need to think more critically, even though your critical thinking skills are just fine, because it won't solve your friend's problems. Sounds like paralyzing nonesense that helps absolutely no one. (Except certain people's egos.)

What difference does God's 'color' make?????

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You're very screwed up little lady

If she is black, she might be unhappy with you.

"Unhappy"? A word your parents know all too well.

Hey Dog.  Sorry to hear about your friend, man.  Hope he can beat the disease and claw his way back up.  

Thanks! I appreciate that. Every time I think that *MY* luck suks, he ends up trumping me.....

You sure are spending an awful lot of time pondering someone you claim not to believe in.

Jimi must be related to Oprah. She claims God is a woman & black.

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The Jewish, Negro and Caucasian races are different.

I've read that Jesus said "Our Father"

So I can safely say God is an Alabamiam of unknown orgin. 

John 23: 5

ROLL TIDE