Terry I used to be convinced that God helped me stand up and give a talk at the Kindom Hall or conduct book study meetings in peoples home but it was all rubbish. I realize I could do that now without any help if I really wanted to. It all depends how determined you are.
Try this PRAYER EXPERIMENT and compare results!
by Terry 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Terry
I realize I could do that now without any help if I really wanted to. It all depends how determined you are.
Beautifully expressed!
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undercover
I realize I could do that now without any help if I really wanted to. It all depends how determined you are.
I can relate to that.
I remember one time when I was in a particularly dire straight. I actually prayed (that's significant because I wasn't really all that good about praying). I asked Jehovah for his help. I needed it. I was lost...didn't know what to do.
After I prayed, I was calm and I picked myself up and went to working out the problem. I thought at the time that "he" gave me strength to carry on.
Looking back, I realize that it wasn't that at all. I had reached the lowest point and had no where to go but up and I somehow realized that nothing would happen if I didn't do something, anything. I was just going to have to suck it up and make something happen. The prayer was a false hope. It was my determination that made the difference. If I had really expected God to do something, I wouldn't have to do anything except wait.
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WTWizard
Well, you could pray for heads. If you keep tossing the coin enough times, you are going to get heads--at which point, the "prayer" was answered. This is the same principle religions use to trick people into praying to God when He is going to (at best) do nothing, and He still gets praise. Any God that needs to resort to this scam is not worth my worship.
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hoser
The one I always had trouble with was "you have to work in harmony with your prayers for Jehovah to bless you" It's like God is powerless or something unless we work for it.
another one I could never figure out is Matt 6:33 where it says put the kingdom first and all these other things(material needs) will be added to you. Its like how in the heck does the rest of the world survive? I mean they should be starving to death or something because they don't put jehovah first in their life,
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acolytes
Hi Terry
I think it would be interesting to review everyone who has refused medical treatment in favour of prayer.
That list I think is strangly unavailable.
Acolytes
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Quillsky
I would far prefer a well-meaning person to tell me--"I'm so sorry to hear about your _______(fill in the problem____, I'll Dance the Hokey Pokey for you." At least that would take a measure of commitment and skill!
I LOVE IT!!
Next time someone says they will pray for me I WILL ask them to do the Hokey Pokey instead.
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acolytes
My previouse post gave the impression I do not believe in prayer.Actually I believe its beyound our comprehension and understad how to tap that power within ourselfs that can answer our own prayers. A person who is depressive or living with guilt is always going to come second to a realistic positive person who has a good conscience.
What is a persons interpretation of prayer?
Acolytes
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Terry
Prayer is the ultimate UNtestable test.
How so?
We can't know what would have happened (differently) had we NOT prayed.
Every once and awhile there is a terrible tragedy and a great many people are killed. But, some one or two people survive "miraculously".
The glory goes to god, guardian angel, mother Mary, whomever.
Curiously callous this is!
Where was god, guardian angel and mother Mary FOR THOSE WHO DIED?
You see how powerful our interpretive function becomes in filtering out what falsifies our belief?
When we are deliberately blind to what refutes our notions of the divine we are left to wallow in our rituals.
Then again, there is a Paschal's Wager operating in the back of our mind as well. "What do I have to lose by praying?"
A rabbit's foot. A lucky tie. Prayer. Superstition operates as a last ditch fallback when all else fails like a weird crackpot cancer treatment.
What do you have to lose by a coffee enema or rubbing bat dung on your forehead anyway?
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keyser soze
I pray rarely, and when I do it's usually to ask God to help me to do whatever it is myself,
Either you're doing whatever it is yourself, or god is helping you. Which is it? If you did it by yourself, what exactly did praying to god accomplish?