mmsen:

Prayer is predicated upon the assumption that there is an unproven element somewhere out there in the stratosphere listening to the banal thoughts and fears of billions. Your request that I put aside doctrine is/was dishonest.

Talking to oneself is simply talking to oneself.

OK so speaking to one's self is predicated on what?

plaetton:

He he he.

Cliche'.

And a baby christian is what , or whom?
Does a baby christian believe in the right god, going to the right heaven?

Let me guess, a baby christian is one whose idea of god and god's nature and will is not as mature as yours, right?

It is always the other christian that is doing it wrong, just like it is always the other religion that has it wrong.

And so, what else is new?

yes, there is babyhood in christianity, I started from there Just like other mature Christian. Growth is by tests and trials and study of the Word. The issue of spiritual of growth Is made référence to many times in the Bible.

All genuine christians are genuine but their positions on the spiritual ladder are différent.

plaetton: God is like an insurance company that promises to pay full compensation to You (not your dependents) only after you are dead , provided of course, that all your faith premiums are fully paid up.


Smells like the greatest insurance fraud in the universe.

LMAO!!!

mployer:

yes, there is babyhood in christianity, I started from there Just like other mature Christian. Growth is by tests and trials and study of the Word. The issue of spiritual of growth Is made référence to many times in the Bible.

All genuine christians are genuine but their positions on the spiritual ladder are différent.

So , Are you saying here that your spiritual growth corrolates with what you believe?

If god is god, and Jesus christ is Jesus christ any way you cut them, then a christian is a christian anyway you cut it too.

This your idea of baby christian vs mature christian is contradiction because it is suggestive of a heirachy of beliefs that corrolates with a heirachy of spirituality.

Altogether, it would be suggestive that christians are not entirely sure about what they believe , and what is the true truth.

Contradictions all over, self-embarrassment all in the name of defending the guy in the sky....

God has a plan for you, he said so and you know it thus, the following statement:

mployer: Prayer is the antidote to a restless mind.

shows impatience and lack of faith towards that plan God has for you, making you a bad follower.

The fact is, Prayer does no more effect on a restless (or better, deluded) mind on those on the Christian and Muslim fold than it does for those on other faiths... God sure did a bad job helping his followers know the true way to him, don't you think so.... ooor maybe he just doesn't exist.

Reiyvinn: Contradictions all over, self-embarrassment all in the name of defending the guy in the sky....

God has a plan for you, he said so and you know it thus, the following statement:



shows impatience and lack of faith towards that plan God has for you, making you a bad follower.

I May be a bad follower but He is a good God. He understands my following isn't perfect but He is always patient with me. I think we all know about not throwing the Baby away with the Bad water.

Religion is all about faith, believing something u can nt prove. He said ask, Hezekiah added 15yrs to his life by prayer. Bible says, with prayer all things are possible. I believe it n dat is wat? faith nt by logic or reasoning.

Matthew 7:7 ask and it shall be given. I made reference to that cus while i was a xtain, i pray and fast a lot. It got to a point in time, i had to stop cus all the things i ask and pray for never come my way. It's just a mere waste of time. Precious one for that matter.

mployer:

I May be a bad follower but He is a good God. He understands my following isn't perfect but He is always patient with me. I think we all know about not throwing the Baby away with the Bad water.

Why do you pray?

advocate666:

Why do you pray?

I pray so I Will be in sync with Him. So my thoughts and actions Will align with His Will for me. In that way I Can obey, understand and enjoy his blessings.

advocate666:

Why do you pray?

mayb to remind god cus it seems he forget things quite too easily. Lots of contradictions in the fairtybook. An all-knowing god that still has to be reminded of his promises. What does that make of him?

mployer:
I pray so I Will be in sync with Him. So my thoughts and actions Will align with His Will for me. In that way I Can obey, understand and enjoy his blessings.

What happens when he doesn't intend for you enjoy any blessings - if his intention is for your house to be attacked by armed robbers and your family killed. Would you attempt to alter his plans?

mmsen:

What happens when he doesn't intend for you enjoy any blessings - if his intention is for your house to attacked by armed robbers and your family killed. Would you attempt to alter his plans?

Can You have such plans for your Child? He said 'I know the plans I have for You, plans to do You good and bring You to an expected end'

Evil Is Never part of Gods plan for anyone, its not in His character

mployer:

Can You have such plans for your Child? He said 'I know the plans I have for You, plans to do You good and bring You to an expected end'

Evil Is Never part of Gods plan for anyone, its not in His character

People are victims of violent crime everyday.

If we are to believe xtian dogma that god is the author and origin of all then that too would be a part of his grand plan.

mmsen:

People are victims of violent crime everyday.

So if we are to believe xtian dogma that god is the author and origin of all then that too would be a part of his grand plan.

u've got oodles of tym answering this dude, as far as I'm concerned, he's just maneuvering ur questions he hasn't answered any1 @ all. Typical of a xtain.

mmsen:

People are victims of violent crime everyday.

So if we are to believe xtian dogma that god is the author and origin of all then that too would be a part of his grand plan.

I don't know where You got that from, It is not Biblical. God is not responsible for all happenings on earth.

Ask yourself, could He also be responsible for the temptations of Jesus christ?

mployer:
I don't know where You got that from, It is not Biblical. God is not responsible for all happenings on earth.

Ask yourself, could He also be responsible for the temptations of Jesus christ?

So predestination is no longer a part of xtian doctrine?

Your god is no longer all powerful?

mployer:

I May be a bad follower but He is a good God. He understands my following isn't perfect but He is always patient with me. I think we all know about not throwing the Baby away with the Bad water.

So you agree that praying is totally irrelevant and undermines the Omniscience of God, right?

I guess the case's settled then.

freethinker01: Matthew 7:7 ask and it shall be given. I made reference to that cus while i was a xtain, i pray and fast a lot. It got to a point in time, i had to stop cus all the things i ask and pray for never come my way. It's just a mere waste of time. Precious one for that matter.

Good point there!!!

Why would I need to "ask" when God already has a plan "to give" or "not to give"? Does God have a plan B, (i.e. "If he asks I'll give him, if he doesn't I won't"?).

They just don't add up, one bit!

Reiyvinn:

So you agree that praying is totally irrelevant and undermines the Omniscience of God, right?

I guess the case's settled then.

My post didn't imply that, don't know where you got it from.

mployer:
My post didn't imply that, don't know where you got it from.

re-read the post you quoted and your reply again dude..... Do we always have to repeat everything?!

god is simply man's creation! We have successfully created ~ 100, 000 of them with various levels of popularity, properties and perpetuity. Depending on the culture you belong to, you are likely to be emotionally attached a different deity. But one thing that is common everywhere is that the concept of god is simply illogical. Different gods in different cultures and at different times have handed different rules to different people!

For example, the jewish god at one time actively encouraged genocide even though one of his main commandments is "thou shalt not kill". He claims he never changes, yet a simple casual evaluation of his properties over time reveals a flip-flopping, ambiguous character who easily adapts with the prevailing norm at anytime. At one time, it is a duty to kill anyone who prays to anyone of the other gods, at some other time, later in his evolution, it is mandatory to love your enemies and even pray for them! Yet he claims, he is eternal, constant, never changing!!!!
On a moral level, you wouldn't want to be associated with anyone(anything) who(that) advocates hate crimes, but yet, multitude still worship this deity and they take pride in it. If we are not proud of despots who practised hate crimes, why is the modern man happy about the concept of a god who has done such in the past and still promises to do it again in the future, this time eternally??

He encourages us to be like the good samaritan but clearly fails his own commandments several times, and he promises, at a later time he will still flout this principle, eternally. He claims those who do not believe in him will be tortured forever in the most gruesome way imaginable. His capacity to inflict pain is infinite and yet he claims he is love! What a moral, ethical and logical contradiction, even when he claims he is the almighty. Of what use is his almightiness, if his capacity to inflict pain far outweighs his capacity to love??
I don't know why people pray to him

Reiyvinn:

re-read the post you quoted and your reply again dude..... Do we always have to repeat everything?!

Oh, I was actually responding to the part you called me a bad follower.

Prayer is one of the attributes of good following; that is praying in faith and submission, not some fear-induced and self-centered kind of prayer. Though I practice the later sometimes and that explains the imperfect follower I am.

Again prayer isn't necessarily asking for favor, its communing with God we love so much.

We all demand attention in our various earthly love relationships, So how can we claim to love God and make no time to commune with him?

Reiyvinn: For centuries Theists have struggled to reconcile the attributes (Omniscience, Omnipotence, e.t.c) which are commonly ascribed to God, whom they regard as the Almighty Creator of the Universe. However, noting the conflicts between each attributes and the problems they pose, Theists are left between the dilemmas of either reducing one attribute for the other or accepting the contradictions of both unquestionably as one of the features of The Vague God.

Without making mention of the injury these attributes give to the existence of God (which is being discussed HERE in summarized details), there is a major part of every religion that does no justice to God's Omniscience and, though being ignored or overlooked, deals a big blow to right-thinking minds that possess the power of reason:

WHY DO WE PRAY?

According to religious Books (at least, the ones I know), it is an agreed belief that the Omniscient God has a Purpose and Plan for every life on earth, and from the Bible, "God does not lie and cannot change his mind." (Numbers 23:13).

The question is "Why Do We Pray?"

God has a plan and purpose for you, right?

God cannot change his mind, right?

What then do we expect from God when we pray?

Do you pray to an All-Knowing God to "REMIND" him of your needs? (But Christ said he "knows your need before you ask" Matthew 6:6-7)

Is it just an act of devotion? (Cool. But Oops, devotion or no devotion, how does that affect his Plan and Purpose for you?)

If your death is meant to be today and then you pray to God to avert every possible death for you that day, what are you telling God to do? To "change his mind"?

Look, what I'm saying in essense is this:

If God is Omniscient as you believe, every prayer to Him regarding your needs undermines his nature and are futile since he already has an ungoing plan that even your prayers can't change. (I'm not talking about praise, thanksgiving and blah blah blah, I'm talking about prayer for favour from God.)

I may be wrong quite alright but I want y'all to let your brains work on this a little bit before coming to bash me.

Thanks

you ask a good question, I will try and answer it, we are all here to learn from each other, but I hope you are sincere, most people ask to mock God.

To the op:you said"why do we pray?" And I reply "why do we fall sick?"you see, the only way to communicate with God is by prayer, talking to God, if you want your dad to give you somtin, you must ask and if you dad has the POWER TO SEARCH YOUR HEART LIKE GOD, HE KNOW YOUR INTENTION, HE WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED. Another reason again is that God hate sin and cannot behold sin, if we don't pray HOW WOULD A SINNER ASK FOR FORGIVENESS ?

Luke 18:13.BUT THE TAX COLLECTOR [SINNER] STOOD AT A DISTANCE, HE WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK UP TO HEAVEN BUT BEAT HIS CHESS AND SAID, LORD BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER.

Let me explain somtin in this luke18:13. The tax collector is a poor man, why dint he just pray for richness? He know he was a sinner and God cannot give him any favour unless he repent , the only way to repent is by prayer, so he pray the prayer of forgiveness and God forgive him.
Thank you.

freethinker01: Matthew 7:7 ask and it shall be given. I made reference to that cus while i was a xtain, i pray and fast a lot. It got to a point in time, i had to stop cus all the things i ask and pray for never come my way. It's just a mere waste of time. Precious one for that matter.

and if you keep on asking, you will never get what you are lookin for, you know why? Because he know your intention, he know how you will turn back against Him IF HE DID NOT ANSWER YOUR PRAYER. AND JESUS SAID UNTO THEM, WOE TO THE WORLD BECAUSE OF OFFENCE , OFFENCE WILL COME BUT WOE TO THAT MAN WHO THE OFFENCE COME FROM. Oh my oh my, you better pray you are not the man.

advocate666:

Why do you pray?

the question is. DID GOD ANSWER PRAYER? And my answer is yes because I have seen with my two naked eyes, hiv patient was bein pray for, and she got heal, the pastor that pray for her do not even know he heal someone, until they told him.

malvisguy212: the question is. DID GOD ANSWER PRAYER? And my answer is yes because I have seen with my two naked eyes, hiv patient was bein pray for, and she got heal, the pastor that pray for her do not even know he heal someone, until they told him.

This guy, you sabi lie for NL ehn...

The question is: "what is the essence of prayer to God, who already knows everything"?

qstar:

This guy, you sabi lie for NL ehn...

The question is: "what is the essence of prayer to God, who already knows everything"?

why do you call me a lier? This is exactly what the devil accuse God of. The first word the devil said in the bible is "has God said?"he lied against God.

Do you have any option on how a sinner can ask for forgiveness? Foolish atheist.

malvisguy212: why do you call me a lier? This is exactly what the devil accuse God of. The first word the devil said in the bible is "has God said?"he lied against God.

Do you have any option on how a sinner can ask for forgiveness? Foolish atheist.

You claim things that you cannot prove happened. That's not even the case, you added an extra adjective: "foolish".

Well, the question still remains, "why would you pray to a God that already knows everything"?

Among the many things i learnt today is that daddy g screens the prayer that he answers i.e he chooses what to answer and what not to..(irrespective of your fasting, i even saw someone posting that the baby christain's prayer wont get answered but that god and his cohorts can steal his offerings and tithes ba..u knw,na same god).
I also learnt that he wont answer some prayers so that you wud keep coming back and that you wont turn your back on him..
In addition,i learnt that daddy g is omniscient and omnipotent but he still needs you to 'remind him in prayer' of your petition.

But in all this,poor as my Daddy is compared to the supposed owner of this world,he doesnt make me pass through all these. Is my Daddy who is thought to be imperfect, an omnipotent being?
Christains, when would you wake?
In Richard Dawkins voice,when would you all stop the worship of gaps?

malvisguy212: And my answer is yes because I have seen with my two naked eyes, hiv patient was bein pray for, and she got heal, the pastor that pray for her do not even know he heal someone, until they told him.

It appears that this singular event concerning the former HIV patient is the adhesive holding your already shoddy beliefs in place. I can understand that, but for your sake, you'd better hope it's true. Did you see the test results before and after? Remember that the n)aked eye cannot detect the presence of the virus in the patient.