Happy Atheist Forum

I got into a debate with a christian in my local church (I Like to wander around the graveyard. It's quite big at stirling castle!) and I brought up the if god loves us, Why won't he awnser all prayers argument. Here is what he said:

"God doesn't answer prayers. He loves us all, and won't awnser any as they usually result in making another's life harder. So to avoid favoritism he doesn't intervene at all."

I was dumbfounded. I had to agree, it's pretty damn logical compared to the God's will works in odd ways.

I'll honestly say, it's the most original reply I've ever had!

So I guess it doesn't mean anything really when they say, "You're in my prayers."

God does too answer prayers! When I was 6, I prayed that my aunt and uncle would have a baby. Two years later, they did.

Their having sex had nothing to do with it!

[/sarcasm]

So then did you ask him "Why pray at all?"

I don't agree that in answering a prayer, a God would be usually be making someone's life harder. What about the argument that God never heals amputees (http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/god5.htm)? How would regrowing a limb make anyone's life harder? His argument might have been original but I don't think it was good!

I also like to bring up this research (http://www.physorg.com/news63551345.html) when discussing the effectiveness of prayer.

Quote from: "AlP"I don't agree that in answering a prayer, a God would be usually be making someone's life harder. What about the argument that God never heals amputees (http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/god5.htm)? How would regrowing a limb make anyone's life harder? His argument might have been original but I don't think it was good!

I also like to bring up this research (http://www.physorg.com/news63551345.html) when discussing the effectiveness of prayer.

Think of the prosthetics companies! (God is a republican, it seems.)

Quote from: "JillSwift"

Quote from: "AlP"I don't agree that in answering a prayer, a God would be usually be making someone's life harder. What about the argument that God never heals amputees (http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/god5.htm)? How would regrowing a limb make anyone's life harder? His argument might have been original but I don't think it was good!

I also like to bring up this research (http://www.physorg.com/news63551345.html) when discussing the effectiveness of prayer.

Think of the prosthetics companies! (God is a republican, it seems.)

Lol. That's one way of looking at it. And think of the doctors. They would have less work to do.

So God is sitting in his La-Z-Boy watching the world he puffed together in seven days? Why does he worship that?

Uh, so a being that is omnipotent can't give one person what he or she needs without it negatively affecting someone else?

Great logic.  

Quote from: "curiosityandthecat"Uh, so a being that is omnipotent can't give one person what he or she needs without it negatively affecting someone else?

Heh. It's like the age-old question "If god is omnipotent, can he heat up a 7-11 burrito so hot that he couldn't eat it without burning the roof of his mouth?"

Quote from: "curiosityandthecat"Great logic.  

Par for the course.

Quote from: "michael"So then did you ask him "Why pray at all?"

Because every time you pray an angel strokes god's massive ego.

Quote from: "Ninteen45""God doesn't answer prayers. He loves us all, and won't awnser any as they usually result in making another's life harder. So to avoid favoritism he doesn't intervene at all."

I have to disagree with the fellows statement.

It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:  

“There is no Muslim who calls upon Allaah with words in which there is no sin or severing of family ties but Allaah will give him one of three things: either He will answer his prayer soon, or He will store it up for him in the Hereafter, or He will remove something bad from him that is equivalent to what he is asking for.” They said, “Then we should make a great amount of du’aa’.” He said, “Allaah is greater.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3573; classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi and others.)

Source: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/9619/dua ... 20accepted (http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/9619/dua%20not%20accepted)

So, your make-believe sky-daddy does things differently than their make-believe sky-daddy. Quelle surprise.

Quote from: "JillSwift"So, your make-believe sky-daddy does things differently than their make-believe sky-daddy. Quelle surprise.

Continue the bashing, its quite befitting of the stereotype.

Quote from: "risky"Continue the bashing, its quite befitting of the stereotype.

What bashing?

Gods are made up. It's all about fiction. Your fiction is different from their fiction. That's human nature, so there is no surprise at all that your opinion differs as to how an imaginary being would deal with being asked for something.

Except that in the case of Muslims v Christians is especially pathetic (and no better then Catholics v Protestants really) because it is not even a different imaginary sky-daddy, it's just an argument about how best to please the same one.

It's like a bunch of kids arguing about what to buy their father for his birthday. The Christian kids want to buy him golf clubs and are arguing over what brand he prefers, whereas the Muslims think he would rather have some kind of power tools (and no doubt argue over whether he wants a drill or a jigsaw). The truth of the matter though is that any loving father would just be flattered that his kids remembered his birthday and made the effort. Equally, any truly loving god should care more than his creations put in the effort than which prayers they mumble.

As for answering prayers in general, it's like listening to a kid make excuses for their absentee, uncaring father.