kellinator: (grin)
kellinator ([personal profile] kellinator) wrote2002-07-10 05:40 pm

The power of prayer

Well, the two dogs I prayed for yesterday, [livejournal.com profile] aheadofmymind's dog and [livejournal.com profile] kelliecoo's mother's dog, are both in better health today!

A few months back one of my fellow reviewers at www.likesbooks.com was going through a difficult pregnancy and was in danger of having the baby prematurely. Several of us offered our prayers. The reviewer in question is not religious at all -- but after her baby was not only not premature, but late, she conceded that maybe there was something to this prayer stuff.

Keep those requests coming, and don't forget mine!

[identity profile] tikimama.livejournal.com 2002-07-10 02:48 pm (UTC)(link)
*Heather struggles not to comment*

I'm glad the dogs are better. :)

[identity profile] kellinator.livejournal.com 2002-07-10 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I've just seen too much stuff like this not to believe. Although I've said more than once "I think God has a sick sense of humor..."

[identity profile] tikimama.livejournal.com 2002-07-10 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I thought that was Depeche Mode! ;)

I'm not really sure why I should say anything here. Because faith, and prayer, isn't about proof or evidence. At least, it shouldn't be. If one would like to believe that praying affects the outcome of a event, then that's it. That's faith, it doesn't need or want, other opinions. And, of course, it's a self-prooving thing. I mean, we have no way of knowing what would have happened to that lady if no one had prayed for her.

The thing I find disturbing is that so many people (not really you, Kelly) want so hard to PROVE that "prayer" works. But there really isn't any way, it's not something that can be examined by science, since it's not really measurable.

There is a lot of selective memory and intermittent reinforcement involved in "proof" that prayer works that undermines its validity (from a skeptic's point of view).

But in any case, I don't think it matters. There are a lot of things that we can't affect, and so praying (or good thoughts, or lighting a candle, or doing a rain dance) all help us feel like we are doing something, like we are helping. I don't think it really needs to be justified or defended. Whether or not it "really" does is immaterial to how it makes people feel.

[identity profile] terracinque.livejournal.com 2002-07-10 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
So every time a baby or pet dies, it's because no one was praying for them.

[identity profile] kelliecoo.livejournal.com 2002-07-10 03:13 pm (UTC)(link)
That is about the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Have some compassion already.

[identity profile] sarahlicious13.livejournal.com 2002-07-10 03:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Really glad to hear that the dogs are better and the baby situation turned out well.

I don't really believe that praying helps the ones being prayed for. I think praying keeps the prayer strong. And, either way, it's not a guarantee of anything.

That's why babies, pets, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands, and other loved ones die.

[identity profile] kmeghan.livejournal.com 2002-07-10 04:15 pm (UTC)(link)
while i dont believe in prayer, it dosen't mean that it dosen't work.
You go girl, keep praying! :0)

[identity profile] aheadofmymind.livejournal.com 2002-07-10 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
you are the BEST girl! thank you so much for the prayers...Bennie says he worships you and hopes one day you two can sit together and enjoy a big meal (he loves to eat:)

thank you so much:) xoxoxo

[identity profile] whitecrow0.livejournal.com 2002-07-12 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
Actually, ABC News (the feed my start page sticks me with) ran an article earlier this year about a study of hospital patients; one group had people praying for them, the other did not. The patients weren't told that they were being prayed for, but the group that was did recover more fully more quickly.
If you'd like to, please pray for me and my family. We really need to put our money troubles on track and behind us, and I want Scott where he needs to be. (I'm also wigging out about Bevin's public preschool, but I can't think about how to phrase a request for that.)
Should keep ya busy...
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