I remember coming up with this argument in college, and then becoming apathetic because no one could come up with a good response and yelled at me anyway.
So, is there an actual answer? (Or rather, are there any official answers according to various churches?)
So, is there an actual answer? (Or rather, are there any official answers according to various churches?)
Prayer is conversation with God. Praying for things is a specific kind of prayer. It is probably the most common, and it probably shouldn't be.
God is often referred to as a parent, and that is the perfect context to understand a prayer of petition.
Suppose a child asks his mom or dad for something. Does he get it?
Well, there are all kinds of possible scenarios. Maybe he does in fact ask and then receive. Maybe it was something he was going to get whether he asked or not.
Or maybe he doesn't get his wish.
Perhaps the parents think that granting the request would go against the best interests of their child, maybe it's something harmful or dangerous.
Maybe they'll give it, but not now; they want to wait until the child is older or until after he's eaten his dinner.
Maybe there's no reason at all, or they just don't feel like it. They're the parents and what they say goes.
That's kind of how it is with God too.
I figured I'd put RAFO's top religiologists on the case
08/09/2011 02:03:55 PM
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well I am not religious but that seems a bit of a strawman argument
08/09/2011 05:01:57 PM
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Hm, so there's a broad Divine Plan, but it doesn't matter either way who wins the Super Bowl?
08/09/2011 05:25:23 PM
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Your argument only works if you get to decide who and what god is, like I said strawman
08/09/2011 06:32:17 PM
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I don't know that I'm a "top religiologist", but here goes:
08/09/2011 05:35:26 PM
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Oooh, can I be a top religiologist?
08/09/2011 06:52:18 PM
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I can totally do this.
08/09/2011 06:57:19 PM
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Believe it or not, this is a thought I had when I was little and christian.
08/09/2011 07:39:24 PM
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Predestination is something only strict Calvinists believe.
08/09/2011 08:53:59 PM
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Didn't mean to bring up predestination.
08/09/2011 09:17:19 PM
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Sorry. That's how I read it...
09/09/2011 12:48:07 AM
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I think that looking for an absolute answer re: religion is pretty silly.
08/09/2011 08:22:16 PM
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That's a tough one...
09/09/2011 01:27:25 PM
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I'm treating this like a survey even though you didn't make it one: It's about a relationship.
12/09/2011 11:23:45 PM
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