NPC’s: Non-player character, God and lifeline theology

[April]

Filed under decision making, this one is rather amusing, no matter which way you believe when it comes to the whole god thing.

This applies to the prayers that the religious are so fond of, and explains why you don't and can't get answers.

It compares the idea of having access to a god willing to give you all of life's answers, to the logic used in coding computer games, and explains why this isn't possible.

http://www.mindreadersdictionary.com/npcs/

I have always thought the idea of prayer was a bit arrogant. How could you think that you are so much better than everyone else, so much more deserving, and could possibly be so important, that a god would be willing to give you what you want, bending the laws of the universe, giving you an unfair advantage over other people (usually at their expense), and upsetting the natural balance of everything?

[Mando]

Gee…I think your writing more reflects your misunderstanding as to what prayer is…

Allow me to clarify. And, let me first say that the Christian God is not the magic genie god that many portray him to be…such in the issue of answered or unanswered prayers…but rather a God who listens but answers prayers according to His will and purpose. Jesus provided a model prayer which reflected this style of prayer (Matthew 6.9-13, Luke 11.1-4).

We are commanded to pray. Pray is a way of communicating with God. (“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome” Ephesians 3:12. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” Hebrews 4:16.

It is a “beseeching the Lord” (Ex. 32:11); “pouring out the soul before the Lord” (1 Sam. 1:15); “praying and crying to heaven” (2 Chr. 32:20); “seeking unto God and making supplication” (Job 8:5); “drawing near to God” (Ps. 73:28); “bowing the knees” (Eph. 3:14).

We certainly have responses given to prayer as related in the Bible, and many today attest to such. But, I’ve failed to see where the idea of arrogance falls in beyond your misunderstanding of the contriteness and humbleness offered in one’s prayer to God, and your rebellion against God. Actually, putting rules and limits on God, as to what He can and should do, is the mark of arrogance against the Creator. But, when and if He asks your opinion on how it should be done…be sure to raise your hand. But first consider this…"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God. Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Isaiah 59, 1,2.

Have a read…
http://www.carm.org/prayer/prayer.htm
http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlin ... ray_08.htm
http://www.everystudent.com/wires/prayers.html
http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=4405
http://francisrosos.wordpress.com/2006/ ... r-prayers/
(http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/prayer.html).

[..Ñøßߥ..]

Damn you lord i prayed you wouldn't send Mando back!!!!!!

[Vladd44]

There you go april, I knew there was a good answer.

It isn't arrogant to expect a god to defy the laws that govern "his creation" if you beg enough.

It is arrogant for you to expect his followers to play by the same rules.

[April]

It would be arrogant of me to tell god how I think things should be done, which would be exactly what I would be doing if I prayed and asked him to please make the light not turn red, so I could get to work on time.

And if he did grant my requerst, it would be at the expense of others, because if it's green for me then it's red for someone else. And yes, it is arrogant to think I am so special and important that I need to get to work on time more than they do. It's that arrogance that would lead me to ask in the first place.

It's right up there and aligned with the arrogant "Jesus loves me, but he can't stand you" way of thinking Mando has displayed on this forum time and again.

Or how about this...

Two people are traveling to work, one going north, one going east, and approaching the same intersection. They are both going to be late for work if they get caught in a red light. They are both christians and both pray for the light to not turn red in their direction. They pray the exact same prayer.

• Which one is more deserving of having their prayer answered?
• Which one is more special that a god would play favorites?
• How could a god grant the request of either of them without affecting the other in a negative way?

Even if he decided to be fair and granted the request of both of them and it was green for both, it would result in something negative (a car accident). The only intelligent option is to grant neither request and just let happen what will happen, what was meant to happen without any interference.

Mando, how long is it going to take you to learn that all human life is equal and equally important (or equally unimportant) and nobody is more (or less) deserving of anything any more than someone else, and that a real god would respect that and never play favorites and never interfere? There are no magic words that will allow you to cheat and get more than your fair share. Because if there were, it would ruin it for everyone else, because life is not a 1 player game.

No matter what you ask for, a real god's answer will always be "No, I will not interfere." To think he would do otherwise, is arrogance.

That is why prayer does not and can not work.

And Mando, your assertion that prayer is communication is dead wrong. For it to be communication, it has to be 2 ways, or it is no different than talking to the air.

I talk to you, you talk back to me...that is communication. I talk to the air and the air does not talk back. That is not communication. I talk to god and then...nothing...no response....just like the air. That is not communication.

If I assume anything is a response, other than a genuine voice with words from God to me, then I am making a mistake similar to the assumption that if I am too stupid to understand and explain it, it must be a miracle from God.

And throughout history, the only ones that have ever claimed to have heard a real voice from God, are liars and crazy people. Everyone else is assuming that they are seeing signs and those signs are from god, when in fact it's just wishful thinking, ignorance, misinterpretation, or coincidence, and the so-called signs are an invention of one's own mind.

[..Ñøßߥ..]

No matter what you ask for, a real god's answer will always be "No, I will not interfere." To think he would do otherwise, is arrogance.

That is why prayer does not and can not work.

oh?

i thought it was because it was bollox.......



ps.sorry, i just find myself inserting sarcastic comments on any thread Mando pollutes.....

[April]

No matter what you ask for, a real god's answer will always be "No, I will not interfere." To think he would do otherwise, is arrogance.

That is why prayer does not and can not work.

oh?

i thought it was because it was bollox.......

No matter how you look at it, prayer does not and can not work:

If there is a god, it can't work.

If there is no god, it can't work.