Freethought & Rationalism Archive

-DM- · 06-24-2002, 08:09 AM

A chartered bus transporting children (middle schoolers and high schoolers) from Garland, Texas, to a church camp in Louisiana crashed this morning killing six or eight children and injuring 35 others. That is a horrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the parents and children.

Here's something else that bothered me: on TV, I saw a group of four adults, Bibles in hand, in a circle praying--after the fact. Now given that parents and children alike undoubtedly prayed for their safety on that trip, one might logically come to the conclusion that the FFRF slogan, "Nothing fails like prayer," is correct and not waste any more time praying. But no, more prayers. It must be that quantity counts with "God" more than does quality.

--Don--

Martin Gibbs · 06-24-2002, 08:12 AM

Exactly.

I too feel bad for the situation. How do people constantly believe prayer works? years ago in church we were supposed to pray for the same sick man week after week after week. He never got better--he eventually died.

Maybe they just remember the good things, the "coincidence" when prayer "worked". They forget the 98% failure rate.

I feel bad for people who don't realize that I can do more with my two hands today than an entire church-ful of people praying can in a lifetime.

hezekiah jones · 06-24-2002, 08:16 AM

God just wanted to bring those kids home to be with him. Sometimes God wills it that in the process they die slowly and in complete agony.

cloudyphiz · 06-24-2002, 08:33 AM

this happened just down the road from me, so i've been hearing about it non-stop.

typical (evangelical) christian response: "if something like this was going to happen it's better that the lord took home children who already knew him than unbelievers who would have gone to hell. there is a purpose here, and it serves to show others that you never know when your time will come, but you'd better be straight with the lord when it does'."

<<chills run down spine>>

-gary

BibleBelted · 06-24-2002, 08:36 AM

Because His mercy endureth forever.

<a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/062402dntswchurchbuscrash.158885d9.html" target="_blank">Dallas News story on bus crash</a>

This is truly sad. What makes it even sadder is these poor people now have to convince themselves that this tragedy somehow serves gawd's greater glory.

Bree · 06-24-2002, 08:46 AM

What are the people praying about? The crash already happened - they couldn't possibly be praying for the souls of the departed, could they? Of course not - if the people on the bus weren't saved, they're already doomed to go you-know-where. As far as I can recall, the prayers of the living do not sway God's opinion on these matters - why then are they praying?

Anunnaki · 06-24-2002, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bree:
<strong>What are the people praying about? The crash already happened - they couldn't possibly be praying for the souls of the departed, could they? Of course not - if the people on the bus weren't saved, they're already doomed to go you-know-where. As far as I can recall, the prayers of the living do not sway God's opinion on these matters - why then are they praying?</strong>

Ask seebs. I`m sure he can drum up some kind of answer.

Mad Kally · 06-24-2002, 09:27 AM

Jeebus BS:

"The lord works in mysterious ways"

"It's a MIRACLE that some of the children survived!"

Mecha_Dude · 06-24-2002, 09:38 AM

Oh, I get it, when Christians are killed, it's god bringing them back home, when Anyone Else is killed, it's god striking them down.

Mageth · 06-24-2002, 09:39 AM

A terrible tragedy.

As much as I sympathize as to the inefficacy of prayer and the non-existence of a non-existent god's purpose, perhaps this is not the time to criticize those who are praying and/or philosophizing over the "meaning" of this tragedy. If doing so helps them deal with the tragedy, then they, at least, may be gaining some psychological/emotional benefit, in spite of the fact that, in the long run, their efforts are misguided.

06-24-2002, 08:09 AM	#1
-DM- Honorary Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: West Coast Posts: 5,714	Church bus crash A chartered bus transporting children (middle schoolers and high schoolers) from Garland, Texas, to a church camp in Louisiana crashed this morning killing six or eight children and injuring 35 others. That is a horrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the parents and children. Here's something else that bothered me: on TV, I saw a group of four adults, Bibles in hand, in a circle praying--after the fact. Now given that parents and children alike undoubtedly prayed for their safety on that trip, one might logically come to the conclusion that the FFRF slogan, "Nothing fails like prayer," is correct and not waste any more time praying. But no, more prayers. It must be that quantity counts with "God" more than does quality. --Don--

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06-24-2002, 08:12 AM	#2
Martin Gibbs Regular Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: MN Posts: 100	Exactly. I too feel bad for the situation. How do people constantly believe prayer works? years ago in church we were supposed to pray for the same sick man week after week after week. He never got better--he eventually died. Maybe they just remember the good things, the "coincidence" when prayer "worked". They forget the 98% failure rate. I feel bad for people who don't realize that I can do more with my two hands today than an entire church-ful of people praying can in a lifetime.

06-24-2002, 08:16 AM	#3
hezekiah jones Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: WI Posts: 4,357	God just wanted to bring those kids home to be with him. Sometimes God wills it that in the process they die slowly and in complete agony.

06-24-2002, 08:33 AM	#4
cloudyphiz Senior Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: rochester, ny, usa Posts: 658	this happened just down the road from me, so i've been hearing about it non-stop. typical (evangelical) christian response: "if something like this was going to happen it's better that the lord took home children who already knew him than unbelievers who would have gone to hell. there is a purpose here, and it serves to show others that you never know when your time will come, but you'd better be straight with the lord when it does'." <<chills run down spine>> -gary

06-24-2002, 08:36 AM	#5
BibleBelted Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Oklahoma, USA Posts: 891	Because His mercy endureth forever. <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/062402dntswchurchbuscrash.158885d9.html" target="_blank">Dallas News story on bus crash</a> This is truly sad. What makes it even sadder is these poor people now have to convince themselves that this tragedy somehow serves gawd's greater glory. <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

06-24-2002, 08:46 AM	#6
Bree Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Twin Cities, USA Posts: 3,197	What are the people praying about? The crash already happened - they couldn't possibly be praying for the souls of the departed, could they? Of course not - if the people on the bus weren't saved, they're already doomed to go you-know-where. As far as I can recall, the prayers of the living do not sway God's opinion on these matters - why then are they praying?

06-24-2002, 09:27 AM	#8
Mad Kally Banned Join Date: May 2001 Location: LALA Land in California Posts: 3,764	Jeebus BS: "The lord works in mysterious ways" "It's a MIRACLE that some of the children survived!"

06-24-2002, 09:38 AM	#9
Mecha_Dude Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Everywhere... I'm Watching you... Posts: 1,019	Oh, I get it, when Christians are killed, it's god bringing them back home, when Anyone Else is killed, it's god striking them down.

06-24-2002, 09:39 AM	#10
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	A terrible tragedy. As much as I sympathize as to the inefficacy of prayer and the non-existence of a non-existent god's purpose, perhaps this is not the time to criticize those who are praying and/or philosophizing over the "meaning" of this tragedy. If doing so helps them deal with the tragedy, then they, at least, may be gaining some psychological/emotional benefit, in spite of the fact that, in the long run, their efforts are misguided.

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