Freethought & Rationalism Archive

freemonkey · 08-02-2002, 08:41 AM

There was a fatal car wreck nearby recently. It occurred on a stretch of freeway traveled by a friend's husband, at a time he would have been there.

My friend told me, "I prayed so hard that it wasn't him, God answered my prayer."

The more I think about it, the more absurd I find the statement.

MzNeko · 08-02-2002, 08:46 AM

Ah, but what you do not realise is that it, in fact, was him, but at the last moment God pulled a switcheroo just for that one person.

Pity about the poor sap that got switched in...

Grumpy · 08-02-2002, 09:57 AM

You're right. The sequence is out of order.

1) Accident occurs. Somebody is killed.
2) News of the wreck reaches your friend, but the name of the victim is unknown.
3) Friend prays/hopes/wishes that the victim is not her husband.
4) Friend learns that husband is alive.
5) Thank God!

Was the husband killed at stage 1, only to be rescued after stage 3? What if word of the husband's death had reached her at stage 2 -- could God have retroactively spared his life then? And if the husband had in fact died, would we still see stage 5?

MortalWombat · 08-02-2002, 12:13 PM

Maybe the guy was Schroedinger's husband, and his fate was tied to the wave function of the prayer.

cydonia · 08-02-2002, 01:49 PM

"Pity about the poor sap that got switched in...'

Yep. The poor sap is always sacraficed if no one was praying for him. Now if two people were praying for both men, then i suppose a third poor sap would have to take their place. Which is all God's will anyway.

Samhain · 08-02-2002, 01:54 PM

But doesn't 'God' take people "when it's their time to go"? Why would he take someone from life because they were "needed in heaven" and then change his mind because some foolish mortal prayed for his safe return home? Further I thought 'God' answered all prayers, but he would just answer them as yes, or no, or maybe, or maybe later. So had 'God' answered "No" to that prayer would it have been the work of the devil or just "God's will" or his "mysterious ways of working"?

Hobbs · 08-02-2002, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by freemonkey:
<strong>My friend told me, "I prayed so hard that it wasn't him, God answered my prayer."</strong>

Another interesting point about this: she cares so much for her husband that she desperately wants him not to be experiencing perfect bliss.

Yet another case of "no Christians in foxholes."

cydonia · 08-02-2002, 08:39 PM

Good point. This life is just a lame stop along the way at best, the whole point of life is to get to heaven, which means the whole point of life is death. Shame on her for wanting to keep that man in "the world" with all its desires and temptations. Selfish old lady.

I ate Pascal's Wafer · 08-02-2002, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Good point. This life is just a lame stop along the way at best, the whole point of life is to get to heaven, which means the whole point of life is death. Shame on her for wanting to keep that man in "the world" with all its desires and temptations. Selfish old lady.

Haha!

Maybe they're really not Christians. They do spend an awful lot of time praying for people in tough situations. They should be praying for God to take them away! And all that time spent crying at funerals? Bah! I think they don't really believe in God. Sure, they believe until the going gets rough. Then they wonder what would happen if they're wrong. Their loved one is gone forever! So, they pray and cry. It's a subconscious admission on their part that they don't believe in God!

-Nick

08-02-2002, 08:41 AM	#1
freemonkey Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: hell if I know Posts: 2,306	Prayer..... After The Fact? There was a fatal car wreck nearby recently. It occurred on a stretch of freeway traveled by a friend's husband, at a time he would have been there. My friend told me, "I prayed so hard that it wasn't him, God answered my prayer." The more I think about it, the more absurd I find the statement.

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08-02-2002, 08:46 AM	#2
MzNeko Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Long Beach, California Posts: 1,127	Ah, but what you do not realise is that it, in fact, was him, but at the last moment God pulled a switcheroo just for that one person. Pity about the poor sap that got switched in...

08-02-2002, 09:57 AM	#3
Grumpy Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Alaska, USA Posts: 1,535	You're right. The sequence is out of order. 1) Accident occurs. Somebody is killed. 2) News of the wreck reaches your friend, but the name of the victim is unknown. 3) Friend prays/hopes/wishes that the victim is not her husband. 4) Friend learns that husband is alive. 5) Thank God! Was the husband killed at stage 1, only to be rescued after stage 3? What if word of the husband's death had reached her at stage 2 -- could God have retroactively spared his life then? And if the husband had in fact died, would we still see stage 5?

08-02-2002, 12:13 PM	#4
MortalWombat Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: St Louis area Posts: 3,458	Maybe the guy was Schroedinger's husband, and his fate was tied to the wave function of the prayer.

08-02-2002, 01:49 PM	#5
cydonia Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: southern california Posts: 1,002	"Pity about the poor sap that got switched in...' Yep. The poor sap is always sacraficed if no one was praying for him. Now if two people were praying for both men, then i suppose a third poor sap would have to take their place. Which is all God's will anyway.

08-02-2002, 01:54 PM	#6
Samhain Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 7,735	But doesn't 'God' take people "when it's their time to go"? Why would he take someone from life because they were "needed in heaven" and then change his mind because some foolish mortal prayed for his safe return home? Further I thought 'God' answered all prayers, but he would just answer them as yes, or no, or maybe, or maybe later. So had 'God' answered "No" to that prayer would it have been the work of the devil or just "God's will" or his "mysterious ways of working"?

08-02-2002, 08:39 PM	#8
cydonia Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: southern california Posts: 1,002	Good point. This life is just a lame stop along the way at best, the whole point of life is to get to heaven, which means the whole point of life is death. Shame on her for wanting to keep that man in "the world" with all its desires and temptations. Selfish old lady.

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