As a Christian, I'll be donating to the research of diseases so that they can be eradicated and/or treated - rather than mumbling to myself bedside for anyone's recovery
"If you want to save your child from polio, you can pray or you can inoculate." - Carl Sagan
Are you aware that this article has been discussed already? It's hardly convincing enough to just drop biblical practice.
As a 'Christian', I'm curious what you make of James 5:14:
"Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;"
I pray that God may keep Albert Mohler in this trying time.
And I pause also to observe that Aaron Kinney is the lowest sort of ... well, to compare the what-not to a rat would be to insult that noble rodent. Suffice it to say I shall also be praying for him.
In the meantime, I am simply shocked as such callousness. Sometimes, you know, Aaron, all we can do is pray. The doctors do all they can, and the fact remains that not every disease can be cured right now. So, having done all, we stand back and pray. My great aunt worked in the medical profession and worked to save lives, worked to improve the care of the sick. And she prayed. The idea that one either treats an illness or prays is a false antithesis.
As far as new New Scientist article, I note that Dr. Mohler himself made the point that prayer is not a magic incantation. Rather, it is a calling on the Father in faith. We must all be tried, and we must all pass out of this veil of tears. But after the night of weeping will come the morn of song. And, when we meet our Saviour, we shall be made like him. He shall wipe away all the tears from our eyes and take us away from the darkness to courts of endless day.
Aaron, I pray that you never have to pass through that veil unprepared, that the Lord will lengthen your days and grant them to you without trial or pain. But more than that, that the Sun of Righteousness arise in your heart. What is a lifetime of pleasure against an eternity of suffering? A few feeble rays of sun before an endless night. If I must have afflictions in this life that I may inherit eternal life, 'even so.' Yes, I would have prosperity and success, but nevertheless, not my will but thine be done, Lord. And I write this in full knowledge of what I say.
Perhaps some unbelievers are simply pointing out the inconsistency in belief in a sovereign God and belief that your prayers are going to make one bit of difference in the plan or how it unfolds.
Whether you pray or whether you don't, the man will either die or live, and God is in control...God's plan isn't altered by human compassion, right?
We all must die. And perhaps some unbelievers are 'just' playing foolish, juvenile games.
The trouble with some atheists is their character. Believing that there is no God, they have no greater measure of compassion than themselves. In some cases, such as that of Bertrand Russel, the man in broad enough. In other cases the person is a moral pigmy. The anonymous who made the first point is a good illustration of the second type.
We believe in a sovereign God. We also believe in a God who answers prayer. Why do we do that? Because that is the God that we find in the Bible.
That said, I am glad the false dichotomy between prayer and medical treatment has been withdrawn.
We are commanded to trust and pray, so that is what we do. And I pray that we should do so without cheap shots.
'It is appointed to all men once to die; and then the judgement.' To be spared pain is a good thing. But is is a far, far better thing to be spared the judgement.
Paul,
ReplyDeletePrayer is evidently ineffective against afflictions.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025463.200-prayers-found-ineffective-in-speeding-recovery.html
As a Christian, I'll be donating to the research of diseases so that they can be eradicated and/or treated - rather than mumbling to myself bedside for anyone's recovery
"If you want to save your child from polio, you can pray or you can inoculate." - Carl Sagan
In Christ,
Aaron
Who's Paul?
ReplyDeleteAre you aware that this article has been discussed already? It's hardly convincing enough to just drop biblical practice.
As a 'Christian', I'm curious what you make of James 5:14:
"Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;"
Atheists showing their satanic charm in this thread.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Red Rocker (as well as semper reformanda).
ReplyDeleteI will be deleting any and all snide, gratuitous comments about the efficacy of prayer in relation to Mohler's medical crisis.
Now is not the time and place for vacuous, spiteful unbelievers to parade their vacuous, spiteful worldview.
Praise God that Mohler has recovered to some extent.
ReplyDeleteI pray that God may keep Albert Mohler in this trying time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I pause also to observe that Aaron Kinney is the lowest sort of ... well, to compare the what-not to a rat would be to insult that noble rodent. Suffice it to say I shall also be praying for him.
In the meantime, I am simply shocked as such callousness. Sometimes, you know, Aaron, all we can do is pray. The doctors do all they can, and the fact remains that not every disease can be cured right now. So, having done all, we stand back and pray. My great aunt worked in the medical profession and worked to save lives, worked to improve the care of the sick. And she prayed. The idea that one either treats an illness or prays is a false antithesis.
As far as new New Scientist article, I note that Dr. Mohler himself made the point that prayer is not a magic incantation. Rather, it is a calling on the Father in faith. We must all be tried, and we must all pass out of this veil of tears. But after the night of weeping will come the morn of song. And, when we meet our Saviour, we shall be made like him. He shall wipe away all the tears from our eyes and take us away from the darkness to courts of endless day.
Aaron, I pray that you never have to pass through that veil unprepared, that the Lord will lengthen your days and grant them to you without trial or pain. But more than that, that the Sun of Righteousness arise in your heart. What is a lifetime of pleasure against an eternity of suffering? A few feeble rays of sun before an endless night. If I must have afflictions in this life that I may inherit eternal life, 'even so.' Yes, I would have prosperity and success, but nevertheless, not my will but thine be done, Lord. And I write this in full knowledge of what I say.
'Till the day break, and the shadows flee away.'
Man, first D. James Kennedy suffers a heart attack, now this happens to Mohler?!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Frankie! What's God going to let happen next? He is in control of everything, isn't He?
ReplyDeleteIndeed He is, bouvypoo. Whether we like it or not.
ReplyDeletePerhaps some unbelievers are simply pointing out the inconsistency in belief in a sovereign God and belief that your prayers are going to make one bit of difference in the plan or how it unfolds.
ReplyDeleteWhether you pray or whether you don't, the man will either die or live, and God is in control...God's plan isn't altered by human compassion, right?
Praise God for medicine!
ReplyDeleteWe all must die. And perhaps some unbelievers are 'just' playing foolish, juvenile games.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with some atheists is their character. Believing that there is no God, they have no greater measure of compassion than themselves. In some cases, such as that of Bertrand Russel, the man in broad enough. In other cases the person is a moral pigmy. The anonymous who made the first point is a good illustration of the second type.
We believe in a sovereign God. We also believe in a God who answers prayer. Why do we do that? Because that is the God that we find in the Bible.
That said, I am glad the false dichotomy between prayer and medical treatment has been withdrawn.
We are commanded to trust and pray, so that is what we do. And I pray that we should do so without cheap shots.
'It is appointed to all men once to die; and then the judgement.' To be spared pain is a good thing. But is is a far, far better thing to be spared the judgement.