About a month ago I posted an insert on my personal blog about Michael Jackson who had recently been diagnosed with nodules in his nose. The fear was that he had cancer. Whilst waiting for the test results, a frantic Michael turned to prayer for succor.
According to the reports at the time "Jackson is reportedly worried sick and is planning to spend the next few days praying he will be okay."
Now we've all heard the adage about prayer in response to the question "does God always answer prayer?" Sometimes the answer is “Yes”, sometimes it's “No “and sometimes, “It's wait”
So in Jackson's case, was it "NO" or was he praying about the wrong ailment?
I leave you to think about it.
According to the reports at the time "Jackson is reportedly worried sick and is planning to spend the next few days praying he will be okay."
Now we've all heard the adage about prayer in response to the question "does God always answer prayer?" Sometimes the answer is “Yes”, sometimes it's “No “and sometimes, “It's wait”
So in Jackson's case, was it "NO" or was he praying about the wrong ailment?
I leave you to think about it.
18 Opinion(s):
Oh VinceR, this is rather insensitive of you! He had a choice to pray for whatever he wanted!!! We have to fit in with God’s plans though, not the other way around. If his prayers gave him comfort then you or I don’t have to concern yourself whether his prayers were answered or not.
Such a bummer for Liza Taylor to have one less friend to scrounge drugs off. You could have taken them for sisters in the end, except that Liz Taylor got the better of her anorexia.
FE - Reality bites - Christians keep telling me to pray about stuff - So naturally, I want to question whether it gets results or not. It has nothing to do with emotion and if it makes me feel good is not important. I want to see the RESULTS people keep promising. If I start seeing results, well, guess I'll be smirking on the other side of my face.
If "God" really existed, wouldn't it make you feel even worse? Would you want to pray to such a god?
Dach, exactly!
Prayer is not about results!
It's about adjusting your own mindset/vision.. like "psyching up", or am I being too glib?
There is a big difference between knowing (as a fact) and believing (having faith) God exists. It seems that people, religious and non-religious, become confused about when they should be having faith and when they should be dealing with reality.
@VinceR, if you don’t particularly want to feel good then it is not a spiritual thing and therefore also not a religious issue. If you have a wish list you’d better make those things happen yourself. That is the reality.
@ Dachshund, if one believes in God then prayer may be of comfort for someone during a period of hardship. It may be of comfort when the person becomes aware that there is a greater purpose to their existence when facing a terminal illness. (I have no idea what that greater purpose is, other than an understanding from my own personal perspective. It is for each person to resolve it for them self.)
Let me change the question:
Does the cookie monster only fly after midnight?
There is nothing insensitive about me. I watched all those great vids by Michael Jackson yesterday which it seemed almost every TV channel was playing, and surprised myself when I kept feeling the lump in my throat. It's a shit business death, but I do not take comfort in a non existent being, I find it in my relationships with living human beings (principally my wife and daughter) that is more than enough! I don't need any more. Genuine. And if it does get tough sometimes, I hear Carl Sagan's voice (who died in 1996) "better the harsh reality, than the comforting illusion"
In the beautiful words of his Widow, Anne Druyan:
Contrary to the fantasies of the fundamentalists, there was no deathbed conversion, no last minute refuge taken in a comforting vision of a heaven or an afterlife. For Carl, what mattered most was what was true, not merely what would make us feel better. Even at this moment when anyone would be forgiven for turning away from the reality of our situation, Carl was unflinching. As we looked deeply into each others eyes, it was with a shared conviction that our wondrous life together was ending forever.
@Vince: You're absolutely right. Live your life and don't let anyone take it away from you. Squeeze the last drop out of it. Do something amazing. You might just surprise yourself.
Actually I find he answers my prayers at about a 50% rate.
Spot on Vince. It is 100% how I view life. I live for now, to enjoy my life now, with my kids and my wife now. I believe when death comes, it is lights out, no heaven, no hell, it's over.
As Kerry Packer once said, I think I've mentioned this before, after momentarily "dying" and being subsequently revived, upon being asked by reporters how it was, he said, "I've been to the other side and there's fuck all there". Exactly. Live life for the present. You only get to go around once. This is not a practice drill. I repeat, this is not a drill.
@ VinceR, “Does the cookie monster only fly after midnight?” Is that your level of emotional maturity? I don’t think so, so don’t project it onto others! Lol. I don’t think you are an insensitive person. I’ve seen your sensitivity. I’m just saying that if Micheal Jackson heard your comments about his prayers he would have thought they were insensitive! You were using a straw man argument.
@VinceR, Dach & Dobes, I don’t think a religion is about understanding death. It’s about understanding life. I also believe that when my time comes my lights are going to go out. I believe the concept of eternal life that is used in religion is, like most things in religion, figurative. I don’t think the fear of death is any motivation to live life “more” though. Danger may pressure one to respond to a threatening situation with greater urgency but when the threat has been undone there needs to be more to live for. So we resolve to our spirituality, whether it is the love for our families, society, God/s or whatever. Everybody should have that choice.
My daughter believes she is a fairy, and that she has magical powers. Because she is able to get her wishes fulfilled probably more than 50% of the time, I suppose it reinforces her view. But that doesn't mean that fairies exist. It is harmless for now, but if she changed from believing in fairies to believing in the invisible man in the sky, at say 30 years of age, then I will be worried.
@ VI, don't mock the fairy. It represents something to your daughter.
Be glad you don't have a son who thinks he's a fairy, VI.
Dach lol...
Seriously though FE. The god idea is ontologically no different from the flying cookie monster or the tooth fairy. People imagine a being "greater than which cannot be conceived" but all that represents is an infinte regress and says nothing about what "actually exists". Lucky I am in good company with the likes of Bertrand Russel who finally dismissed the ontological "proof" of god 50 years ago after much mental deliberation.
@Dachs. That depends. Reminds me of a joke.
If the ANSWER is A Cock Robin, what is the question?
What's that in your hand Batman?
Seems we have some agreement.
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