Originally posted by edgar
first thing, the nun is about 30 years old.
That's old enough but actually age is not important. You said she bent over and suddenly had a sharp pain in her back; it's not particularly surprising because it happens all the time. Generally, it's due to a muscle spasm which, given a little time and rest, will end all by itself. Point being, the body is rather good at healing itself and diseases sometimes go into remission. These things happen regardless of prayer or to whom the prayer is addressed. Just because she prayed and got better is not sufficient evidence that the prayer caused her to get better. In all likelihood she would have gotten better anyway. You need something more substantial than this to demonstrate the efficacy of prayer.
All things told, I don't find prayer to be a bad thing. I think it can be used constructively to garner a positive attitude and it has a meditative quality that can soothe mental and emotional turmoil. But there is nothing that warrants the belief that prayer can miraculously heal someone. Such an effect would be measurable and all attempts to demonstrate its efficacy have failed.
how do u trust statistics? statistics are only from a sample of the population. my mom used to work for a gov. organization that took statistics. she said they werent trustworthy.
I work with statistics on a daily basis. It is a powerful mathematical science that can quantify trends in a population; it translates a data into something meaningful. Handled properly it is extremely powerful and accurate. However, it is not difficult to skew the data and one should indeed be extremely skeptical when someone starts tossing about undocumented statistical 'findings'. But these influences are generally quite easy to detect by those who understand statistic and the weak points in the process. This is why it is so important for such findings to be properly documented and peer reviewed... so that biases (deliberate or accidental) can be discovered if they exist.
and with the sickness thing, perhaps a child is better off? i mean, when you are healthy you think you are mighty and powerfull. but when you get sick, you are humbled and you need some one to help you get through. perhaps if the child was healthy, they would forget about god?
A newborn infant? Give me a break. And if all he needed was for us to remember him and appreciate what he's given us couldn't he just pop his head through the clouds, say "Here guys, you look hungry." and feed all the starving people in the world? Wouldn't we appreciate that more?
he died on teh cross because of OUR trechery and disobediance. we had a chance in eden...and our forefather's blew it. we still have hope though. heaven.
What do you mean "OUR"? I never even saw Eden. How is it just to punish over 6 billion people for the actions of 2? Do we punish children for crimes their parents commit? Should we follow God's example and lock the kids up in jail if their father robs a bank? How about his grandchildren or great grandchildren or great great... you get the point. "Vengeance is mine", says the Lord... but this is freaking ridiculous.
Or is your definition of justice and truth simply whatever the hell God wishes? This just makes God the greatest mafia boss of all time. Good and evil, truth and falsehood, morality... they all become meaningless. Its might makes right at the core of it, "Do what I say or I'll fuck you up for all eternity."
~Raithere
