Could The Virus Lead To A Spiritual Revival?

[Khandro]

'Something is stirring in the souls of millions presently under lockdown. The number of people searching for the word ‘prayer’ on Google ‘skyrocketed’ last month, doubling with every 80,000 new registered cases of coronavirus, according to a University of Copenhagen study. A Pew poll found that 55 per cent of Americans have prayed for an end to the pandemic. And no, it’s not only the Bible Belt: researchers reported that 15 per cent of those who ‘seldom or never pray’ and 24 per cent of those who do not belong to any religion have prayed about the virus.'

Have you prayed - even in the simplest of terms - for someone's health?

[nailit]

Theland does a runner when his own bible is quoted back at him. Typical Evangelical! Likes to quote when it suits but legs it when questioned.

[Theland]

Oh please stop baiting Nailit.

[Theland]

I'll set Mamya on yer :-)

[nailit]

//I'll set Mamya on yer :-)//
Im usually in bed by the time Mamy's night night thread appears...

And Im not baiting either....
Genuinely curious, but if you keep running away then how am I supposed to know how you (and Khandro) view things?
And...like it or not...you avoid certain questions.

[TonyV]

What with all church's closed?

[Theland]

Nailit, you never tire of telling me I'm running away.
I'm not.
I just can't be bothered getting into another round of toing and froing and anyway you also never tire of parading your bible expertise, so consult your bible and try to understand what you read.
No offence meant by that.

[JimF]

But that's the point, isn't it? If you're not praying to "someone" whom you believe capable of doing what you ask, then what is the point at all?

Praying to the sky? How can the sky possibly help, unless you believe that the sky is a supernatural being that actually *can* help. You may as well pray to the flying spaghetti monster.

[Mamyalynne]

It represents hope, futile possibly but does no harm.

[marval]

I have prayed, if prayer gives someone hope then there is nothing wrong with it.

[Mozz71]

I don't prayer, not since I was a little kid anyway. The lEt time I remember praying was the 1983 UEFA Cup final when Spurs were in a penalty shoot out against Anderlect.

They won, but I don't think my prayer had much to do with it.

[Theland]

Nailit - You should listen to some YouTube lectures from Christian apologists, and one of the best and easy on the ear is Ravi Zacharias.
I doubt you will find anything he says that you will disagree with.

By the way, when Jesus said you can pray for anything in His name and the Father will grant it, he obviously meant praying for anything in accordance with the Fathers will.
Our will can be too short sighted, and God wants only what is best for us, and what is best for us is a close relationship with Him.
Listen to Ravi Zacharias, tell me what you think.

[10ClarionSt]

Lots of native cultures round the world pray to their ancestors. It doesn't have to be to a god.

[iluvmargie]

I pray, sometimes.

[Deskdiary]

No.

And anybody who thinks it may help is a deluded idiot.

God is Santa Claus for grown-ups.

I honestly believe the belief in god is a form of mental illness.

[naomi24]

Theland, //when Jesus said you can pray for anything in His name and the Father will grant it, he obviously meant praying for anything in accordance with the Fathers will. //

No pressure to fulfil promises then, God - just do as you like because there’s always a get out clause in the contract. That’s handy.


// God wants only what is best for us////

Ahh, so he ignores prayers that plead for pain and suffering in the sick to be ended, or parents’ prayers for little children stricken by appalling diseases to be helped .... because misery and heartache is good for us. I see.

This is the sort of sanctimonious claptrap that makes me really angry.

[Khandro]

Tibetan Buddhists - who don't essentially concern themselves with 'God' - pray; in fact all their practices & offerings are a form of prayer. One long-time request, recited countless times is, 'A prayer for the Long Life of his Holiness the Dalai Lama'
( he's still around!)

[beso]

Not just praying for good things either. You can also curse in the name of the Lord and He will do things like sending bears to tear forty two children apart.

2 Kings 2:23-24

[aelmpvw]

praying to a malevolent god who allows doctors and nurses to perish while trying to save innocent victims makes no sense to me

[archibaldy]

I've not prayed since probably 12 years old. However as it is quick, easy and very cheap I'm not surprised people use prayer as a way to ease their conscience that they are actually doing something rather than actually helping in any meaningful way.

[Khandro]

I'm not sure if any of the dissenters understand what prayer actually is or can be.

Prayer has many manifestations, covered from the well-known quote (not known from whom) " There are no atheists in foxholes".

Ken, above says 'no' to prayer, & 'puts his faith in science', but on another thread has said today how he would like to see a monument built to the NHS workers who have lost their lives helping the victims of the coronavirus.

But what are memorials if not prayers for the dead? - there's nothing very 'scientific' about them is there?