HoustonHorn Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 I've heard 'sometimes the answer is no' as a reason for unanswered prayers over and over again. Is this backed up anywhere in the bible, or is it one of those convenient interpretations? I've found all sorts of verses that say prayers will be answered, but nothing saying they won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notasheep Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 It's just an attempt to make reality conform to their beliefs. The Bible even says that if you're a pain in the ass, and just keep asking, god will give you what you want even if he doesn't really want to. (luke 11: 5-7) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Checkmate Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 I've heard 'sometimes the answer is no' as a reason for unanswered prayers over and over again. Is this backed up anywhere in the bible, or is it one of those convenient interpretations? I've found all sorts of verses that say prayers will be answered, but nothing saying they won't. Not really a convenient interpretation, but a contradiction from the mighty Apostle Paul: 2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. "Jesus" says that prayer WILL be answered. You WILL get was you ask for. EXCEPT when it is NOT "God's will". Here we find "Jesus" in the garden of Gethsemane, "praying" - Matthew26:39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." Unfair interpretation? No. A contradiction. Obviously "Jesus" was wrong or lied when he said that you'd get anything you wanted. Because here he uses the "God's will" clause. And of course there is Matthew 6 and "The Lord's Prayer" - 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Again we see the "Lord's will" being done. Screw what YOU ask for. So, yes there is a scriptural escape hatch for unanswered prayers, or the answer being "no". But as you can see, this presents a contradiction of scripture. More proof that this Bible was written by multiple authors NOT "inspired by the Holy Spirit." They couldn't get their stories straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Xians are supposed to have their prayers guarenteed to be answered. "No" is not an answer when a prayer calls for something specific, as most prayers do. Positing that "no" is an answer because Gawd knows what you need better than you do is indeed trying to reinterpret reality to make it seem to jive with the Babble. It doesn't wash when you accept the words at face value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rachel Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I've heard 'sometimes the answer is no' as a reason for unanswered prayers over and over again. Is this backed up anywhere in the bible, or is it one of those convenient interpretations? I've found all sorts of verses that say prayers will be answered, but nothing saying they won't. my mom use to tell me that all the time when i asked why my prayers weren't answered. "God answers all prayers, just sometimes the answer is no" explains why i never got a nintendo for christmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highvoltage Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I've heard 'sometimes the answer is no' as a reason for unanswered prayers over and over again. Is this backed up anywhere in the bible, or is it one of those convenient interpretations? I've found all sorts of verses that say prayers will be answered, but nothing saying they won't. I used to think that. Now it just seems that every answered prayer was really serendipity, and every "no" actually an unanswered (unheard) prayer. I don't think God answers prayers, despite all of the verses to the contrary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Don't forget now!!! Sometimes the answer is, "Fuck off and die, heathen!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 I've heard 'sometimes the answer is no' as a reason for unanswered prayers over and over again. Is this backed up anywhere in the bible, or is it one of those convenient interpretations? I've found all sorts of verses that say prayers will be answered, but nothing saying they won't. I used to pray for world peace, but God wants war and strife and said no. I used to pray for the end of racism, but God wants racism and said no. I used to pray that Catholics could see the truth, but God wants them deluded and said no. I used to pray that I wouldn't fart in church, but God likes the smell and said no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 What if god is just late in granting prayers? Like when you asked for that pony when you were four and it is delivered to you at forty. On a serious note. Good post chef! Taph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Well, obviously, xtians say this because they HAVE TO. It's so painfully clear that the result of prayer is ususally NOTHING -- they have to have some way of explaining this away. It reminds me of something one of my geology professors said - "Geology is the best field you can go into. You can hypothesize anything you want to, and then say the evidence was eroded away!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Ah, yes. Another spineless, baseless apologetics cop-out. Xians can twist whatever verse(s) they feel like to try to support the excuse that "Sometimes gawd says NO", but in the end what they're really saying is that there isn't really a gawd out there to answer anybody's prayers in the first place and they just need some kind of weak justification to cling to when - surprise! - their prayers don't work. Some justification that will give them a flimsy reason to keep believing in the meme. You can probably guess by my cranky tone here that A. I've had a really frustrating day, and B. the "god says NO" line of bullshit is/was one of the things that really fucking annoys the hell out of me. Interestingly enough I did manage to use the "sometimes god says NO" line to shut up my fundie ex. We were talking about how I have clinical depression and what I've done over the years to deal with it. Unable to resist the opportunity to use the conversation as a way to sell me Jeebus, he slithered in the line "How would you like to be healed of your depression?" Knowing exactly where he was headed with it, I responded with something along the lines of "What makes you think I never prayed for that? God said NO." And he shut the fuck right up. So I suppose the line has its uses after all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHEMtron Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Xians are supposed to have their prayers guarenteed to be answered. "No" is not an answer when a prayer calls for something specific, as most prayers do. Positing that "no" is an answer because Gawd knows what you need better than you do is indeed trying to reinterpret reality to make it seem to jive with the Babble. It doesn't wash when you accept the words at face value. hahahahaha i used to hate that answer. i think that's the worse answer to why prayers arent answered. this is the only prayer i ever had that was answered: "god... show me the truth about my faith and the bible." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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