Why do you pray?

• SnotBubbles

  

  I like to think of Jesus as wearin' a tuxedo t-shirt, 'cause it says, like "I want to be formal, but I'm here to party too.
• Con_Alma

  People pray for many reasons. such as:
  
  To continuously recognize who God is.
  
  To maintain a relationship with Him.
  
  To clarify in our own hearts and minds through intentionl thought and communication with God the things we should be thankful for, the things we should be praiseworthy of, the things we are failing in, and our efforts to be in fellowship with God.
  
  FInally, for those who believe in God, we also believe in his Holy word, and His word has stated that, " “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.”[LEFT]
  
  [/LEFT]
• osudarby08

  

  Skyhook79;1057294 wrote:Which has nothing to do with what sleeper said.:rolleyes:

  If this upsets you so much, well then I feel sorry for you. Clearly he does not agree with you, so why become annoyed with him... have you never read any of his posts on this site before?
• Skyhook79

  

  osudarby08;1057317 wrote:If this upsets you so much, well then I feel sorry for you. Clearly he does not agree with you, so why become annoyed with him... have you never read any of his posts on this site before?

  Who said I was upset? I have argued with sleeper many times, I enjoy it, I know his act.
• vball10set

  Skyhook79;1057321 wrote: I know his act.

  pretty much anyone on here with more than 500 posts knows his act, and that's why we like to keep him around--I find him entertaining as hell
• Con_Alma

  vball10set;1057333 wrote:...--I find him entertaining as hell

  Isn't that, after all, why we come here? to be entertained?
• wkfan

  sleeper;1056554 wrote:Religion is fraud. It gives the illusion of control of one's life, when in reality that isn't the case. It's made for the mentally weak and the people who can't help themselves. No mentally strong, secure, logical being believes in god, only the poor and the logically deficient.
  
  I don't mean to offend anyone here, but that's just how I feel. Don't take it personally.

  So, Scientists Keplar, Pascal, Boole and Kelvin, among others are not mentally strong, secure and logical?
  
  http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html#Christian
  
  So Business leaders Sam Walton, H.G. Heinz and Dave Thomas, among others are not mentally strong, secure and logical?
  
  http://www.adherents.com/largecom/fam_christian.html
  
  So World Leaders George H.W. Bush, george W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, among others are not mentally strong, secure and logical?
  
  http://www.adherents.com/largecom/fam_christian.html
  
  My guess is you paint people with too broad a brush.
• LJ

  

  osudarby08;1057180 wrote:This thread has gotten me through a boring lecture at OSU the past hour so thanks.
  
  BTW, I was raised Catholic, pretty sure I'm an atheist now. The more education I have received, the less I can comprehend the idea of religion ( engineering major=tons of science and math. Scientific facts IMO trump any argument)

  Now you're gonna tell me you know how magnets work huh?:rolleyes:
  
  
  
• Heretic

  

  LJ;1057346 wrote:Now you're gonna tell me you know how magnets work huh?:rolleyes:
  
  
  

  And I don't wanna talk to a scientist
  Y'all motherfuckers lying, and getting me pissed
  
  Lol
• sleeper

  

  wkfan;1057343 wrote:So, Scientists Keplar, Pascal, Boole and Kelvin, among others are not mentally strong, secure and logical?
  
  http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html#Christian
  
  So Business leaders Sam Walton, H.G. Heinz and Dave Thomas, among others are not mentally strong, secure and logical?
  
  http://www.adherents.com/largecom/fam_christian.html
  
  So World Leaders George H.W. Bush, george W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, among others are not mentally strong, secure and logical?
  
  http://www.adherents.com/largecom/fam_christian.html
  
  My guess is you paint people with too broad a brush.

  It would be ignorant to assume that these people are actual believers rather than surface believers to hoodwink votes/influence from the general public.
  
  Your argument of finding great leaders and exceptions to disprove the general rule is weak and illogical. There are exceptions to everything, but exceptions do not make the rule.
• sleeper

  

  Also tell me. When discussing gravity, do you make sure to note that you are only talking about Earth? Or how about when you boil something, do you make a note that you are indeed boiling water and not another substance?
  
  This is the same logic you are using to try and poke holes in my logic and reason. They are a pathetic attempt at best. Enjoy.
• Con_Alma

  sleeper;1057361 wrote:It would be ignorant to assume that these people are actual believers rather than surface believers ...

  How might you know if anyone is an actual believer as opposed to a "surface believer"?
• sleeper

  

  Con_Alma;1057373 wrote:How might you know if anyone is an actual believer as opposed to a "surface believer"?

  There have been studies done to show that a majority of believers only do so to be accepted in society. Politicians are notorious for pandering to the crowd to buy votes/influence, its why you never see an atheist try to run for political office. Claiming that you are an atheist is political suicide as no one will vote for you.
  
  Take me for example. Somewhere in the statistics for believers I'm counted as Christian/Catholic even though in my personal life I'm vehemently against all religion and absolutely an atheist.
• LJ

  

  sleeper;1057377 wrote:There have been studies done to show that a majority of believers only do so to be accepted in society.

  link
• ernest_t_bass

  

  sleeper;1057126 wrote:My intentions were not to turn this thread into a religion vs. logic debate. I still have not attacked anyone in this thread.

  Oh, sleeper. Your only proof that God does not exist is the fact that the existence of God cannot be proven. You can't physically prove he does not exist, and believers cannot physically prove he does exist.
  
  Me: God exists
  Sleeper: Prove it
  Me: Prove that he doesn't
  Sleeper: Prove it
  Me: Neither of us can prove it
  Sleeper: Prove it
  Me: (shakes head)
  Sleeper: #sleeperwins
• Con_Alma

  sleeper;1057377 wrote:There have been studies done to show that a majority of believers only do so to be accepted in society...

  That's not the answer to my question but it helps me understand your foundation.
  
  How do you know if a single, individual person is truly a person of faith as opposed to a "surface believer"?
  
  According to your reference of "studies" there are more surface believers than true believers meaning there are people who truly believe. How do you know which a particular person is?
• osudarby08

  

  LJ;1057346 wrote:Now you're gonna tell me you know how magnets work huh?:rolleyes:
  
  
  

  lol....Lets be hypocrites because we either aren't capable of understanding cutting edge research or are too lazy to look into it. Makes perfect sense to me.
  
  
  
  
  All jokes aside, how could anyone argue against proven facts/research? Not just in this argument, but its pathetic how Americans as a whole find it funny (especially adolescents) to rag on science. No wonder our country is failing to keep up with the rest of the world when it comes to technological developments and innovations. I could go on about this for a while, but ill stop this side rant on that point.
• wkfan

  sleeper;1057361 wrote:It would be ignorant to assume that these people are actual believers rather than surface believers to hoodwink votes/influence from the general public.
  
  Your argument of finding great leaders and exceptions to disprove the general rule is weak and illogical. There are exceptions to everything, but exceptions do not make the rule.

  You are the one who stated the rule as being empiracal and always true ...I proved that your rule is invalid and incorrect.
  
  You have failed.
• sleeper

  

  LJ;1057379 wrote:link

  Try google.
• sleeper

  

  ernest_t_bass;1057380 wrote:Oh, sleeper. Your only proof that God does not exist is the fact that the existence of God cannot be proven. You can't physically prove he does not exist, and believers cannot physically prove he does exist.
  
  Me: God exists
  Sleeper: Prove it
  Me: Prove that he doesn't
  Sleeper: Prove it
  Me: Neither of us can prove it
  Sleeper: Prove it
  Me: (shakes head)
  Sleeper: #sleeperwins

  Sorry, but when you make a claim you are expected to be able to provide evidence to prove your claim. It cannot work the other way around. Otherwise, I could simply make any statement I want and if you cannot disprove it, then it must be true! This is terrible logic.
• LJ

  

  sleeper;1057391 wrote:Try google.

  :rolleyes:
  
  How about you provide a link to these supposed "studeis" you cite? Or are you full of shit?
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  sleeper;1057396 wrote:Sorry, but when you make a claim you are expected to be able to provide evidence to prove your claim. It cannot work the other way around. Otherwise, I could simply make any statement I want and if you cannot disprove it, then it must be true! This is terrible logic.

  lol you are such a politician.
• sleeper

  

  Con_Alma;1057386 wrote:That's not the answer to my question but it helps me understand your foundation.
  
  How do you know if a single, individual person is truly a person of faith as opposed to a "surface believer"?
  
  According to your reference of "studies" there are more surface believers than true believers meaning there are people who truly believe. How do you know which a particular person is?

  I don't "know". I'm inferring based on the studies that I have read and then applying that logic to provide an explanation for why some great leaders are also publicly believers. Politicians do this all the time for a variety of issues, do you really believe they don't do this with their religious beliefs? Does it not strike you odd that atheists rarely, if ever, run for political office? Do you think they just don't care or is it more likely that they know that running with the illusion of devote religious beliefs is the best method to get elected?
  
  Come on Con Alma, this is simple basic reasoning. Stop being so obtuse.
• LJ

  

  sleeper;1057396 wrote:Sorry, but when you make a claim you are expected to be able to provide evidence to prove your claim.

  lulz
• Con_Alma

  It is not for me to prove or disprove my faith in a creator. It is not me that acts first, it is God when it comes to someone elses faith.
  
  Sleeper has been made aware of the Gospel. It is his to do as he chooses.