Evidence for Believing

[Belacqua]

The miracle would be that all 200 million were healed.

But here's the thing, this God put everything into motion so that no matter what happens, this is the way he wanted it to happen, no matter how much evil and horrible shit happens, this is how he wants it. No matter if everyone goes to hell and no one gets in heaven, that's just the way it goes.

So he doesn't do miracles, because a miracle would be something that went against how he wanted things to go.

He doesn't listen to prayer because prayer is asking him to change his plan.

And from a deterministic point of view, everything will only happen one particular way anyway. It can only happen this one way, so it's a moot point if a god exists or not.

Nothing changes in the way the universe unfolds.
A god is therefore irrelevant.

This makes me wonder about the idea that a God would only be good or relevant to the extent that it satisfied our individual desires. Give me what I want or I won't believe any more. 

Maybe this is a modern view of things -- a good life depends on getting my personal wants satisfied. Society is good insofar as they give me what I ask for. Is it just consumerist? 

I suspect that people may have been more humble in earlier times. "Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done." Prayer could be used to adjust the thoughts of the person praying, to be less selfish and get in line with the general good. 

It means that demanding cures at a shrine wouldn't be proof of anything.