Evidence for Believing

[possibletarian]

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.

Oh, please.   What a obscurantist apologetic moron you are.,  It means things that are utterly false and provided evidence of its own falsity are nonetheless excused so that the frauds who promulgated them can continue to prosper.

I tend to agree, through the bible there are promises of god's blessing if asked for ..

We are supposedly told by god to ask for healing (pray for the sick and they shall be healed) , we are told not to worry about what we shall wear or eat, to simply ask god to 'give us our daily bread' and then gives an example of the birds of the air etc.. and that we are far more precious to god and these things shall be added to us.

We are then told we are selfish when we ask for these things, no doubt to explain why they have no effect at all.