(December 10, 2008 at 3:36 pm)Daystar Wrote:(December 10, 2008 at 10:34 am)Dotard Wrote: I'd like to suggest you take that challenge another step. Continue with your record keeping on your prayers to God. Track how many 'hits and misses' you receive from your communications with God. Do this for approx. a month or whatever time frame you feel comfortable with your data on 'answered prayers' or whatever you're choosing to call it.
Then for the second trial of this experiment, keep the same records for the same length of time except this time pray to...... ummmm, I dunno.... '57 Chevys, or Hejob the God of my backyard pond, or your dog, or a tree. Direct your communications to whatever entity, other than God, you choose.
It is my contention your results will be closely mirrored. You will acheive the same, give or take a couple few 'miracles' or answered/denied 'prayer' requests, results.
A little ancedote here, I have carried out this experiment more than a few times. The last time I did it I set aside 25 days for each entity. God (of the bible) got 25 days and the Hubert the Koi fish (of my backyard pond) got 25 days. One of the 'requests' I included in the normal everyday prayers in addition to the good health, plenty of food, sunny days ones, was I brought one $1 scratch-off lottery tickets each day and prayed I would at least re-coup my $25 investment and possibly make a profit.
During the 'God of the Bible' times I got three $2 winning tickets for a net loss of $19. During the Hubert times I scratched-off two $2 winners, a $10 winner and a $50 winning ticket! A $39 net profit. That doesn't "prove" anything, but an interesting outcome nonetheless.
You know that there is a right way and a wrong way to pray, don't you?
Yeah, the right way is NOT praying, the wrong way is doing an effort to pray...
dog·ma
n. pl. dog·mas or dog·ma·ta (-mə-tə)
1. A doctrine or a corpus of doctrines relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth in an authoritative manner by a church.
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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...So you see, people tend to make mistakes.
n. pl. dog·mas or dog·ma·ta (-mə-tə)
1. A doctrine or a corpus of doctrines relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth in an authoritative manner by a church.
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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...So you see, people tend to make mistakes.