Christians: Who answers prayers of others?

[Otherright]

Assuming that prayer works as a tool of faith, when Christians pray, God answers their prayers (or Christ acting as a mediator, as it were).

When a Hindu prays, and genuinely believes his prayers are answered, if your belief is in a Christian God, then who answered this person's prayer? What about a Muslim or a Pagan? What about any other non-Christian that prays and believes his or her prayer is answered?

 

[Katzpur]

Assuming that prayer works as a tool of faith, when Christians pray, God answers their prayers (or Christ acting as a mediator, as it were).

When a Hindu prays, and genuinely believes his prayers are answered, if your belief is in a Christian God, then who answered this person's prayer? What about a Muslim or a Pagan? What about any other non-Christian that prays and believes his or her prayer is answered?

In my opinion, the same individual answers the sincere prayers of anyone who offers them. It doesn't matter how they envision or understand Him.

 

[ChristineES]

God answers them. What makes you think God only hears the prayers of Christians?

 

[Acim]

God answers them. What makes you think God only hears the prayers of Christians?

This.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Confirmation bias transcends religion.

 

[Draka]

Assuming that prayer works as a tool of faith, when Christians pray, God answers their prayers (or Christ acting as a mediator, as it were).

When a Hindu prays, and genuinely believes his prayers are answered, if your belief is in a Christian God, then who answered this person's prayer? What about a Muslim or a Pagan? What about any other non-Christian that prays and believes his or her prayer is answered?

Vice versa, what makes a Christian think it's not possible that a different deity than what they believe in is the one answering them? It may be that Isis or Zeus or Gaia or any other possible deity is the one "answering their prayers" and they have just gotten confused and erroneously believe it is their god or Jesus.

 

[Otherright]

God answers them. What makes you think God only hears the prayers of Christians?

Years of study of religious dogma.

 

[Acim]

Vice versa, what makes a Christian think it's not possible that a different deity than what they believe in is the one answering them? It may be that Isis or Zeus or Gaia or any other possible deity is the one "answering their prayers" and they have just gotten confused and erroneously believe it is their god or Jesus.

Perhaps this depends on type of Christian, but for me, it is One Spirit that can just as easily be referenced as Isis, Zeus, Gaia, FSM, or even Satan.

While prayer is an asking or request, it is also acknowledgment of being open to that request being fulfilled. In vein of, "I am ready for this (or that) to occur."

And I find in prayer, I think every single time, a feeling of "before you even ask, the answer is given." As in, human intellect to either understand how to properly word prayer, or what is it I am even really praying to, or how will I know (intellectually speaking) if prayer was received by one I intended - all this (and perhaps more) are folly. There are ways to read into "before you even ask, the answer is given" in which you doubt how that works, or mock it, but I find proper understanding to be that which your heart is asking for, your mind may not grasp.

Personally, I think we all get this, and there are ways to help someone understand how to get this (from worldly experience). But in times of turmoil, and/or if caught up in something akin to analysis paralysis, it can seem easy to fall into trap of thinking mind must be extra sure how it phrases things, otherwise Spirit won't have proper means to respond in way that will really really work for you. Can be a real *****arooni to not only doubt results of a prayer, but also the prayer itself.

 

[DinChild]

As far as Christianity is concerned, is it not fair to assume that a Christian who accepts the possibility of some other deity, whoever it may be for those politically correct Christians, that the Christian God might find it a little unfaithful? He is a jealous God, lest we forget. And continuing with the Christian God, he has a divine plan. This plan encompasses all of life and life to be. The actions of those who were, are, and will be, and the decisions, outcomes and consequences beyond. That being said, how valuable is prayer? Is God really going to change his plan for you? What's the use of a plan if it can be changed by simple mortals? And beyond that, God is PERFECT. Thy will be done! If something needed changing -- needed amending, that would speak badly of an omniscient, omnipotent being, no? Prayer, so far as I know for Christians, and any denomination that follows my preceding outline, is ultimately pointless. Sorry. But it's self-defeating. Not my fault.

 

[1948_its_happening]

"No one comes to the father except through the Son" Jesus
"If you deny me in front of men I will deny you infront of men" Jesus

Pretty clear to me that if you do not accept the Son of God the Father will not accept you.

Ive heard and seen many miraculous things in Christian Church's. I have never heard or seen anything in a Mosque or Jewish Temple.

Sounds like Jesus was saying like it is. Yes, it will offend people, but God is not about pleasing the masses and telling them what is politically correct and pleasing to men. He cares for the truth only. Jesus warns us that his message will divide people and turn brother against brother.

 

[DinChild]

"No one comes to the father except through the Son" Jesus
"If you deny me in front of men I will deny you infront of men" Jesus

Pretty clear to me that if you do not accept the Son of God the Father will not accept you.

Pretty clear to me Fear is your God's preferred tool of recruitment.

 

[1948_its_happening]

Pretty clear to me Fear is your God's preferred tool of recruitment.

"Blessed is he who fears the Lord" Jesus, Ishaih and many ohters.

I do not argue with you one bit. A man who fears God is blessed because he fears what is right to fear.

All men fear, fear is a natural part of being human. Fear can drive us to do what is right or what is wrong. This depends on who you fear.

I'm guessing you fear something else than God. And so instead of your life being directed by him your life will be directed in the path of that which you fear the most.

Problem is, that fear will get you no where because you have now become the servant of something other than God even though you might not see it that way.
This master of yours will be your father and you will have his inheritance.

That is why it is best to fear the living God who will make your paths straight as apposed to your everyday human fears that will eventually rob you blind.

 

[DinChild]

"Blessed is he who fears the Lord" Jesus, Ishaih and many ohters.

I do not argue with you one bit. A man who fears God is blessed because he fears what is right to fear.

All men fear, fear is a natural part of being human. Fear can drive us to do what is right or what is wrong. This depends on who you fear.

I'm guessing you fear something else than God. And so instead of your life being directed by him your life will be directed in the path of that which you fear the most.

Problem is, that fear will get you no where because you have now become the servant of something other than God even though you might not see it that way.
This master of yours will be your father and you will have his inheritance.

That is why it is best to fear the living God who will make your paths straight as apposed to your everyday human fears that will eventually rob you blind.

I don't fear anything but not providing for my family and my children. I don't think a loving God would damn me for that...

Here is what I believe: the same fear that beguiles millions of believers (billions) the world over, is the same fear that children have on Christmas Eve. Be good or you'll get no reward. If a God were truly good, he wouldn't rely on the most primitive of human emotions to exact his influence. He'd rely on love. He'd rely on honor. And he'd most absolutely rely on logic. Fear is a negative emotion. An emotion that someone such as Satan might take full advantage of.

My point is, a God who is bent on love, and the interest of all the souls of all man kind, would not stoop to using fear to corral his believers. This sounds more like the work of human beings. It sounds like the work of politicians. Not God.

 

[1948_its_happening]

I don't fear anything but not providing for my family and my children. I don't think a loving God would damn me for that...

Here is what I believe: the same fear that beguiles millions of believers (billions) the world over, is the same fear that children have on Christmas Eve. Be good or you'll get no reward. If a God were truly good, he wouldn't rely on the most primitive of human emotions to exact his influence. He'd rely on love. He'd rely on honor. And he'd most absolutely rely on logic. Fear is a negative emotion. An emotion that someone such as Satan might take full advantage of.

My point is, a God who is bent on love, and the interest of all the souls of all man kind, would not stoop to using fear to corral his believers. This sounds more like the work of human beings. It sounds like the work of politicians. Not God.

You love your children right? God says he disciplines the ones he loves. Now what is discipline without fear? If your children did not respect your authority as the father of the house then no amount of "love" will raise them properly.

In the same way God is not a Teddy bear. He is the father of the house. If you fear him or respect him you will take his discipline seriously. If you deny his disipline you have become you own master and your own God.

 

[DinChild]

You love your children right? God says he disciplines the ones he loves. Now what is discipline without fear? If your children did not respect your authority as the father of the house then no amount of "love" will raise them properly.

In the same way God is not a Teddy bear. He is the father of the house. If you fear him or respect him you will take his discipline seriously. If you deny his disipline you have become you own master and your own God.

I thought God loved ALL his children. Would he not discipline them all?

If my children chose to disobey me, I wouldn't damn them to hell for eternity. If they loved their mom more, same thing. Discipline is NOT fear based. It's routine, it's respect, and it's patience based. I never feared my parents. Sure, I was afraid of being hit (which they never did.) I was afraid of disappointing them...but that's only because I respected them. That's a positive influence. Imposing fear, the idea you will be damned for eternity, doesn't generate true believers. Not in life, and I suspect not in religion either.

 

[1948_its_happening]

I thought God loved ALL his children. Would he not discipline them all?

If my children chose to disobey me, I wouldn't damn them to hell for eternity. If they loved their mom more, same thing. Discipline is NOT fear based. It's routine, it's respect, and it's patience based. I never feared my parents. Sure, I was afraid of being hit (which they never did.) I was afraid of disappointing them...but that's only because I respected them. That's a positive influence. Imposing fear, the idea you will be damned for eternity, doesn't generate true believers. Not in life, and I suspect not in religion either.

Firstly, no where in the bible does it say God loves all people. Jesus says if you love me you will obey my commands and I will be with you forever. I.e. If you do not obey his commands he will not love you and he will not be on your side.

Harsh, YES. But no one said the bible was a do what you want and Gods love will cover it kind of book. If you read scripture it is pretty clear that there are children of God and there are those who are not.

There are 2 commands from Christ. Love others like you want to be loves and love God with all your strength. If you do these 2 things then God will bring his discipline. When I became a believer in Christ I got disciplined. It was if God was not my father before and let me do what I wanted. When I accepted him the discipline came, it sucked a lot sometimes but it has always been top my benefit looking back.

As for being thrown into hell. Hell is just the absense of God. If your children run away from home and want nothing to do with you chances are their life will be hell without you. Now I can't go and say you are a cruel father for that. Rather, your childrens lack of faith in your guidance and disipline is what damned them.

 

[zemelo.franky]

"Hello there. I already have made up my mind that I disagree with you, but despite my own equally faith-based belief, I will set up an easily assailable component of yours (again, I in no way with to further debate or make a legitimate attempt at helping you break out of what I consider to be detrimental to your life, but instead wish to cap your suffering with a pretty little insult cherry on top). You will notice my assumption of something I already consider to be fallacious; I have done this because you will defend your religion, whereas I only have the confidence to attack. Don''t bother asking to me to put forward any sort of scientific position - I have achieved such a standard level of intelligence that I have realized that I can ignore almost all of life by never having the courage to really think about anything."

There is nothing wrong with venting frustration or ranting, but the empirical agnostic community (agnostic is what you call a lack of belief in god without a disbelief in any god) has allowed itself to descend to the crust of the conceptual planet - zealots have convinced otherwise intelligent people that the various dogmatic rites of a religion can be proved, disproved, or even convincingly supported or debunked.

You're too smart for these continued swats. Yes, you're right, but it's obvious and there are more interesting things to discuss and more important goals for people like us - doing things that actually start loosening the grip the ideological Absolutists on our society, for example.

 

[Father Heathen]

When you discipline children, you don't dose them in gasoline and set them ablaze as punishment for petty, trivial offenses.
Also, it's immeasurably better to followed out of love and respect rather than out of fear.

 

[DinChild]

Firstly, no where in the bible does it say God loves all people. Jesus says if you love me you will obey my commands and I will be with you forever. I.e. If you do not obey his commands he will not love you and he will not be on your side.

Harsh, YES. But no one said the bible was a do what you want and Gods love will cover it kind of book. If you read scripture it is pretty clear that there are children of God and there are those who are not.

There are 2 commands from Christ. Love others like you want to be loves and love God with all your strength. If you do these 2 things then God will bring his discipline. When I became a believer in Christ I got disciplined. It was if God was not my father before and let me do what I wanted. When I accepted him the discipline came, it sucked a lot sometimes but it has always been top my benefit looking back.

As for being thrown into hell. Hell is just the absense of God. If your children run away from home and want nothing to do with you chances are their life will be hell without you. Now I can't go and say you are a cruel father for that. Rather, your childrens lack of faith in your guidance and disipline is what damned them.

Hmmm... Where does it say that he does NOT love all his children? That seems to fly in the face of quite a bit of scripture I've been quoted. I don't deny interpretations are made, they account for 100% of denominations, but I'm pretty confident God loves all of his creations.

Second, you're telling me that I should love people like I would want to be loved. What if the way I want to be loved it to be brutally mauled every night and then sodomized? Would God have a problem with that, if it were in my deepest nature to love these trespasses? If so, might I do these same actions unto others to show my love? The reason I ask is because it seems like you're telling me God is giving us the green light to love as we feel comfortable, so long as we love God with all our strength.

If Hell was "just the absence of God," then why bother with the idea of Satan? I thought he ran things down below? I thought he was busy building his army against the heavens? Wrath and turmoil for eternity? Do we find out at long last that hell is actually just a place with less singing and praising and more...whatever eternity is like without God?

Finally, I don't know what life you're living, obviously, but most children run away from home because their life IS hell. Their parents ARE evil. My children would never run away because I don't suck. I guide them. Like a good parent. And if they ran away from me, for whatever reason...honestly, I'd probably hold it against myself. But I would never blame them.

 

[DinChild]

When you discipline children, you don't dose them in gasoline and set them ablaze as punishment for petty, trivial offenses.
Also, it's immeasurably better to followed out of love and respect rather than out of fear.

Truth