Ann Coulter on Missionary Work

[imanihonjin]

There are people fighting for their lives all the time. People who imagine that God is up there micromanaging this, picking winners and losers based on volume and sincerity of prayers, letting some people die, saving others, those people believe that God is a sick bastard, essentially a criminal, no?

If you were watching a baby die (say drown in a swimming pool) and could easily save him and chose not to save him you would rightly go to prison. And yet people picture a supposedly loving and great God that answers prayers as doing just that. I don't see how people believe in a God like that.

So if God doesn't answer all prayers from those asking for similar things, then God must not answer any prayers at all?

[imanihonjin]

Hey, Mr. Pro-Prayer, enough with the vain repetitions.

To be fair, those posts were to two different "gods".

[Jeff Lebowski]

I agree with Coulter that missionary work per se is a waste of time. Helping sick poor people per se is grand.

Technically, Ann is not against missionary work per se. Rather she thinks we should be focusing on converting rich hollywood liberals as opposed to wasting our time on poor Africans.

[Moliere]

Sorry but it's totally nutty for a doctor who saw families wiped out, little kids wiped out by the illness to believe that God finally stepped in and saved him because of prayer. What the hell kind of God does he believe in? A pretty shitty one if you ask me.

Nutty? Probably, but I'd say that about half of testimonies borne on F&T Sunday fall in the same arena. It's the reason I'm a Mormon Deist.

[Jeff Lebowski]

So if God doesn't answer all prayers from those asking for similar things, then God must not answer any prayers at all?

2071

[Moliere]

In fairness to God, he does seem to be awfully busy helping Mormons find their car keys.

You are confusing HF with the Holy Ghost.

[imanihonjin]

2071

So, .........I like #2072 the best.

[CardiacCoug]

So if God doesn't answer all prayers from those asking for similar things, then God must not answer any prayers at all?

I think for people who are inclined to believe that God answers prayers it makes a lot more sense to believe that God answers prayers by giving you the fortitude and courage to endure (and in fact thrive) despite disappointments, failures, divorce, illness, death, etc. that are inherent to our existence.

Imagine a children's hospital where you have kids with cancer who are going to recover fully and go on to a normal life and other kids with cancer who are going to die. Some people I guess then believe in a God who steps in to miraculously cure certain kids and then withholds his cure from other kids. WTF?

Kids dying of cancer is just about innate biology, cells, carcinogens, genetic makeup of host and tumor, skill of treating nurses and doctors, etc. It's crazy to think God is picking winners and losers. Its also incredibly fatalistic. If people die sometimes it's because other people didn't do enough and/or screwed up. Human actions matter!

[Harry Tic]

I think for people who are inclined to believe that God answers prayers it makes a lot more sense to believe that God answers prayers by giving you the fortitude and courage to endure (and in fact thrive) despite disappointments, failures, divorce, illness, death, etc. that are inherent to our existence.

Imagine a children's hospital where you have kids with cancer who are going to recover fully and go on to a normal life and other kids with cancer who are going to die. Some people I guess then believe in a God who steps in to miraculously cure certain kids and then withholds his cure from other kids. WTF?

Kids dying of cancer is just about innate biology, cells, carcinogens, genetic makeup of host and tumor, skill of treating nurses and doctors, etc. It's crazy to think God is picking winners and losers. Its also incredibly fatalistic. If people die sometimes it's because other people didn't do enough and/or screwed up. Human actions matter!

Reminds me of the old Southern Utah farmer that, in contrast to all his neighbors and fellow ward members, refused to ever pray for rain. When asked why, he replied, "We knew it was a damn desert when we settled here! I pray for God to make me wise in allocating whatever resources Mother Nature makes available!"

Pretty good response, if you ask me.

[Blueintheface]

Reminds me of the old Southern Utah farmer that, in contrast to all his neighbors and fellow ward members, refused to ever pray for rain. When asked why, he replied, "We knew it was a damn desert when we settled here! I pray for God to make me wise in allocating whatever resources Mother Nature makes available!"

Pretty good response, if you ask me.

Has to be apocraphyl.

[Joe Public]

Reminds me of the old Southern Utah farmer that, in contrast to all his neighbors and fellow ward members, refused to ever pray for rain moisture. When asked why, he replied, "We knew it was a damn desert when we settled here! I pray for God to make me wise in allocating whatever resources Mother Nature makes available!"

Pretty good response, if you ask me.

FIFY

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

image.jpg

Dude was praying to the same God that gave him Ebola in the first place? Yep, whacko.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Super mean post.

I always chuckle when you forget to log out and log back in with the YOhio persona.

[ERCougar]

I wonder if Utah hospitals have better outcomes than non-Utah hospitals because there are more priesthood blessings administered.

[Pheidippides]

I wonder if Utah hospitals have better outcomes than non-Utah hospitals because there are more priesthood blessings administered.

Somebody just looked at the numbers for this for UVRMC. The answer is no, especially if you have knee problems.