Is All Religion Just Fiction?

[miguel of the moon]

What is more ridiculous than a world with a tooth fairy and Santa Clause is a world without them!

Given that fact, I still would opt-out of taking Fox News seriously on pretty much everything

[Clara Listensprechen]

What is more ridiculous than a world with a tooth fairy and Santa Clause is a world without them!

Given that fact, I still would opt-out of taking Fox News seriously on pretty much everything

Adults have gotten along quite well without a Santa Claus or a tooth fairy. You're talking about kids. How immature should the human race strive to be, exactly?

Actually, I happen to believe in Santa Claus because the Bishop of Myra was in fact a real guy--and as is the case of Jesus' tomb, Santa's tomb is also empty.

I'm all in with ya about Fox News!

[Prydonian]

Belief in a God does not make one immature.

[Clara Listensprechen]

Believing in any other invisible friend makes a person immature or crazy and I see no reason to make a special exemption for THAT particular invisible friend, especially when one thinks one is actually talking to him.

[Prydonian]

Clearly you like making fun at the belief systems of others. No doubt you consider yourself superior to them. God is not invisible, Clara. He is simply too far away from here to be seen but prayer does work if you have faith.

[Clara Listensprechen]

He is simply too far away from here to be seen but prayer does work if you have faith.

It's been proven that it doesn't, sorry. And if God is too far away then he's not everywhere, is he. Nor almighty, nor interested in human affairs.

Of course I find what's ridiculous to be, well, laughable.

[tch]

What I don't get about prayer, is people also talk about God's divine plan.
If he's got a plan, why do people need prayer?

Does God change his mind? How does that work with the all knowing, wise stuff?
I don't find it laughable, just baffling.
Is prayer a voting system, and if enough people do it, will god change his plans, or is it like the Dr. Suess book with the tiny people living on the dandelion and prayer is just us making enough noise to get gods attention?

also, there is no scientific proof concerning prayer.At most, it lowers stress levels and that sometimes helps, but yoga/meditation/medication does that. So, it's a kind of placebo.

[Clara Listensprechen]

What I don't get about prayer, is people also talk about God's divine plan.
If he's got a plan, why do people need prayer?

Does God change his mind? How does that work with the all knowing, wise stuff?
I don't find it laughable, just baffling.
Is prayer a voting system, and if enough people do it, will god change his plans, or is it like the Dr. Suess book with the tiny people living on the dandelion and prayer is just us making enough noise to get gods attention?

also, there is no scientific proof concerning prayer.At most, it lowers stress levels and that sometimes helps, but yoga/meditation/medication does that. So, it's a kind of placebo.

The baffling parts is what makes it laughable, and here's an update on the prayer thing: there HAS been a scientific study on it and it HAS been PROVEN to not work outside the principles given regarding Buddhist-level meditation. As a matter of fact, Tom Baker's Doctor used it to slow down his heartbeat to the point of feigning death with undetectable vital signs. This sort of thing HAS been done. So has meditation regarding pain control. But meditation of this sort isn't prayer.

As to God's Divine Plan, that's called "predestination" and the free-will believers don't believe in it, sort of. Sometimes they claim there's a plan but stop short of calling it predestination...this, despite the fact that Paul claims that predestination was the case when HE claimed he was chosen. Christians remain conflicted and baffled over predestination vs free will, and I doubt they'll resolve that any time in the foreseeable future.

[tch]

Predestination, that's the word I was looking for.
Nice thing about hanging around this site. So many Who fans have extensive vocabularies.

Course, with predestination, it also makes you wonder why people go on about miracles.If it's all part of the plan, it's not a miracle, it's just 'step #128' or whatever.

[Graceful Leonard]

What? Clara is still with us?

I felt sure she would be one of the chosen!