1984 replies to this topic

[pizhhh]

ahahahah

Edited by pizhhh, 07 August 2017 - 05:41 PM.

[Final_Boss]

**The Paradox of prayer**

 

There are two types of prayers, the first type is the best wishes type. This one is essentially something religious folk do to let the other person know they are in their thoughts. I'll admit that some atheists take this type of prayer the wrong way in which they think that when someone says "I'm praying for you", they're doing it in a condescending manner. Sure, some people do use it in that fashion, but you can easily tell by the context in which they say it.

 

The other type of prayer is what I'll call lottery prayer. This is the type of prayer that many religious folks will enact upon in hopes that their creator will answer them by fulfilling whatever it is they want to happen...which is utterly bullshit whether you take the things said in the bible to heart or not. I'll be discussing why lottery prayer is a paradox.

 

Lottery prayer is a paradox because if we are to assume that god knows everything that will eventually happen, then either two things will occur when you pray regardless of whether you pray for it or not: 1) The prayer will be fullfilled 2) It won't be fulfilled

Now, if god knows everything and what you are praying for is in his "plan" or calculations, then it would come to fruition without you praying for it. If it is not in his plan or foresight, then it won't happen. That's why praying for something like the Steelers winning the superbowl is pointless. God already knows whether the Steelers will win or lose. So let's say a bunch of people pray that the Steelers win (let's put aside the fact that praying for something like this in the first place is retarded), God has either two choices to make:

 

1) Fulfill those people's prayers and go against the original plan.
2) Ignore those prayers

 

1) isn't likely going to happen because if he goes against his foresight, then that would mean that what was meant to happen wasn't really meant to happen and therefore we could only conclude that: God has no foresight

2) If a supernatural being with foresight exists (specifically, the one that inspired the bible), this would be the most likely course of action. For one, he wouldn't want to interfere with people's free will and alter the course of history (although he has been known to break this rule of thumb in many scriptures thus causing contradiction within his principles). And if it was destined to happen anyways, why bother?

Now, let's add in another variable. If the opposition prays for their team to win, god then has three options:

 

1) Fulfill the Steelers' fans' prayers
2) Fulfill the opposition's prayers

3) Ignore both and stick with the plan

 

Once again, 3 is the most likely course of action for the same reasons. All that's different is that you have two conflicting prayers.

Of course apologetics would turn around and say something along the lines of "god works in mysterious ways", "god answers prayers on his time, not ours" and don't forget the famous "It was part of god's plan" (used usually when prayers don't get answered). I talk about this a lot because it really urks me when people give credit to an invisible sky daddy when things go their way, or say "its the work of the devil" when things don't go their way. When a person makes it through a successful surgery, they'd rather thank god than the person that spent countless years getting their phd to save them. When I confront some of them about it, they'd say, god made them who they are, therefore god should be thanked first. If that's the case, then NONE of us really have free will of our own. We're just puppets dancing at the whim of a puppet master.

 

I guess some people appeal to religion because they don't like to have responsibility for their actions. They'd rather leave their worries and troubles to some invisible force. That's somewhat understandable, but living that way usually doesn't produce results. Listen to gospel songs, and hear how they talk in regard to one's self esteem. "You're nothing without god" "You can't do anything without him" "You're a wretch" "You can only be saved through him". Is it any wonder why Christians have the highest imprisonment rate, while atheist have the biggest scientific community?

Now, I don't identify myself as an atheist, but I do identify as a freethinker alongside my belief in Pantheism. If we have any place in this existence, we have to make it so ourselves otherwise all we're doing is shifting the responsibility of purpose onto something else. I don't want to think I'm here because some god wants to watch over me 24/7 to make sure I don't fuck up and stop talking to him. I want to think that I'm put here because my parents once loved each other enough to make me apart of their family. I was the sperm that made it to the egg, everyone here made through their own finish line, but the race isn't over yet.

Edited by Final_Boss, 13 August 2017 - 04:29 PM.

[Natureboy]

Minor point: The surgeon was probably an MD, not a PhD.  It's possible that a medical device was involved that was invented by a PhD biomedical researcher.  Still the process of getting such a device approved for use would have involved lots of MDs doing clinical trials.

 

Re a single theistic Creator and divine plan, an acquaintance of mine is fond of saying, "The universe makes more sense if you imagine it run by committee." 

[Horn]

I didn't get the job.

[Natureboy]

    Horn deserves a better job.

[Natureboy]

Very nauseous this AM. Hoping I didn't get food poisoning from the chicken tikka masala wife left in the fridge.  Heated it up, but that doesn't help with bacterial toxins.  Both gimpy gals are in a fair amount of pain this morning. I'm not helping as much as if I didn't feel so sick. 

 

Just ate a couple of plain flour tortillas.  With luck, they'll act like dry toast and settle my stomach.

[OMGWTFBBQPONIES]

effin stupid periodic ticket machine secretly rejected teh transaction (with enuff monies for it on teh card at the time, the lack of automatic no-monies sms notifs aside - confirmed with teh bank) all the while telling me all is fine and ok and thank you for teh transaction :​| and now I have to write an appeal against teh fine they'll probably reject bcs they barely monitor these machines and dun care |​:

can't remember teh last time I was upset .-.

[pizhhh]

I refuse to seriously refer to this condition as depression. It would be an insult to those who are actually suffering from it. There is something broken in me, that's a definite fact, but I am not depressed.

[aida]

god idk where to start maybe its better not to start complaining cause universe is always trying to show me that there is always a next level of getting worse so i may go along whit all this shit whit a smile

[Natureboy]

http://www.ajgponline.org/article/S1064-7481(16)30343-8/fulltext

[GeorgeAlex]

I went to the bank and I saw a long line of people who will deposit. It was supposed to be the fast lane and people should line according to the number but the girl in front of me was number 59 and I was number 32. Damn. After that I talked to the people who will be my subjects for a term paper... and they all refused. Felt like I was stabbed multiple times. I tried my best to convince them but they were so firm. Since they refused (and if they continue to even after I talk to them again tomorrow), if I don't come up with a subject matter as equally interesting as the one I'm thinking of writing and submit the draft before the month ends then... I don't know what will happen. [sigh] My God, what a frustrating day.

[Khrazy_one]

Why does everything have to ENDDDDDD

[AnimeManga272b]

^ Tell me about it!

[PItiful Boar]

from psychopass, Makashima :... people have to accept that death is unavoidable. They will probably be gone in ten years. Their books will no longer exist in a hundred years. People accept this. Eternity is promised neither to humans nor to books. We live because we were born. If the system possesses the power of life and death over you... you're no longer a human. You're livestock. No matter how hard a rancher tries to pretend otherwise, they never recognize their livestock as friends. It's a mystery to me... How is it that these people, treated as livestock in this boring society, have not tried at all to destroy it? Nothing in this world is eternal. The only thing that truly exists is the splendor of the souls that atone for their sins.

Edited by Feishy Pit Boar, 17 January 2018 - 05:59 PM.

[AnimeManga272b]

...yeah, and?

[blue.monday]

R I P

I     I
P i R

Sadface.jpg

Maybe someone will continue where things were left off

Fug, I toast (with a glass of water since no booze or beer here) to the site and its staff!

[AnimeManga272b]

Who know what will happen. Let's hope for the best.

[Natureboy]

One of the best wines ever:

 

 

I used to have T-shirt with this vintage on it. Made the mistake of packing some clothes in a paper bag going to a beach house, and my mother-in-law threw it away!

Edited by Natureboy, 18 January 2018 - 04:25 PM.

[danfare]

man, i was so pumped to start writing my random shit on batoto again only to find out it's gonna close 4ever. :'c

[penrosecat]

I'm tired of doing the same things again and again. Yes, everyone does it. Yes, I've done it successfully myself. Yes, its how you win. Yes, I'm bored and I'm making excuses. Yes, only a couple of months to go. YES, I HATE IT.

 

Bleh.