So what makes anyone think he’s going to answer one of theirs? Especially when you ask it on the Internet!
According to the Sun-Herald a new web site has been launched called Dear God where you can post a prayer, and, I suppose, hopefully have it answered.
There are quite a few prayers on the site already, but not all of them are serious. Here’s a few snippets:
I thank you God for letting me live in a time and place when I can safely say: thank you for not existing.
and this from a broken childhood:
Thank you God for birthing me to an abusive father. … Thank you God of ridding me of God.
and the one from the PR guy:
I have one word for you, dude: Vision. …
Firstly, your PR guys are bad for your image.
Secondly, cut the hair and lose the beard.
Thirdly, the crucifix thing died when Madonna set them on fire for Pepsi. I’m thinking we go for a octagon in a nice shade of fuchsia.I do consultancy works for $1800 an hour . No personal cheques, I don’t care who you are.
But there are also some very serious ones. There are always going to be people with some sort of personal problem, and it’s often hard to know who or where to turn to for help. If nothing else, writing down your thoughts, fears, or misgivings can be quite cathartic, and just occasionally someone may provide some comfort or assistance.
So, whilst I am quite positive god (of any variety) is not going to answer any of these prayers, some kind person might.
Which leads me to a quandary. Are these sorts of web sites, and there’s quite a few of them purporting to be providing a direct link to god(s), a good or a bad thing? Surely if someone provides help that’s a good thing, but is it just perpetuating the myth(s) even more? Could it lead to troubling the person even more?
21 April 2008 at 8:31 pm
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a whole TLD for sites like this, “.GOD” so we could at once identify and disregard them completely.
21 April 2008 at 10:51 pm
God + actual, real-world help? Probably harmless, given that “God” is entirely superfluous and it’s the real-world help that makes the difference.
God instead of actual, real-world help? Useless at best; at worst, dangerous and even deadly. Case in point: when ill children die through the negligence of their parents who eschew medical assistance in favour of prayer and/or “faith-based healing.”
22 April 2008 at 4:19 am
This is all good and well but what happens if God’s ISP goes down or someone posts a prayer containing a bad word and his ‘net-nanny software prevents him from seeing the site? How will he be able to answer prayers if he can’t gain access to them?
22 April 2008 at 9:16 am
Chris
I like your thinking.
AV
there’s been a few cases recently like you mention, an Oregon couple are currently awaiting trial for manslaughter following the death of their child.
my other worry is the real-world question and the god non-answer. Look at some of the responses on the dear-god site to very serious concerns; where people say “put your faith in God” or “whatever happens is part of God’s plan”; it’s really not very helpful, is it?
Sammy
and you know how seniors struggle with new technology, he’ll need a teenage boy (jesus version 2 ?) to help hack the ‘net-nanny’ software.