Does God answer prayers to do someone ill? (God as your private hitman)2. Comment #390839 by Sean on June 24, 2009 at 11:12 am
I posted this comment on the linked site, but I'm curious to get some opinions on the basic idea:3. Comment #390841 by DoctorE on June 24, 2009 at 11:16 am
4. Comment #390843 by zengardener on June 24, 2009 at 11:20 am
Either you believe in God and you accept responsibility for asking him to do terrible things on your behalf, or you admit that these prayers are nothing more than an outlet for impotent rage.
5. Comment #390848 by liberalartist on June 24, 2009 at 11:25 am
His confession to praying against Obama came after Kansas abortionist George Tiller was gunned down in church. That killing, Drake said, was an answer to his prayers.
6. Comment #390852 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 11:32 am
7. Comment #390856 by black wolf on June 24, 2009 at 11:36 am
8. Comment #390858 by Sean on June 24, 2009 at 11:38 am
I wouldn't classify this as thought crime. It's one thing to wish someone dead, but quite another to try to invoke a force that you believe may actually do what you ask it to.9. Comment #390859 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 11:42 am
10. Comment #390863 by Sean on June 24, 2009 at 11:50 am
11. Comment #390864 by black wolf on June 24, 2009 at 11:52 am
12. Comment #390869 by mordacious1 on June 24, 2009 at 11:58 am
13. Comment #390873 by earlted on June 24, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Imagine that mr.A prays to God to have mr.B killed. And mr.B prays to have mr.A killed. What will happen? Probably God, always happy to fulfill peoples prayers, will have them both killed. So, both A and B got what they wanted.14. Comment #390878 by Cartomancer on June 24, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Derided by some as a bad Judeo-Christian imitation of voodooA return to form then, basically. Haitian "voodoo" and related Caribbean magical practices are largely derived from the European witchcraft of the later middle ages, which colonists brought over from their mother countries. It is a myth that voodoo has its origins in African tribal magic, most of which is highly local in character and focussed on propitiating the spirits that govern the seasons and the cycles of nature. European witchcraft of the curses and cantrips variety owes a tremendous amount to the judaeo-christian tradition, which was itself heavily influenced by hellenistic, post-roman and early medieval magical culture. It's all nonsense from the same fountainhead, which is why there are indeed all those maledictions and hexes in the old testament (and not a few mentions of them in the new).
15. Comment #390881 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 1:11 pm
16. Comment #390882 by black wolf on June 24, 2009 at 1:16 pm
17. Comment #390886 by SASnSA on June 24, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Now, what happens if someone having heard of this preacher's prayer decides to be "God's hands on Earth" and assassinate president Obama? Does the preacher get arrested on conspiracy charges?18. Comment #390889 by black wolf on June 24, 2009 at 1:27 pm
19. Comment #390892 by UncleVanya on June 24, 2009 at 1:33 pm
To my mind prayer always seems incompatible with the idea of a truly omnipotent god. What are you actually doing? Calling facts to god's attention that he might not know about? Encouraging him to use his judgement in a particular way? If god is really omnipotent then surely he'll do what's right, even if a thousand prayers ask him to do something else?20. Comment #390893 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 1:34 pm
21. Comment #390898 by Gregg Townsend on June 24, 2009 at 1:38 pm
John Wing's Prayer
22. Comment #390902 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 1:40 pm
23. Comment #390903 by robaylesbury on June 24, 2009 at 1:42 pm
24. Comment #390905 by black wolf on June 24, 2009 at 1:44 pm
25. Comment #390913 by Steven Mading on June 24, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Xeroangel, the point you're not getting is that IF these people believe imprecatory prayer works, and they engage in using it, and yet at the same time think they themselves are blameless for the results, then that proves they have hypocritically inconsistent beliefs. If they don't think they themselves are to blame, then that means that at some level they realize the whole notion of imprecatory prayer being effective is bullshit.26. Comment #390915 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 2:11 pm
27. Comment #390916 by dloubet on June 24, 2009 at 2:15 pm
If the god exists, then he's guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.28. Comment #390918 by Chayanov on June 24, 2009 at 2:21 pm
UncleVanya @ 19: Not only that, but prayer is also incompatible with free will. If you can get God to intercede on your behalf, then people aren't truly free in what they can do.29. Comment #390921 by kaiserkriss on June 24, 2009 at 2:49 pm
30. Comment #390922 by Border Collie on June 24, 2009 at 2:56 pm
31. Comment #390927 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Think of toy guns pointed at Police.. jcwIf you are refering to a police officer reasonably mistaking a toy gun for a real one and then taking action to defend himself against a perceived threat, that is a very different thing.
32. Comment #390931 by rod-the-farmer on June 24, 2009 at 4:15 pm
33. Comment #390932 by Sean on June 24, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I'd consider it a win if Drake were to simply admit that his prayers are ineffective.34. Comment #390936 by j.mills on June 24, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Though Scripture says Jesus told his followers to love their enemies and pray for them, the Bible also depicts King David pleading with God to vanquish his adversaries.Thus, cherry-picking.
“I never wish evil upon my enemies,” Klingenschmitt said, “but the justice of God is not evil.”Humpty-Dumpty: words mean what I say they mean.
Klingenschmitt asked God “in Jesus’ name” to “cut off their descendents” and “replace them with Godly people.”No True Scotsman from one side...
Many, including some leaders of Drake’s own Southern Baptist Convention, argue Drake and Klingenschmitt are on the fringe of Christianity....and No True Scotsman from the other.
Kansas abortionist George Tiller was gunned down in church. That killing, Drake said, was an answer to his prayers.Moral cowardice. If Drake was happy to consider murder to be god's will, why didn't the gutless wretch do it himself?
“Of our prayers, 98 percent should be good prayers and 2 percent should be imprecatory.” [said Drake]Private revelation. I'd be fascinated to know how he arrived at that statistic...
35. Comment #390941 by Ignorant Amos on June 24, 2009 at 5:44 pm
The Yorkshire Ripper told police he heard gods voice telling him to kill prostitutes.36. Comment #390942 by Ignorant Amos on June 24, 2009 at 5:51 pm
It is no longer a "thought" once it is out of your mouth.....is this not incitement?37. Comment #390943 by kaiserkriss on June 24, 2009 at 5:55 pm
38. Comment #390944 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 6:00 pm
39. Comment #390947 by Michael Gray on June 24, 2009 at 6:31 pm
40. Comment #390954 by WilliamP on June 24, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Just wait until the subjects of these prayers die at an old age of natural causes. I bet the faithful will take that as evidence of the power of prayer.41. Comment #390955 by Ignorant Amos on June 24, 2009 at 7:22 pm
38. Comment #390944 by zeroangelIf you consider trying to incite imagery beings to violence as "incitement" I guess so. It seems the law recognizes these imaginary beings can't be treated as real.
42. Comment #390956 by Liveliest Crib on June 24, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Sean @ Comment #390839:I would wonder that if people honestly believe in the power of imprecator prayer, why can’t they be charged with a crime if they admit to asking for the death or injury of another person?Heh, I am a lawyer in the U.S., and I think I'll chime in here. :)
43. Comment #390957 by Liveliest Crib on June 24, 2009 at 7:37 pm
SASnSA @ Comment #390886:Now, what happens if someone having heard of this preacher's prayer decides to be "God's hands on Earth" and assassinate president Obama? Does the preacher get arrested on conspiracy charges?This one's easier. :)
44. Comment #390959 by Liveliest Crib on June 24, 2009 at 7:48 pm
rod-the-farmer @ Comment #390931Imagine person B hearing person A praying to god to kill person B. It is self-defense, he says, and in a pre emptive strike, kills person A. Perhaps (IANAL) his defense could be that he truly believed in god, and thought his life was literally at stake. Seems to me he might have a case. Watch this one hit the court news.Heh, preemptive strikes might have merit in the world of international politics, but not in courtrooms. (At least, not in U.S. courtrooms.) The use of self defense requires not merely an reasonable belief that harm is about to come to you, but a reasonable belief that imminent harm is about to come to you.
45. Comment #390971 by zeroangel on June 24, 2009 at 9:16 pm
We'd end up prosecuting a lot of harmless weirdos if we ventured down that path....and no doubt clog up already clogged courts.
46. Comment #391005 by Ignorant Amos on June 25, 2009 at 12:43 am
45. Comment #390971 by zeroangel47. Comment #391018 by DragonOfColour on June 25, 2009 at 2:06 am
Can't help thinking of Shakespeare:48. Comment #391031 by Flapjack on June 25, 2009 at 2:46 am
49. Comment #391035 by PERSON on June 25, 2009 at 3:02 am
"If I believe I have the powers of telekinesis and I attempt to choke someone Darth Vader style, I should not be charged with attempted murder."50. Comment #391074 by jpgj on June 25, 2009 at 5:58 am
Sean
1. Comment #390837 by benrinnes on June 24, 2009 at 11:01 am
Yup, voodoo, witchdoctors, southern baptists, not a lot of difference.Other Comments by benrinnes