Ok, so last week I posted a thread saying that I do not believe prayer works, but if leaky roofs were to stop leaking in places of worship and orphanages after prayer, then that could be a start to proving something. I got a few responses saying that I wasn't critical enough in my thinking, and that the roof could cease to leak without prayer at all. I totally agree. There are many possible reasons why it could stop leaking. I have come up with a new criteria: pray for an amputee. If the amputee regrows his/her limbs overnight, then I think there may be something. What proof would you guys need for you to start thinking that maybe prayer works?
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It's not that simple. You need an extensive double blind test. The results should be peer reviewed. The test should be duplicated over and over again by independent means.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method
Stop reposting shit please. It is annoying.
- "Stop reposting shit please. It is annoying."
Wtf, mykcob4?
I have tremendous respect for you, but you're turning into the whiniest little prick in the forum. Your posts about getting "annoyed" is really starting to get annoying. Your whining more than all the theists in the forum combined.
It's a debate forum, will you please let people debate!
Stop whining and contribute. The first part of your post was actually productive and contributed. Why not just leave it at that.
@Pragmatic
Noted!
I am just venting. It has been frustrating given the fact that for a few months now people have been starting threads that have already been answered, AND they should know the answer in the first place. Yet when I post a thread to try and bring to light how a person that isn't, a christian has to put up with christians lording over every aspect of everyone's life, I get labeled a troll.
I'll scale it back.
Well documented amputees regrowing limbs (presumably) through prayer would certainly get my attention.
https://whywontgodhealamputees.com/god5.htm
Prayer is a request for special consideration and, if answered, is the stuff of miracles to mere mortal men. But, if there was a god any act he would reveal to mankind really can't be considered a miracle. It would just be another ho-hum routine act he does and he'd probably be annoyed that mankind would consider any response from him miraculous in nature. If you're gonna insult a god, praying for a miraculous response from him would be one way to do it big time.
So, praying is not only a begger's way of it, it's also stupid in that it insults the god of the begger's choice. That's an observer's logic at work, though, so don't take my word for it. Still, religions being the banner stupidity men devote themselves to, we already know how stupid those doctrines have proven themselves to be. It only follows that they implore of men to pray to their gods. The rest is entertaining.
I guess I did not directly answer the OP's question about what I would consider proof that prayer works.
The question is invalid.
That would convince me. But good luck in getting any church to agree to such a conclusive test of god's so-called power.
Personally I don't think prayer could cure a zit, let alone an amputation. I'd pay for tickets to watch the Pope or Creflo Dollar try to grow someone's arm back by praying, but I'd want the entire event refereed by Penn & Teller.
As the FFRF says, 'nothing fails like prayer." The Xtian wing nuts have prayers all over facebook with no discernable results. On Christmas eve a bunch of religidiots were circulating a prayer to remove all cancer worldwide. Maybe it didn't work because I didn't click like. I've managed to tone down my annoyance level by not following most of these nutcases who somehow got in my circle of acquaintances, but some are relatives. I kinda have to follow them to keep up with the family. Although I've started responding atheistically to my fundamentalist kinfolk. I may end up being tossed out of the family but some of my relatives post such howlers I can't restrain myself.
At DancingFool: "As the FFRF says, 'nothing fails like prayer."
Absolutely true. I've had better results with the wishes I made blowing out candles on birthday cakes.
People have received hand transplants. That is amazing. Science forges ahead and religion brings nothing to the table when it comes to progress.
So if religious people want to do something useful, they should pray for more funding for scientific research, and better science education in schools. Above all they should pray to keep Young Earth Creationists and other religious crackpots off education boards and out of classrooms.