Prayer-full tragedy

By RT ~

Miners trapped underground in a NZ coal die, yet as always we are provided the usual media syrup of people praying in churches for a ‘miracle’.

Praying for a miracle

Hope is never to be derided but given the monotheistic belief that God is acclaimed to be both omniscient and omnipotent – this of course must mean reflectively that God knew before hand that they would perish and being powerful enough to stop it, he chose not to help.

Logically, if I were a bystander and overhead a certain plot for murder and having the prescience to do something but instead did nothing, I could be arrested for complicity once it was known that I had prior knowledge yet chose not to act. In the very least I would feel awful that I did nothing - especially in view that I had the power to do so. And equally, I would no doubt be seen by all to be less than a desirable citizen of the planet.

Yet strangely, the God of all three monotheisms seemingly gets away with this and even more remarkably is worshipped for it.

If you and I were to make something with love and care with a masterly penchant for creativity and finesse, even given our imperfection and frailty, we certainly would do much to protect it. Watching an old man in his seventies for example, carve out woodwork full of beautiful artistry after 50 years of loving creativity, one would never think that his hope or even his reluctant expectation was for his creation(s) to be destroyed in all kinds of uncaring ways eg. smashing, rotting, throwing, mutilating etc.

Of course some Chilean miners were wonderfully ‘saved’ recently and the religious praised their god(s) (and, noticeably much more loudly and belligerently than when he chose not to save others on other occasions). If their God is in control of all things and his decisions are unanimously perfect – why isn’t the praise as loud for permissible disaster, tragedy and downright ‘allowable’ atrocity?

It’s interesting how many Christians boast of being led to prayer by the ‘spirit’ – only to have nothing occur as a result. Does this mean then that the spirit was tricking the person?The lack of successful prayer reveals that God doesn’t seem very interested in prayers (nor the pray-ers). This is despite biblical statements otherwise: “Ask…and you shall receive”. And… “he knows before, what we will pray”…Surely this duplicity is all very obvious even to the occasional thinker.

It’s interesting how many Christians boast of being led to prayer by the ‘spirit’ – only to have nothing occur as a result. Does this mean then that the spirit was tricking the person? Or as so many believers seem to claim that it’s really about the ‘right’ prayers’ being prayed? So, a prayer to save people from torturous death is a wrong prayer? But getting a car park in a busy supermarket is a right prayer? In truth, Christians only testify of having been led to prayer after some success story has unfolded. After all with such great competition for Sunday’s activities, success stories are paramount.

Given that God doesn’t answer the prayers for the truly tragic experiences in this world i.e. wars, mass murders, child molestation, rapes, tortures, massive calamities etc., one wonders why that same God would be interested in getting you a deal at the store, who wins a meaningless sports event or that you get the promotion you so desire.

I think its time we realize (and grow up) that far from helping the world – religious idiocy just keeps humans stupefied. Thanks should go to the scientists, engineers and hard workers who rescued the miners in Chile and it is likewise essential that the flaws in work practices and design of the mines in Greymouth, N.Z. be examined thoroughly to avoid future catastrophes.

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