Christians told my mum if she prayed and had enough faith in God my dad wouldn't die and he did. Would more faith have kept him alive?
No insensitive comments please.
2007-06-11 07:53:44 · 14 answers · asked by Introverted extrovert 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I am a catholic and when my dad got sick, I prayed non-stop for hours and hours at a time. Every where I when I looked like a fool talking to myself cause I was praying quietly under my breath. I spent countless hours crying and plead begging and praying. I would fall asleep praying and wake up still praying.
I did that for months.
He died in my arms. It was the hardest thing I've ever been put though.
I didn't get the answer I wanted and I can't explain God's will though I do accept it as being best.
But not a single one of those prayers went wasted. I can still feel my Dad's gratitude and smile.
I bet there are times when you cry over it and think your crying cause you're missing him or missing out or it not fair, but it really Cause He's come around and given you a big hug and a smile and His love overwhelms you to tears.
2007-06-11 09:26:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
There have been sties of how prayer effects medical outcomes.
The conclusion were:
Praying for yourself.
Praying does have a slight effect. But the same effect can be done with plain meditation. Since prayer puts most people into a meditative state the conclusion is that the actual praying has no effect.
Praying for others.
If the person being prayed for does not know it has no effect what so ever.
If the person being prayed for does know, and believes in the 'power of prayer' there is an effect. It is the same effect as a sugar pill 'cure'. Also if the person is told that they are being prayed for, but in reality there are no prayers, it has the same effect.
So:
Meditation and relaxiation can help you cure yourself.
Believing that you will be cured can help you cure yourself.
The actual prayer, the supplication to god, has no effect at all.
2007-06-11 09:01:40 · answer #2 · answered by Simon T 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
oof, I hope your Mom wasn't let down by that kind of "promise." And I'm sorry for your loss.
God always answers prayers, but sometimes the answer is "no." In my opinion, great faith would be to pray for the acceptance of the situation, however it turned out, and for peace and comfort for your father. But even the greatest of faith has to take action - praying for healing while not going to a doctor will rarely bring the healing. All this to say, your mother's faith or religion had nothing to do with your father's death.
2007-06-11 08:04:31 · answer #3 · answered by Church Music Girl 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no, nothing could keep someone alive if God has decided to take that person - sometimes we pray and we have faith in God to do the right thing but sometimes what we think is the right thing is not what God thinks
sometimes the answer to our prayers is No - God will not do whatever we ask just b/c we pray to Him earnestly He will only give to us what is good for us, we might not always agree at the time but we must have FAITH that He knows what is best
2007-06-11 07:59:04 · answer #4 · answered by servant FM 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You have me sincere condolences for your loss...Your pain is great... and any words here will have little effect on that pain... I will speak The Truth as I understand it... it is not intended to worsen your pain... but it must be said.
I do not know the "faith" of those who told your mother that... but that was not what should have been said... I know there are those of The Faith who do speak like that... they are in error when they do so...Those of The True Christian Faith do know that God can spare those he chooses to... But we as mortals have no claim to know when God will so choose...
You do not state whether or not your mother professes to be of The Faith... if She dose then shy has not been properly instructed... if she has not professed her Faith as God prescribes... they she was improperly served by those claiming to be God's people.
As insensitive as it sounds to non-believers... more faith would not have helped a bit... That is not how it works... All mortals must end their mortal time... for whatever reason... God decreed that it was you fathers time...
2007-06-11 08:06:44 · answer #5 · answered by idahomike2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. I am really sorry for you and your mom. That has to be hard.
It is sad that someone told her this because now, I bet, she feels like her faith and her prayers were not good enough.
This is one more reason to think Christianity is wrong, in my opinion. Any faithful person who would tell your mom this is not a moral or loving person. That is a very evil thing to tell someone.
More faith would not keep your daddy alive, sweetheart. Anyone who would tell you that certainly isn't a person I would want my mom to have to talk to or listen to again.
Just keep loving your mom - and tell her that she didn't do anything wrong. She was wronged by the person who told her this.
2007-06-11 08:00:16 · answer #6 · answered by yarn whore 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm truly sorry for the loss of your father. In the final analysis, faith doesn't answer prayer, God answers prayer. And sometimes, for reasons only He may know, He says no.Some Christians can be insensitive when they try to reduce God to a formula; then they have no explanation when their formula doesn't work. In spite of this, you can trust God. You can have faith in Jesus Christ.
2007-06-11 08:05:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm very sorry that this happened to you. The big question that is in this is why does God allow us to suffer? I can't answer this question for you very well, but faith isn't what answers prayers, it is God alone. While we might not be able to see the big picture and we feel betrayed, God has a plan for each and every one of us and our faith Him is what helps us endure our suffering.
2007-06-11 08:02:16 · answer #8 · answered by artbyheather04 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. Faith is a tool that religions use to keep people from asking questions, and redirect much-needed scrutiny elsewhere. No amount of believing could have saved your dad. If the Pope himself prayed for him he still would have died, but then it would be God's will, whereas if he did not die it would have been faith's doing.
2007-06-11 07:56:54 · answer #9 · answered by Edward V 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
component of the religious adventure is the conflict of religion. i think of a minimum of a few faith is needed for God to respond to prayer. undergo in innovations nevertheless that prayer has many dimensions - Adoration, Worship, Thanksgiving, Intercession, Reparation, no longer in straightforward terms the searching for of non secular or temporal graces. VB8
2017-01-06 07:34:21 · answer #10 · answered by esme 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋