NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm in a very curious mood today... either that or I'm avoiding doing research... anyone ever asked for God's help in an emergency, and if so, what happened, and what did you think about what happened?

What, in case you can't figure out which rescue service to call again? ;)

What, in case you can't figure out which rescue service to call again? ;)


nah, in case asking God for help means it arrives quicker :)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/3155169.stm

No.

Yeah, but the hangover didn't disappear any quicker. If there is a god up there (I don't think so) he probably knew I had no intention whatsoever of keeping my promise to never drink again.

Not seriously. It's kind of interchangable with "I want my mommy!"

Yeah, but the hangover didn't disappear any quicker. If there is a god up there (I don't think so) he probably knew I had no intention whatsoever of keeping my promise to never drink again.


I'm sure I said emergency... :rolleyes:

I'm sure I said emergency... :rolleyes:

So you did. Carry on.

I'm in a very curious mood today... either that or I'm avoiding doing research... anyone ever asked for God's help in an emergency, and if so, what happened, and what did you think about what happened?

yep. always times.

after that, things just fall into place.

No. What would be the point?

Not recently. But way back when I was a teenager and a Jehovah's Witness, I was preaching with a friend of mine way out in the booneys--outside a little excuse of a town named Sun, Louisiana--and we got a flat. His spare was flat, too, so we prayed, and started rolling the flat toward town hoping that we'd find a place that could fix it. A guy passed us on the road, picked us up and took us back to his house--he'd been in the tire business for 25 years and had only recently retired. He fixed the flat with equipment in his garage and took us back to the van. We looked at it as a miracle at the time. Now I think it was just coincidence.

no, cuz i'm an atheist.

I'm sure I said emergency... :rolleyes:

If it's a real hangover it is an emergency.

I'm sure I said emergency... :rolleyes:
Doesn't it constitute an emergency if he has to be at work that morning?

If it's a real hangover it is an emergency.

Not according to the emergency services: an emergency is a crime in progress or a life-threatening situation. A hangover is just painful.

If it's a real hangover it is an emergency.

Especially if your wallet is missing and you have a plane to catch in 12 hours and you don't know where your passport is and they won't let you get on the plane without identification and you woke up in the hallway of your apartment complex at the foot of the stairs.

Not that I would know anything about that.

No. Why should I ask for my own help? I'll get it anyway.

Especially if your wallet is missing and you have a plane to catch in 12 hours and you don't know where your passport is and they won't let you get on the plane without identification and you woke up in the hallway of your apartment complex at the foot of the stairs.

Not that I would know anything about that.

Nope, that requires a non-emergency call to cops to report crime that has already happened.

Not recently. But way back when I was a teenager and a Jehovah's Witness,
Glad you got better. My mother used to be a Mormon. She got better. Now she's an atheist.

Nope, that requires a non-emergency call to cops to report crime that has already happened.

You've clearly never woken up hungover at the bottom of a stairs that you most likely fell down.

Not recently. But way back when I was a teenager and a Jehovah's Witness, I was preaching with a friend of mine way out in the booneys--outside a little excuse of a town named Sun, Louisiana--and we got a flat. His spare was flat, too, so we prayed, and started rolling the flat toward town hoping that we'd find a place that could fix it. A guy passed us on the road, picked us up and took us back to his house--he'd been in the tire business for 25 years and had only recently retired. He fixed the flat with equipment in his garage and took us back to the van. We looked at it as a miracle at the time. Now I think it was just coincidence.
:p

Sorry. I couldn't help it. >.<

You've clearly never woken up hungover at the bottom of a stairs that you most likely fell down.

again: emergency = crime in progress or life-threatening (as opposed to very painful but not actually life-threatening) situation

Nope, that requires a non-emergency call to cops to report crime that has already happened.

Well, it felt like an emergency to me.

I found my wallet without praying, I should also note. ;)

Glad you got better. My mother used to be a Mormon. She got better. Now she's an atheist.

Yeah. I like to say that I've been in recovery for 12 years now.

Not recently. But way back when I was a teenager and a Jehovah's Witness, I was preaching with a friend of mine way out in the booneys--outside a little excuse of a town named Sun, Louisiana--and we got a flat. His spare was flat, too, so we prayed, and started rolling the flat toward town hoping that we'd find a place that could fix it. A guy passed us on the road, picked us up and took us back to his house--he'd been in the tire business for 25 years and had only recently retired. He fixed the flat with equipment in his garage and took us back to the van. We looked at it as a miracle at the time. Now I think it was just coincidence.

Pah. And you wonder why you don't see more miracles.

Mark 8:11-21 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/mark/8 (O.K. so that's an LDS link, but it's the King James Bible, not the Book of Mormon)

again: emergency = crime in progress or life-threatening (as opposed to very painful but not actually life-threatening) situation

You don't see how falling drunk down a stairs could be life threatening?

As a side note, I'm quite certain that God has far better things to do with His time than intercede on behalf of a single life-form of an insignificant species living in a remote system off the southwestern arm of the Milky Way Galaxy in sector alpha-gamma-7263-tau of one of quintillions of universes....

Pah. And you wonder why you don't see more miracles.

Mark 8:11-21 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/mark/8 (O.K. so that's an LDS link, but it's the King James Bible, not the Book of Mormon)

Actually, I don't wonder. Coincidence is far more fascinating to me than the idea that some mystical being can help me get a flat fixed while simultaneously allowing millions to starve to death. If that God is watching out for me and not them, then fuck him.

You don't see how falling drunk down a stairs could be life threatening?

Not if it's already happened and there's no indication of any life-threatening stuff related to it (bleeding from head etc.)

Pah. And you wonder why you don't see more miracles.

Mark 8:11-21 http://scriptures.lds.org/en/mark/8 (O.K. so that's an LDS link, but it's the King James Bible, not the Book of Mormon)

If you're going to consider that sort of thing a miracle then just about everything is a miracle. The very word miracle loses meaning, and the idea of god becomes ordinary and common and easily taken for granted. I like the old style miracles with prophets calling bears out of the woods to eat annoying children or plagues that kill off the first born of every family in Egypt. Those are miracles. Those are impressive. Stumbling on a guy who can patch a tire is kind of boring.

Actually, I don't wonder. Coincidence is far more fascinating to me than the idea that some mystical being can help me get a flat fixed while simultaneously allowing millions to starve to death. If that God is watching out for me and not them, then fuck him.

Well considering the fact God uses Angels to help Him, my theory is He's mega powerful, but not quite as powerful as many people suggest He is, thus sometimes either He can't get there in time, or the Angels can't. If He was all-powerful, why would he need Angels to assist Him?

And there's a story in the Bible somewhere where Jesus didn't save someone before they died, and was well upset about it, but then asked God to help (hence a reason I believe Jesus is the Son of God, and perhaps not actually God, even in the trinitarian sense) and the person lived again. So even in the Bible there's a story where Jesus simply didn't get there in time - but being mega powerful through God's will/power, he brought em back to life

Maybe it's kinda like a corporate structure - God is President, busy steering the earth, making sure it don't crash into Asteroids, Jesus is Vice-President of the Company, and the Angels are the workers. Normally the angels do the work, but occasionally Jesus or God have to intervene directly :)

I try not to because I don't think God could do it if he wanted to. His interaction with this world is very limited, and thanks to our free will it is up to us to make decisions and deal with their consequences, however terrible those consequences might be. It may be impossible to intervene beyond a certain point because that would cause him to break his own laws.

I might want to note that I don't believe in an omnipotent creator; I believe in what would most likely be a large number of non-omnipotent deities that are all components of a greater, whole Divine concept, sort of like Brahman in Hinduism or Aristotle's concept of the Divine.

I try not to because I don't think God could do it if he wanted to. His interaction with this world is very limited, and thanks to our free will it is up to us to make decisions and deal with their consequences, however terrible those consequences might be. It may be impossible to intervene beyond a certain point because that would cause him to break his own laws.

I might want to note that I don't believe in an omnipotent creator; I believe in what would most likely be a large number of non-omnipotent deities that are all components of a greater, whole Divine concept, sort of like Brahman in Hinduism or Aristotle's concept of the Divine.

Or the Superfriends? ;)

You know, I think that quite a few of those people in New Orleans thought drowning was an emergency. I bet most of them asked "god" for help. Proved to be real uselful too, obviously.:rolleyes:

Personally, yes I have---turns out, there was NO ONE THERE!

I'm in a very curious mood today... either that or I'm avoiding doing research... anyone ever asked for God's help in an emergency, and if so, what happened, and what did you think about what happened?

I ask for God's help all the time, but I get no response. I'm probably still on God's ignore list.

No.

*feels like making a huge rant*
*but wont*

Nope. Now, on the other hand...

One time God asked for my help in an emergency.

Nope. Now, on the other hand...

One time God asked for my help in an emergency.

Interesting...

Not sure what you're talking about of course, but it seems to fit with what I wrote above, and with my theory about us getting feelings that something bad is happening or about to happen.

Heck, I just remembered two lovely ones: One was when I got a feeling to go the Shopping Precinct and trusted it, didn't go in until I'd found whoever needed help, and found a guy who'd came from miles away to meet someone but who's battery had gone flat and who did not know the other person's number off the top of his head. I lived nearby, so I let him charge it at mine. Another was when I found a friend who was lost. Back later.

Interesting...

Not sure what you're talking about of course, but it seems to fit with what I wrote above, and with my theory about us getting feelings that something bad is happening or about to happen.

Heck, I just remembered two lovely ones: One was when I got a feeling to go the Shopping Precinct and trusted it, didn't go in until I'd found whoever needed help, and found a guy who'd came from miles away to meet someone but who's battery had gone flat and who did not know the other person's number off the top of his head. I lived nearby, so I let him charge it at mine. Another was when I found a friend who was lost. Back later.

Back. As I was typing this, got a feeling to go outside. Stopped and waited at the window for a bit, saw a woman walking on her own, in the same direction that the traffic on that side of the road was going in (hence easier for drivers to sneak up behind her). Went outside. Taxi, with nobody except the driver in it, pulled up nearby, as if he was waiting for her to get near enough. I kept en eye on the taxi and tried to get the licence number, then the driver sped off. I decided I would make absolutely certain the woman got home safe (I was a bit prejudiced in that, her being apparently Chinese, I figured she probably lived in the nearby high-rise student flats). She walked all the way from where I spotted her, to where she lived, without looking behind her once. In short, this was a woman on her own at night, who could easily have been atacked from behind, by a pedestrian or a driver, after a dodgy taxi driver appeared to have been about to grab her. And my feeling let me know about it.

I've asked God for help to pwn n00bs in online gaming. But nothing else. I mean, if I'm going to die, he would just kill me faster so he/she/it can say "haha loser, you're mine now"

I'm in a very curious mood today... either that or I'm avoiding doing research... anyone ever asked for God's help in an emergency, and if so, what happened, and what did you think about what happened?

Nope... not even when I still considered myself Christian. It always made more sense to just do something rather than wait for something to happen.

I'm in a very curious mood today... either that or I'm avoiding doing research... anyone ever asked for God's help in an emergency, and if so, what happened, and what did you think about what happened?

Yup. Several times. And I'm still here, so I figure it must work. :D

Once when I was 6 or 7 years old, I really wanted to be a werewolf. I really, desperately wanted to be a werewolf. It was a dire emergency for a young boy who loved wolves and enjoyed watching werewolf movies.

So one night after a day at school that involved scripture class, I decided to give that God thing a try. I prayed for God to make me a werewolf. I prayed really really hard and decided that if God and Jesus were real and were as awesome as the creepy old Anglican chaplain that taught scripture class made them out to be, I would be a werewolf when I woke up in the morning.

The next day, I woke up, and I was still very much a pasty young boy and not a werewolf at all. Even come the full moon, I was still not a werewolf. God didn't do shit.

Nope... not even when I still considered myself Christian. It always made more sense to just do something rather than wait for something to happen.

Oh yeh I'd still do something myself if possible. But it can't hurt to ask for a bit of mega-help can it now? :)

Once when I was 6 or 7 years old, I really wanted to be a werewolf. I really, desperately wanted to be a werewolf. It was a dire emergency for a young boy who loved wolves and enjoyed watching werewolf movies.

So one night after a day at school that involved scripture class, I decided to give that God thing a try. I prayed for God to make me a werewolf. I prayed really really hard and decided that if God and Jesus were real and were as awesome as the creepy old Anglican chaplain that taught scripture class made them out to be, I would be a werewolf when I woke up in the morning.

The next day, I woke up, and I was still very much a pasty young boy and not a werewolf at all. Even come the full moon, I was still not a werewolf. God didn't do shit.

I'm sure you don't need God to make you big, hairy, speak in grunting tones and drool everywhere. You could move to Alice Springs. :)

Whats the number to the Jesus Christ hotline?

Even though I'm irreligious, if not to say somewhat counter-religious, I can't say I didn't. But that was just a short thought "God help me" in my mind, while doing what I needed, not instead of.

I guess it's just human nature that one feels more confident this way.

I'm sure you don't need God to make you big, hairy, speak in grunting tones and drool everywhere. You could move to Alice Springs. :)

:D

If God had magicked me to Alice Springs, I would've ended up thinking the Luciferians were right all along. No loving god would do that.

God still has a chance though. The invitation to make me a werewolf is a standing one. If God ever wants to disabuse me of atheism, he knows what he has to do.

One time I was in bed with my g/f (a divorcee) and we were fooling around. Things started getting serious so I reached over to grab a condom.
Horrors - an empty box!

Being raised a good Catholic, I prayed to God, Jesus, Mary and the Holy Ghostie to provide us with a blobby.


Didn't happen.


Where is your God, now?!

Where is your God, now?!

Probably laughing his ass off for stealing your last condom.

Probably laughing his ass off for stealing your last condom.
I knew it!
I knew it was Him!

I'm in a very curious mood today... either that or I'm avoiding doing research... anyone ever asked for God's help in an emergency, and if so, what happened, and what did you think about what happened?
In the most recent hard time of my life, the sheer tragedy of the Platte Canyon High School hostage and murder situation, despite the horror constantly waging itself through me, despite my intense fear and worry about my sisters and little brother, despite the sheer stress of it all, not ONCE did I even THINK about God, let alone asking Him for help, thus proving--to me, anyway--that I am most definitely an athiest.

I knew it!
I knew it was Him!

I'm sure he needed it much more than you. Imagine if God got someone pregnant! :eek:

I'm sure he needed it much more than you. Imagine if God got someone pregnant! :eek:
Quite. Look at all the trouble that happened last time he did.

One time I was in bed with my g/f (a divorcee) and we were fooling around. Things started getting serious so I reached over to grab a condom.
Horrors - an empty box!

Being raised a good Catholic, I prayed to God, Jesus, Mary and the Holy Ghostie to provide us with a blobby.


Didn't happen.


Where is your God, now?!

Catholics aint sposed to use condoms. Or have sex before marriage. :p

Whats the number to the Jesus Christ hotline?


He's so powerful he doesn't need one. You just stick your hands together (pointing upwards) and pray. I think getting down on one knee may help. :)

Yep- I've been in some pretty hopeless situations and said a prayer.
I've gotten out of many bad situations.

I'm always careful to say "Thank You" as well.

Yep- I've been in some pretty hopeless situations and said a prayer.
I've gotten out of many bad situations.

I'm always careful to say "Thank You" as well.

Can you give any examples?

Quite. Look at all the trouble that happened last time he did.

Yeah, but with the Christian God it was a one time thing, while guys like Zeus pretty much hit anything that walked.

I bet the divine world will be like any of the world's pettiest human societies, except with the Gods bickering over universes and the like rather than small things like money or material goods.

I pray so often that I don't even remember half the time what the heck I was praying about, so if I get blessings I give thanks to God just in case. LOL

I pray so often that I don't even remember half the time what the heck I was praying about, so if I get blessings I give thanks to God just in case. LOL

Hey, you've got nothing to lose. Even if a blessing had nothing to do with your prayers, I'd say it's a good idea to still be thankful for it.

No, it has never occurred to me to do so.

I couldn't find a pair of shoes once, i prayed before i went to bed an found them.
I was ever so happy.

I once prayed to God for a star wars Boba Fett action figure. On Christmas my brother got a Boba Fett action figure so I stole it from him. So technically that counts as God helping me.:D

I once prayed to God for a star wars Boba Fett action figure. On Christmas my brother got a Boba Fett action figure so I stole it from him. So technically that counts as God helping me.:D

God works in mysterious ways...

God works in mysterious ways...

Of course, like some priest told me at church, "God provides us with oppurtunities, its our job to decide if we want to seize them or not."