@Arella Mae,
"How is irrelevant? We are talking about what someone said offending others aren't we?"
I'm not offended by his statement, I have heard it dozens of times in lots of different ways. My point was that his perspective is that everyone who is not christian is outside his consideration. He is more than right to hold such a thought but the funny thing is his own theology frowns against such a frame of mind. Yet there are no shortage of Christians who hold such a view point. The funny thing is, there are far more non-christians who would never hold such a view point.
"In your last post over there you said something about "if we support them in their delusions". If I misquoted I apologize. ""
Well telling someone you are praying for them is bolstering delusional ways of thinking. How is that helpful? It's not, it is from my perspective lying to them. You are supporting a false way of thinking.
"My point is this. Some, not all, nonbelievers think it is perfectly okay to tell believers they are delusional, they shouldn't believe in God, in prayer, etc., but they don't like it if a believer says a simple comment like Bentley did. I find it very hypocritical."
He is perfectly right to say what he wants. I was pointing out the hypocrisy in his own statement which contradicts his own theology. How is that me being the hypocrite?
"My point in the other thread was, while it's your right to believe the way you do, do you really think it was appropriate to say that to a woman who is in emotional pain?"
Well she is on a public forum and was requesting sympathetic help however all the help I saw was pretty much people lying to her and supporting delusional points of view. How is that helping her? It is supporting a poor way of thinking. That she is going to some how find solace in people supporting her by lying to her? Is that really what she needs? So you support lying to someone if it makes them feel better?
"Are your beliefs so superior (to borrow your word) to hers that you could not just leave your comments off where you sympathized with her?"
I do sympathize for her situation but I also know that supporting an idea of praying for her comfort is dishonest.
"First you seem to sympathize but then go on to tell her prayer won't do a thing."
The honesty is that prayer will in fact do nothing. That is the truth. There has never been a verifiable case where prayer did anything different than non-prayer. So why support an idea that is clearly false? Those people who support her way of thinking are not helping her at all, but instead they are encouraging delusional behavior. Makes her dependent upon such ways of thinking.
Something similar to this is you assuming that she wouldn't see this thread or be reading this post simply because you brought it over here instead of keeping it in her thread where it is all relevant.
"No matter what any of our beliefs are, there are times when some things are better left unsaid."
You believe such a thing, but I don't. In fact I think that is the problem with our society. We remain silent and allow delusions to continue instead of speaking up when we should have been setting the truth out there. The truth is not always pretty, and many people simply can not accept it when they are faced with it because we are taught by everyone to turn away when we are faced with it.
"She specifically asked for prayers and I do not understand why you felt the necessity to say what you did. How was that going to help her in her pain?"
Because the reality is, the prayers will not help her at all and I was trying to give her a glimpse in self empowerment that she is capable of solving her own pain rationally rather than seeking delusional solutions.
"And BTW who said you get to decide who is delusional and who is not?"
When something is not supported by verifiable facts then it is delusional to hold a belief. Prayer has never proven itself so it is a delusional belief to believe that it can have an effect.
Besides that, isn't it silly to assume that petitioning a god for a solution is even necessary to begin with? Because that is basically what you are doing when you are praying. You are petitioning for a solution that YOU want. If that is the case and if such a deity were to actually acknowledge your petition and make the case suit your request isn't that silly that that deity wouldn't have never caused the situation in the beginning?
Make someone suffer so that others will pray for them, is rather a sadistic deity if such one were to actually exist. However since there really is no such deity it is life and this existence itself that is uncertain and chaotic where such delusions flourish because people simply can not cope with reality.
However we are not beyond being able to cope, however the tools needed for such a coping ability are not got through religious teachings, in fact just the opposite is provided which is to say, none. This is why she relies on others to pray for her plight instead of managing her own stress herself. It is why the world is still so messed up because there are still so many people who rely on these delusions to feel better about themselves or their lives. The theology pollutes their minds and makes them weak to solve their own problems.
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