Americans' solution to the energy crisis: Prayer, of course

3aidlillahi

In a nation in which less than a quarter of the population believes in evolution but half in creationism, it's kind of expected that when you encounter a problem like PO, the only solution that people can think of is prayer.

MSNBC video

I imagine that we'll begin to see more of this type of stuff happen. We could very well head back to the Dark Ages due to religious fundamentalism and a lack of proper education. People will pray for cheap oil, will blame homosexuality for starvation, etc. It will be very interesting from a historical standpoint; a Hell for many that have to live through it.
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Riches are not from abundance of worldly goods, but from a contented mind.

roccman

Haggee, Robertson and the like will make billions selling the Great Die Off.

It hath been foretold.
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"There must be a bogeyman; there always is, and it cannot be something as esoteric as "resource depletion." You can't go to war with that." Emersonbiggins

"... hope is a rotten-thighed whore" Niko Kazantzakis

We are going back to roccland - me

emersonbiggins

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Fredrik

erl · Intermediate Crude Joined: Mar 21, 2005 Posts: 791

The fallacy here is to think that praying is the same as doing nothing.

If you have every really prayed, you would not come to that conclusion.

Jesus sweated blood during his prayers at Gethsemene.

Praying is intense.

We can disagree as to it's effectiveness.

Personally, I think it works wonders.

pedalling_faster · Intermediate Crude Joined: Dec 10, 2005 Posts: 848

the odd thing is, they may end up interpreting events as that "their prayers have been answered".

though probably not by falling gas prices. maybe they'll think their prayers have been answered if Ford gets serious about electric cars.
or maybe one of their family members will do something renewable energy related.

they do look like they're having fun, so there's a fellowship angle. & by reporting on it, the TV station is selling ads. probably for things that won't help people survive Peak Oil.
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3aidlillahi

socrates1fan · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 04, 2008 Posts: 284

I have no problem with people praying.
My problem is when people start blaming the gays and who ever isn't a part of their faith for their problems and start becoming aggresive towards them like the Europeans did to the jews(not talking about WWII, I'm talking about the middle ages.).
At that point they are no longer people but rather animals with the lack fo ability to think or take blame upon themselves for their own problems.
Praying should be for mental compfort and relaxation but praying doesn't get things done.
If society were to collapse you still have millions of people who don't believe in religion and who are athiest, agnostic, etc.
What would stop them from teaching their children about free thinking?
Especially if people become more isolated it would only strengthen peoples ideas, beliefs.
Damn do I see a second crusade? haha

Eli

Have to agree with 3aid.

One really has to imagine that with all the suffering in the world praying for cheap oil probably just pisses God off.

"You have been weighed in the scales and have been found wanting"

People with luxuries Kings have not known praying for more, while billions starve and die, yeah top of my list. How about 200 hundred dollar oil, maybe then you will get the point.

POAlex

I agree, erl.

But as for the topic at hand, what's important is that prayer should always be in line with God's will.

Alex
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Plantagenet

I don't mind if people pray.

Its what they do when they aren't praying that worries me.

blukatzen · Intermediate Crude Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 588

3aidlillahi

Ludi

CarlinsDarlin · Moderator Joined: Jul 02, 2004 Posts: 1400

3aid,
I may be jumping in the middle here, but I don't think Alex was implying at all that lower gas prices are a "right" or are "God's will." I think, rather, that he was saying that prayers *should* be in line with God's will. You made that assumption.

"Not my will but Thy Will" is indeed the only prayer that you can guarantee will be appropriate. Of course, we cannot begin to know God's will for every situation that we encounter, but we do have guidance generally speaking for what God might approve of through His Word. Asking God to give me a million dollars probably won't be answered in the affirmative, especially if He sees that I might use that million dollars for purposes against His guidance, or that having that money will cause me more trouble than benefit.

God does answer all prayers. It's just that sometimes the answer is NO. He sees the past, the present, and the future. We don't have that luxury.
K