Can someone answer me this one question: why do Christians seem to feel the need to tell a person they’re praying for them? Is there some kind of "heavenly referral program" and they’re trying to make sure they get the points if I happen to sign up for it?
The one thing that’s odd about this comes from a study that actually tried to put prayer under a microscope. The study involved several groups of hospital patients. The group that came out the worst, having an increased number of complications and prolonged stays in the hospital: those who were told people were praying for them.
Over the years, there have been so many people who have prayed for me and told me about it. Initially I didn’t mind it, until I got to Peru State. Then it just became annoying beyond control. I mean it’s like a bunch of whiney Christian teenagers crowding around the atheist, with one girl saying, "Remember to tell God when you meet Him that I sent you." Then she gets slapped down by another one saying, "No, I sent you." And it just turns into one big brawl where everyone’s vying for the points.
Again is there some "heavenly referral program"? Because if there is, I’m leaving the "who referred you?" line blank.
More recently, a friend of mine from my adolescent years said that she was praying for me as well, praying that God will reveal himself to me and that I will know him. In my experience I’ve come to realize that if God really cared a lick about me or my soul, he would’ve done that a long time ago in such a way that it would be categorically unquestionable, beyond reasonable doubt.
Here is what you’re up against: God must physically manifest before me, clearly identify himself as the God of the Bible, and demonstrate his deity powers in such a way as is virtually undeniable, as I said, beyond reasonable doubt.
But even then there is no telling whether that person is Yahweh, the God of Abraham. This also means that no Christian can know 1. whether the god to whom they have been praying is actually on the other side of the prayer telephone line, but presuming a god is there to answer the phone, that 2. that God is Yahweh.
There is no way to know. You could be praying to Satan, Shiva, Hades, Zeus, Ra, or who knows. Or, more likely, there is no one there at all.
So on that mark, if you feel the need to pray for me, for whatever reason you might be entertaining, save yourself the energy and the trouble. Your prayer won’t be answered, I can guarantee it. The likelihood of your god revealing himself to me in a way that is unquestionable such that I can "know him and his love" is so low I’d sooner expect a recently-departed friend to wake up.
