Some people I read about:

[david_x]

Statistically speaking, prayer is ineffective.

Prayer has never been vain to an ernest prayer.

What do I read? The Bible? If so, what translation? Or do I learn Ancient Hebrew and Koine Greek? What parts should I read? I understand that there are various books and whatnot that have been included or ommited over the millenia. What of them?

Yes the bible, as is. It would not hurt to learn the original languages though.

To whom do I listen? I was a Christian for 11 years, and I heard nothing.

11 years? Some answers take a life time to realize and you only stuck it out for 11 years? What were you expecting?

Indeed. Socrates is Socrates. But this is a tautology: while it is as true as truth can be, it doesn't tell us what is right.

Ah yes, but right is God.

The Bible sanctions murder. Is that loving thy neighbour?

Not for a christian it doesn't.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Prayer has never been vain to an ernest prayer.

When a person prays, there are two observed outcomes: the prayer is 'answered', or it is 'unanswered'. In the former, the request (what is prayed for) comes true. In the latter, the request is either pending or declined.
Now, whenever someone prays, there is a chance, however slim, that it will be 'answered' purely by coincidence. That is, there is a chance that the request comes true by pure chance. For example, if I pray for the school to get snowed in, and that night there just happens to be a heavy downfall, this counts as an answered prayer. We can calculate the probability that any given prayer will be answered by pure chance.
Thus, by comparing the ratio of the number of prayers (P0) to the number of observed answered prayers (oP1), to the ratio of P0 to the number of expected answered prayers (eP1), we can calculate whether oP1 is statistically significant.

That is, we can calculate whether the number of answered prayers is significantly different from the number of prayers we would expect to be answered by pure chance.

You know what we find?

The ratios are exactly the same.

It appears as if prayers do nothing to encourage the fulfilment of their request.

The chance of the school getting snowed in does not change if I pray for it.

How ernest one is, is irrelevant. Prayer, it seems, has no effect whatsoever on the outcome.

Yes the bible, as is. It would not hurt to learn the original languages though.

So what books? What, exactly, constitutes the correct Bible?

11 years? Some answers take a life time to realize and you only stuck it out for 11 years? What were you expecting?

Something. Anything. I was not looking for answers, I was looking for something. I got nothing.
And yet, Wicca gave me something. It exceeded my expectations within a matter of weeks, and continues to do so.

Ah yes, but right is God.

'Right' is a label affixed to some actions (which actions it is affixed to is the question). How can 'right' be synonymous with a deity? Deities are not labels, are they?

Not for a christian it doesn't.

The god of the Bible frequently calls for the murder of innocents.
In some instances, he carries it out himself (Genesis 7:21-23)

 

[david_x]

No. Can you help me out?

There are two answers, yes is just as importent as no. We do not know what we need all the time. Like any father, God must deney our request for the better.

Something. Anything. I was not looking for answers, I was looking for something. I got nothing.
And yet, Wicca gave me something. It exceeded my expectations within a matter of weeks, and continues to do so.

Don't look, walk the walk. Then it will come to you. When you think God is far away that just means he is closer than before.

The god of the Bible frequently calls for the murder of innocents.
In some instances, he carries it out himself (Genesis 7:21-23)

No one is innocent. The flood was neccesery.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

There are two answers, yes is just as importent as no. We do not know what we need all the time. Like any father, God must deney our request for the better.

You misunderstand. The number of answered prayers is exactly what we'd expect it to be if prayers were only answered by pure chance.

That is, God answers no prayers. Those that do come true do so by mere coincidence.

Don't look, walk the walk. Then it will come to you. When you think God is far away that just means he is closer than before.

I walked the walk for 11 years. Why did he ignore me?

No one is innocent. The flood was neccesery.

Are newborns and prenatals innocent? Is this girl:

not innocent? Did she deserve what happened to her?

 

[david_x]

You misunderstand. The number of answered prayers is exactly what we'd expect it to be if prayers were only answered by pure chance.

That is, God answers no prayers. Those that do come true do so by mere coincidence.

Okay I see what you mean. However, a prayer is not a selfish wish. What you are describing is a wish. Prayer is a question. A question can have three possibilities: yes, no, and wait. They are all answers.

If I ask you "can you go get me a sandwich" You can say "yes, i will go get you a sandwich," "no, I will not get you a sandwich," or "wait, maybe i will get you a sandwich or maybe i will not."

I walked the walk for 11 years. Why did he ignore me?

He can not ignore you. Silent reflection is the best way to get back with God.

Are newborns and prenatals innocent? Is this girl:

not innocent? Did she deserve what happened to her?

You think God did this? It is part of his plan, yes. But God does not want this. This is what men do to one another. It is not part of what God condones.