Should We Thank God For Scientific Discoveries?

[headinhands]

Hello Daftme

You say we should thank god for scientific advancements. I say what makes you think they have anything to do with god?

curlew Off course you can pray for people, its probably a good idea because they could change their minds at any time.

Your prayers would be different to those you prayed for people you know are Christians, you might pray for God to put Christian people into their lives, who they would love and respect, in order to soften their hearts, so that they might receive the good things God can give them. You might pray for them to hear the right piece of scripture at just the right time, when it really hits the spot. It would be still up to them how they received any of this.

headinhands The prayer has to be prayed in faith also. The baby just has to be willing to receive healing from God.

Does Uncle Frank have to be a Christian? Or just believe in some supernatural force that's 'out there'?

So basically, if the baby isn't healed its it's own fault?

When you receive something willingly you do so in faith, for example if someone passes you something, you hold out you hand to take hold of it.

I imagine if you felt healing come towards your body but with every fibre of your being resisted, it would not work.

So if the prayer is said in faith but the baby dies, it's because the baby didn't have enough faith?

So what might have caused the baby to be unwilling to receive healing?

headinhands Fault? God prioritizes the eternal over the now, if someone's suffering was unbearable (suffering is present in this world due to the Fall) for them, their faith might directed towards being with God in Heaven.

^that should be, 'be directed towards..'

So god's healing is less effective than medicine which often doesn't require any cooperation

I thought healing was about stopping suffering? Why would god ever heal if its best we just pop our clogs and fast forward to paradise?

I believe even medicine require co-operation on some level.

God works with our faith. He gives us the gifts we want to receive.

Nope. Babies don't understand or cooperate with vaccinations but they still work very well.

^As long as its His will of course. He does not give us anything bad.

So this baby. It could prevent its own healing?

Your spirit can cooperate but your body protest, in the short term at least.

headinhands Hypothetically. Do you not believe babies have free will?

Not from a baby it doesn't!

The basic fact is that nobody has ever been cured by faith and prayer unless their illness is one with a history of spontaneous remission. I suppose it's possible to argue that their faith prompted their remission.

curlew What from a baby?

There are many instances of people being healed which they believe was a result of their faith. Indeed I do believe faith can prompt remission.

Sorry,both read moved too fast. You said medicine requires cooperation. I said "not from a baby"

Please could you give me one example of somebody who has been healed by prayer when their illness was not self limiting or with a history of spontaneous remission.

I believe medicine requires cooperation on some level because it does not always work. This level of cooperation does not have to be conscious.

I don't know enough about illnesses to know what would fit your criteria. There are plenty of witness accounts of people who believed they have been healed as a result of their faith on Christian websites. I have not memorised them all, it would be easier for you to pursue the answer to your question (as you know what fits your criteria) than me to answer it.

So say my baby is very ill. I take him to a&e. The dr says. 'Your baby is very very sick and will die unless I give him this medicine.' The baby spits the medicine out. The dr says 'well, your baby doesn't want the medicine so we will let him die'. And he dies. Would that scenario seem morally good or bad? Has the dr done the right thing by respecting the baby's free will?

How would a 4 week old baby having a vaccine know it was having a vaccine?

would the baby still be a baby in heaven? would it need nappies? breast milk? naps? how would it learn to talk in order to praise god? all those pesky neural pathways that are necessary for speech and comprehension wont have developed. i guess it gets a whole lot more convenient in heaven.