Not a good day. I have to admit I was tempted to indulge in a few minutes of "I've been good, God, where's my cookie!?" This is a childish thought pattern of mine, a plea to God to get me published in compensation for trials and tribulations I have suffered:
- as if God throws trials and tribulations at me
- as if God has control over my becoming published
My notion is that praying to God to make things happen is at best futile. For example, praying that your football (soccer in the US) team wins. The other team's fans are praying as well. Whose team is God going to choose? The one with the most people praying? The one with the loudest fans?
I don't think prayer works that way. I don't think prayer works in any way that directly makes external change in the world.
Let me explain. The athletes pray that they'll win, and this helps motivate them to do their best. They may win as a result of this focus. I may pray that something good happens, and I will be focused on this good outcome and find it. I may even pray to get published. Will it get me published? I don't think so. Will it open me to knowledge that I can use to improve my chances? That's what I suspect happens.
So I don't think "thoughts and prayers" reduce the amount of mass shootings in this country unless it: 1) keeps praying gun owners from using their guns in human violence or 2) affects the praying populace to push toward gun control. I don't think the people throwing thoughts and prayers are open to either change.
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