RFM--"Unanswered Prayers"

[consiglieri]

Also wanted to let you know a podcast went up a week ago titled "Unanswered Prayers."

https://radiofreemormon.org/2019/09/rad ... d-prayers/

This podcast focuses on two GC talks from April 2019, and how the LDS Church attempts to deal with the thorny issue of how it is that God can be all loving and all powerful and answer every single prayer, even when it seems from outward appearances that so many prayers nevertheless go unanswered.

All the Best!

-RFM

[Yobispo]

keep it up RFM, you're killing it! Let others keep doing the important interviews, you keep on keepin on.

[consiglieri]

Speaking of which, I may be interviewed by John Dehlin sometime late this month or early next month.

We will see if the stars come into alignment!

[Keewon]

It seems to me there's a selective bias that takes place even in peoples' own memories of their prayers. Memories of past events tend to change to confirm our current beliefs.

There is also a huge bias in what gets passed along in church. If a person prays, thinks s/he gets an answer and the answer turns out to be wrong, you won't hear about that in Church. (A few select friends, perhaps.) The person will blame their own misunderstanding, as they've been taught. They will try to "hear more correctly" next time. Or maybe they'll reinterpret the prayer in light of the new situation- maybe it was an answer after all. Or maybe they had an important lesson to learn. Regardless, only the faith-promoting parts will get passed along.

IOW, the idea that the "answers" may be mental events originating in unconscious areas of the brain will not occur to them.

With unanswered prayers, chances are the person will just keep asking forever. They will see this as a test of their faith. If worse comes to worst, they will admit that maybe the answers to some prayers will only be given in the next life.

If God answers a prayer and the answer turns out well, that's proof God exists, JS was a prophet (they lasso that in somehow), etc. If not, or if the "answer" doesn't turn out well, that's proof too- just of a more subtle kind.

[Just This Guy]

I was a bit disappointed you didn't close with Garth Brooks.

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[Anon70]

I was a bit disappointed you didn't close with Garth Brooks.

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Me too! Loved the podcast and am always waiting impatiently for another.