Inconceivable wrote:If what Jesus did happened, then what's the big deal? If we have the faith of a child, then why not? If He can create a planet, move a mountain, forgive a sin, or set about a system whereby life can be created and later become resurrected, what is so difficult about exercising faith in his promises and bringing about "miracles" ourselves? All things are possible to them that believe - it doesn't just say "some things".
You forgot a part...all things are possible if it be the will of the Lord. This is a handy little out if the blessing doesn't work.
It means that the Priesthood Holder failed. If you don't have the spirit with you DO NOT GIVE A BLESSING!!!! Putting your hands on someone's head and muttering platitudes is generally worthless.
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
Inconceivable wrote:If what Jesus did happened, then what's the big deal? If we have the faith of a child, then why not? If He can create a planet, move a mountain, forgive a sin, or set about a system whereby life can be created and later become resurrected, what is so difficult about exercising faith in his promises and bringing about "miracles" ourselves? All things are possible to them that believe - it doesn't just say "some things".
You forgot a part...all things are possible if it be the will of the Lord. This is a handy little out if the blessing doesn't work.
It means that the Priesthood Holder failed. If you don't have the spirit with you DO NOT GIVE A BLESSING!!!! Putting your hands on someone's head and muttering platitudes is generally worthless.
That is the perfect deconstruction of the pretend power of the Mormon priesthood.
God never gets the blame.
IF the person is healed, then it IS from god, not just circumstantial. If the person dies, its cuz god had a greater plan for them.
Inconceivable wrote:If what Jesus did happened, then what's the big deal? If we have the faith of a child, then why not? If He can create a planet, move a mountain, forgive a sin, or set about a system whereby life can be created and later become resurrected, what is so difficult about exercising faith in his promises and bringing about "miracles" ourselves? All things are possible to them that believe - it doesn't just say "some things".
You forgot a part...all things are possible if it be the will of the Lord. This is a handy little out if the blessing doesn't work.
It means that the Priesthood Holder failed. If you don't have the spirit with you DO NOT GIVE A BLESSING!!!! Putting your hands on someones head and muttering platitudes is generally worthless.
If this is the case, then this is such a poorly instituted method of bestowing blessings that it is almost laughable. In the culture of the church, denying to give a blessing is just not socially acceptable. So, woe unto me if I ask for a blessing and, by the misfortune of luck, I get a brother that is less than worthy and/or doesn't have the spirit with him. I mean, God surely would have healed me if only I could have gotten 2 brethren that were worthy. Well, maybe next time.....if there is a next time.
Do you honestly think God works that way? Do you think that He is just sitting up there, healing power ready to go, but then pulls back at the last second because Brother Jones watched a bit o' porn the other day? God clucking to Himself, "Poor Sister Johnson. I sure wish I could heal that pain, but your brother-in-law, who couldn't possibly say no to giving you a blessing because of the questions his wife would ask, wasn't worthy enough."
Polygamy Porter wrote:That is the perfect deconstruction of the pretend power of the Mormon priesthood.
God never gets the blame.
IF the person is healed, then it IS from god, not just circumstantial. If the person dies, its cuz god had a greater plan for them.
So why pray at all.
Look at the story at the mine in utah.
That there are a thousand false prophets does not mean that there can't be one real one.
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
Scottie wrote: Does the priesthood work on incurable diseases?
I meant to give you a straight answer: Sure.
If it can cure everything else, why not? If it is true, why limit God?
Ok, have YOU ever healed an incurable disease? Have you ever heard of anyone doing it? Is there a documented case where this was done?
Nope. I don't believe I have. It really doesn't matter to me. Even if I did, I couldn't explain it. I used to think I could. Maybe we should start a thread about interesting patriarchal blessings.
Scottie wrote:If this is the case, then this is such a poorly instituted method of bestowing blessings that it is almost laughable. In the culture of the church, denying to give a blessing is just not socially acceptable. So, woe unto me if I ask for a blessing and, by the misfortune of luck, I get a brother that is less than worthy and/or doesn't have the spirit with him. I mean, God surely would have healed me if only I could have gotten 2 brethren that were worthy. Well, maybe next time.....if there is a next time.
Do you honestly think God works that way? Do you think that He is just sitting up there, healing power ready to go, but then pulls back at the last second because Brother Jones watched a bit o' porn the other day? God clucking to Himself, "Poor Sister Johnson. I sure wish I could heal that pain, but your brother-in-law, who couldn't possibly say no to giving you a blessing because of the questions his wife would ask, wasn't worthy enough."
Well, it might be socially unacceptable but I personally have refused to give a blessing three times and I'm not yet a pariah. Once because I wasn't in the right state spiritually, another time because I was in an emotional state and the last time because the person asking was trying to play games by refusing to tell me what was wrong and saying if I had the Priesthood and the Spirit I wouldn't need to know and the Spirit would tell me her whole problem.
I ask certain people to give me blessings that I trust. I go to my father or one of my friends. I don't understand the concept of exclusively calling your Home Teachers for help. We are a pretty social Church and most people have friends.
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
Polygamy Porter wrote:That is the perfect deconstruction of the pretend power of the Mormon priesthood.
God never gets the blame.
IF the person is healed, then it IS from god, not just circumstantial. If the person dies, its cuz god had a greater plan for them.
So why pray at all.
Look at the story at the mine in utah.
Applying the same "logic" to secular healing, since people die in spite of medical care, why go to a doctor?
Does this make sense to anyone else but PP?
Thanks, -Wade Englund-
Studies have shown medical treatments to have a MUCH greater success rate than prayer/healing.
In most cases, the outcome is going to be good. Toss in a prayer/blessing and now its not because the outcome was already going to be good, but all because of the healin' pow'Relief Society of the priesthood!
Polygamy Porter wrote:That is the perfect deconstruction of the pretend power of the Mormon priesthood.
God never gets the blame.
IF the person is healed, then it IS from god, not just circumstantial. If the person dies, its cuz god had a greater plan for them.
So why pray at all.
Look at the story at the mine in utah.
Applying the same "logic" to secular healing, since people die in spite of medical care, why go to a doctor?
Does this make sense to anyone else but PP?
Thanks, -Wade Englund-
It doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense to me.
This has GOT TO BE one of THE most asinine arguments I've ever read on this board.
Apparently Wade subscribes to the particular belief system that totally discounts empirical evidence.
I can show you mountains of empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of modern medicine.
Can you, or any other believer, provide for me even one scintilla of evidence that priesthood blessings result in rates of "healing" that are systematically greater than similar situations without a priesthood blessing?
God . . . "who mouths morals to other people and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes, yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, . . . and finally, with altogether divine obtuseness, invites this poor, abused slave to worship him ..."