So telling of many who claim to not believe in God

[-Cp]

This is an expert from the Bill O'Reilly show where he interviewed one of the passengers from the <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--jetblue-kennedy0922sep22,0,5963944.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork" target=_blank">JetBlue Emergency Landing</a> the other day at LAX.

Like so many people who swear they don't believe in God - when death is staring them in the face, God is the first person they cry out to:

<i>A life-and-death drama played out on live television Wednesday evening, when JetBlue flight 292 was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles. Passenger Stacey Wechsler spoke about her own reaction as the plane prepared to touch down. "I had my grandpa's Navy ring in one hand, and a St. Christopher's medal in the other hand. I was in a crash position and <b>I must have promised God everything.</b> And when we touched down, it was like being at a football game - everyone was cheering and clapping. The pilot was amazing." </i>

If you watched Bill's show she elaborated more saying about how she was making all kinds of deals w/ God... and that she never professed before that inncident to even believe in him...

What say you, the self-serving Atheists on USMB?

 

[Nuc]

This is similar to what converted Cat Stevens to Islam. He had a near death experience and made a deal with God that he would devote himself if he survived.

I liked him better when he was just a bad folksinger.

 

[-Cp]

This is similar to what converted Cat Stevens to Islam. He had a near death experience and made a deal with God that he would devote himself if he survived.

I liked him better when he was just a bad folksinger.

Yeah - it's just too bad Islam is the wrong path to God...

 

[The ClayTaurus]

This is an expert from the Bill O'Reilly show where he interviewed one of the passengers from the <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--jetblue-kennedy0922sep22,0,5963944.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork" target=_blank">JetBlue Emergency Landing</a> the other day at LAX.

Like so many people who swear they don't believe in God - when death is staring them in the face, God is the first person they cry out to:

<i>A life-and-death drama played out on live television Wednesday evening, when JetBlue flight 292 was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles. Passenger Stacey Wechsler spoke about her own reaction as the plane prepared to touch down. "I had my grandpa's Navy ring in one hand, and a St. Christopher's medal in the other hand. I was in a crash position and <b>I must have promised God everything.</b> And when we touched down, it was like being at a football game - everyone was cheering and clapping. The pilot was amazing." </i>

If you watched Bill's show she elaborated more saying about how she was making all kinds of deals w/ God... and that she never professed before that inncident to even believe in him...

What say you, the self-serving Atheists on USMB?

I'm not an atheist, but just because she wasn't really an atheist doesn't mean the same is true about everyone else...I bet it's less that she was an atheist, and more that she was a lazy Christian.

 

[dmp]

This is similar to what converted Cat Stevens to Islam. He had a near death experience and made a deal with God that he would devote himself if he survived.

I liked him better when he was just a bad folksinger.

[darin's editorial]Too bad he picked the wrong 'path'. God's getting jipped![/editorial]

 

[dmp]

Yeah - it's just too bad Islam is the wrong path to God...

lol I shouldn't have left open for several minutes my reply screen w/o checking the replies.

 

[deaddude]

Yeah - it's just too bad Islam is the wrong path to God...

And i imagine you have some irrefutable proof that backs that one up?

 

[USViking]

This is an expert from the Bill O'Reilly show where he interviewed one of the passengers from the <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--jetblue-kennedy0922sep22,0,5963944.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork" target=_blank">JetBlue Emergency Landing</a> the other day at LAX.

Like so many people who swear they don't believe in God - when death is staring them in the face, God is the first person they cry out to:

<i>A life-and-death drama played out on live television Wednesday evening, when JetBlue flight 292 was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles. Passenger Stacey Wechsler spoke about her own reaction as the plane prepared to touch down. "I had my grandpa's Navy ring in one hand, and a St. Christopher's medal in the other hand. I was in a crash position and <b>I must have promised God everything.</b> And when we touched down, it was like being at a football game - everyone was cheering and clapping. The pilot was amazing." </i>

If you watched Bill's show she elaborated more saying about how she was making all kinds of deals w/ God... and that she never professed before that inncident to even believe in him...

What say you, the self-serving Atheists on USMB?

I say this: how many tens of thousands of people
have gone down to fiery death in airplanes, vainly
praying for deliverance?

For that matter, how many hundreds of millions
have died in countless other catastrophies,
whose prayers went unanswered?

 

[dmp]

And i imagine you have some irrefutable proof that backs that one up?

If one has to have their religion 'proven' to them, their belief is useless.

 

[Zhukov]

People will say or do almost anything to save their lives.

 

[-Cp]

I say this: how many tens of thousands of people
have gone down to fiery death in airplanes, vainly
praying for deliverance?

For that matter, how many hundreds of millions
have died in countless other catastrophies,
whose prayers went unanswered?

What makes you think their prayers went unanswered? I'm willing to bet all those folks who cry out to God in their final moments on this Earth are in heaven - can you say "Thief on the cross next to Jesus"?

he did the same thing in his final moments...

 

[USViking]

What makes you think their prayers went unanswered?

Try again.

The specific prayers were, of course, for deliverance
from the immediate death staring them in the face.

I'm willing to bet all those folks who cry out to God in their final moments on this Earth are in heaven

This God of yours treats us while we are on Earth
as though He were some combination of Doctors
Victor Frankenstein and Joseph Mengele, so He
owes us a change for the better after release
from our earthly fetters.

No departed souls have ever attested to this
otherworldly change in His behavior, but it is
only natural to believe in its truth because of
the otherwise unspeakable awfulness of our eternal fates.

- can you say "Thief on the cross next to Jesus"?

What is this supposed to mean?

- he did the same thing in his final moments...

Never mind the thief, according to one version weren't
Christ's own last words:

"My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

Have you ever considered the possibility that this
might indicate that Christ was merely a common
mortal, and that descriptions of his divine calling
and nature are fabrications grafted into the story
of his life the gullible and the wishful thinklers?

 

[dmp]

Try again.

The specific prayers were, of course, for deliverance
from the immediate death staring them in the face.

You are trying to sharp-shoot somebody over what you THINK somebody's prayers were, in a hypothetical? lol

People Pray for life. Life is defined by God, differently than by people.

What is this supposed to mean?

When Christ was crucified, he was died along side two others - both reported to have been theives. One turned to him and mocked him, the other asked for Christ's blessing and confessed his faith in jesus. After a lifetime of Crime (sin), Jesus promised that man salvation the very moments before the man's death. -Cp was showing God can act upon those calling for him even in the final seconds before their physical death.

Never mind the thief, according to one version weren't
Christ's own last words:

"My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

Have you ever considered the possibility that this
might indicate that Christ was merely a common
mortal, and that descriptions of his divine calling
and nature are fabrications grafted into the story
of his life the gullible and the wishful thinklers?

Christ's last words aren't relevant to this thread, but you are saying Christ's words show he was a 'mortal'? Christ WAS a common Man...AND fully God. (shrug). That's why his plan for 'salvation' works. Because God placed upon Christ EVERY sin committed by men from then to eternity - Christ died and paid the price for those sins. Yup. Christ went to 'hell' - but since he was 'God' he evacuated himself from there, enabling Him forever more the power to 'save' people from spiritual death (hell).

That's what Christianity preaches/teaches. More or less. gop_jeff? did I go wrong?

 

[-Cp]

Anywho... .before this thread gets COMPLETELY off-course...


The purpose of it was to show that everyone - when faced with their own mortality will cry out to God.... it's in our nature to do so and very natural...

Some folks figure this out well before death comes to their door and don't (nor shouldn't) fear dying...

Others - spelled non-believers and/or atheists - talk a big game about how they don't believe or need God... . but chances are He's the first one they call on when faced with dire danger...

 

[Zhukov]

The purpose of it was to show that everyone - when faced with their own mortality will cry out to God....

Everyone?

I doubt that.

 

[USViking]

You are trying to sharp-shoot somebody over what you THINK somebody's prayers were, in a hypothetical? lol

My impression accords well with the what seems
to have been going through the mind of the
passenger quoted in the threadstarting post, and
are you seriously trying to say it does not hold
much in common with the last moments of many
of those who have not been as lucky?

People Pray for life. Life is defined by God, differently than by people.

I am not sure what you are driving at with this
pseudo-profound comment.

When Christ was crucified, he was died along side two others - both reported to have been theives. One turned to him and mocked him, the other asked for Christ's blessing and confessed his faith in jesus. After a lifetime of Crime (sin), Jesus promised that man salvation the very moments before the man's death. -Cp was showing God can act upon those calling for him even in the final seconds before their physical death.

I wonder what the recently converted sinner
thought, if he was alive to hear Christ's own
last words.

Christ's last words aren't relevant to this thread,

It is entirely relevant: the theme of this thread
concerns the words and thoughts of people who
face imminent death, isn't it?

If Christ had a divine nature it would seem
that God Himself was despairing in Himself.

No wonder believers are in the end always forced
to fall back on the position of the mystery of the
intentions of God's nature, and His deeds.

but you are saying Christ's words show he was a 'mortal'?

I would say this is reasonable conclusion to draw.

Christ WAS a common Man...AND fully God. (shrug).

And that Christ's own last words reduce the
liklihood of the accuracy of this view.

That's why his plan for 'salvation' works. Because God placed upon Christ EVERY sin committed by men from then to eternity - Christ died and paid the price for those sins.

God's own sins dwarf those commited by humans.

Upon whom are His sins placed?

Yup. Christ went to 'hell' - but since he was 'God' he evacuated himself from there, enabling Him forever more the power to 'save' people from spiritual death (hell).

Why did God allow for the existence of 'hell'
to begin with?

Oh yeah- I forgot you can always bleat about
the "mystery" of His nature and His deeds.

That's what Christianity preaches/teaches. More or less. gop_jeff? did I go wrong?

Include me out.

 

[-Cp]

Everyone?

I doubt that.

only the fools won't....

 

[USViking]

Anywho... .before this thread gets COMPLETELY off-course...


The purpose of it was to show that everyone - when faced with their own mortality will cry out to God.... it's in our nature to do so and very natural...

I see nothing at all off course in any of the
responses to this thread.

It is not only about the impulse under duress
toward prayer, it is about the effectiveness
of prayer and faith themselves, isn't it?

You didn't really expect everyone to say:
"Gee, I guess you're right", did you?

Some folks figure this out well before death comes to their door and don't (nor shouldn't) fear dying...

Sounded like the woman quoted in the first post
was pretty damn scared of dying.

And I wonder how much she delivers on the "everything"
she promised God, whatever she meant by it.

The faithful may not fear death in the abstract,
but when death become imminent I would guess
most if not all are unable to completely suppress
the emotion.

Others - spelled non-believers and/or atheists - talk a big game about how they don't believe or need God... . but chances are He's the first one they call on when faced with dire danger...

And if so, so what?- as another poster noted,
"people will say or do almost anything to save
their lives", and doing so is no evidence of the
truth or falsehood of their beliefs.

 

[deaddude]

If one has to have their religion 'proven' to them, their belief is useless.

Yes but with out proof simply stateing as fact that another religion is wrong is asinine.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

My only religion is Jesus' golden rule, which I have found is a central concept in most religions. The golden rule states that we should do unto others as we would have others do unto us.

All the other hoo hah hocus pocus mystical garbage can go right out the window for all I care.