Opinion of this take re: Texas shooting

[Statilius the Epicurean]

[Mr. Smith]

Neither agree nor disagree, I am no mind reader and prayer is a deeply personal affair.

[bore]

Terrible, obviously. But no worse than many other (but not all) similar theodicies.

[RFayette]

Well, God always answers prayers:  either in the affirmative or negative, so it is technically true.  But obviously not comforting or a good way to put it.

[DC Al Fine]

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[catographer]

Well, God always answers prayers:  either in the affirmative or negative, so it is technically true.  But obviously not comforting or a good way to put it.

lol are you saying that God answered in the negative when people prayed not to be killed? yikessss

[RFayette]

Well, God always answers prayers:  either in the affirmative or negative, so it is technically true.  But obviously not comforting or a good way to put it.

lol are you saying that God answered in the negative when people prayed not to be killed? yikessss

Well, if one believes God is sovereign over all things, as I do (Psalm 135:6, Isaiah 14:27, Proverbs 21:30, James 4:15, Isaiah 45:7), it follows logically that God would have to answer those prayers either in the affirmative or negative.  The Bible says that while God is not responsible for evil, he does indeed ordain that it take place to accomplish his purposes.  God could have stopped the shooter, but he chose not to.  I can't say why he didn't, but he used it to further whatever his purpose was.

[Mr. Smith]

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I repeat:  I cannot agree nor disagree because prayer is a personal matter and it would require mind reading to know for sure whether the prayers were or weren't answered.

And I don't know how anyone who isn't trying to push some kind of agenda of some kind can find another than that.

Well, God always answers prayers:  either in the affirmative or negative, so it is technically true.  But obviously not comforting or a good way to put it.

lol are you saying that God answered in the negative when people prayed not to be killed? yikessss

Well, God always answers prayers:  either in the affirmative or negative, so it is technically true.  But obviously not comforting or a good way to put it.

lol are you saying that God answered in the negative when people prayed not to be killed? yikessss

Where did he say that?

Also, it should be noted that God has no clock and listening takes time. Many were probably killed in the middle before they could get an answer, or maybe that answer wasn't one that could be understood in this life, or maybe the writer was correct and God did answer in the positive for that person, or maybe it was the negative.

See that's the problem, the exercise is an esoteric one from the outset, and esoteric exercises are inherently uncomfortable even without factoring in tragedy.

 There are so many ways one could interpret it all because of how personal the matter is and because of how lacking in omniscience we are.

[RFayette]

Keep in mind that as tragic as the shooting was, if those people were truly saved, then they are in paradise with God now.  So as tough as it may be for the family, God, whatever his purposes, decided that now was the time for them to be welcomed into full fellowship with him.  I can't ever understand the mystery of how human responsibility and God's sovereignty over all things are to be reconciled, but I believe it firmly as it is what the Bible teaches.

[Enduro]

God doesn't send people to kill. At least, not anymore. The last person he ever sent to kill was Jesus, and it was more or less push the government and pharisees into killing Him. After His death, the ultimate enemy to His creation was defeated.
I may be wrong, but I don't think so. Feel free to check me.

[DC Al Fine]

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I repeat:  I cannot agree nor disagree because prayer is a personal matter and it would require mind reading to know for sure whether the prayers were or weren't answered.

I don't think you're understanding Fiene's point. He's not trying to read minds or something. He's explaining the Lutheran and/or confessional theology of prayer and what it means.