I’d like to take a few moments to address some of the comments I received here and over at my OpenDiary on the Pray at the Pump: A Report Card post. I am often amazed at some of the responses. Some of these are no exception.

Or maybe, gas prices would be $10/gallon by now if Christians weren’t praying! You really don’t know, do you? It seems to me that in this situation you cannot logically say the prayers of Christians are not working! -John Bracht

You are right, I don’t know. But I can still say that the prayers of Christians are not working. They are not praying for God to curb the rise of gas prices. They are not even praying for God to stabilize gas prices. They are praying for God to *lower* gas prices. Gas prices have not gone down. They have gone up 21%. Ergo, these prayers have not been answered. -Me

But effectively, if gas prices go up less than they WOULD have, they’ve been lowered, right? They’re lowered relative to what they would have been (in a prayer-less case). Maybe the problem with Christians praying for lower gas prices is that God can answer in ways that are surprising and seem contradictory….Christians don’t have to acknowledge God’s answer to their prayers for them to still have been answered! God is, after all, bigger than we are and our puny minds and understandings may not quite be up to the task of understanding His ways (that’s Biblical, anyway).  Just a thought. -John Bracht

I find it hard to believe that any Christian or pray at the pumper would find this answer satisfying. It sounds to me like you are saying: Even if it doesn’t seem like God has answered their prayers He may have still answered them! Well, sure, if you postulate any number of alternatives to what they are actually asking for. Thus, it seems like any outcome could effectively be taken as a sign that God is answering their prayers. What if the gas prices didn’t just rise 21.6% in the past three months, but doubled? Well, hey - maybe they would have tripled had these fine folks not gone out and prayed!

Imagine that you are a farmer and that your farm is experiencing an unusually hot heat wave that is threatening your crops. You also happen to be a Christian, so you pray for God to lower the temperature. After three weeks, the temperature rises another 10 degrees. Do you thank God for not allowing the temperature to rise 20 degrees instead? Would that satisfy you?

The fact of the matter is, these people are not standing around at gas stations asking God to slightly slow down the rising gas prices. They are asking God to lower gas prices from their current levels. After three months that hasn’t happened. If the goal of the movement is to lower gas prices, then any reasonable person must conclude that it did not work.

Wow. Thanks so much for completely ridiculing a God that so many of us believe in. Yeah, I know you don’t believe in him. I know you probly don’t give a shit, but this was highly offensive to me. And honestly, I’m not even sure if I believe in a God right now. Interestingly enough, these people are doing more for gas prices than I see you doing. -mechwarrior88

If I was doing absolutely nothing about the gas pices then this seems to me to be just as effective as what these people are doing. As it is, I have switched to riding my bicycle when I can - which turns out to be quite often - and thereby consume less fuel. Anyway, I don’t see what was so offensive. I was not ridiculing any god or gods - I was merely pointing out the failure after three months of the pray at the pump movement to lower gasoline prices.

How are you NOT ridiculing their god through this entry? Also, you have no proof that prayer does not work anymore than they have proof it does. You believe you have evidence, but it does not prove. Maybe it’s a long run thing, and you’ll come out looking the fool. Maybe we’ll someday find that prayer doesn’t work after all, and I’ll look the fool. All we have to go on now is our limited perceptions. -mechwarrior88

How am I?

As far as proof goes, there is plenty of experience-based evidence that prayer does not work. This is just one example of that. The John Templeton Foundation recently funded a $2.4 million dollar study on the effects of intercessory prayer on patients undergoing heart by-pass surgery. The study concluded that there was no statistical difference in the survival or complication rates between the prayed for group and the control group. It did find that a third group, who was prayed for and knew about it, actually experienced a higher rate of post-surgical complications. So, take with that what you will.

On another note, gasoline prices, like prices in general, flucuate over time. It is quite possible the gasoline prices will eventually start coming back down, depending on a host of factors like the economy and whether or not our government and OPEC do anything about it. But it would be a mistake to attribute any long-term fluctation to the capricious act of God rather than market forces.

I must say mate, a nice article. However…you attempt to strip away something God has given all of us…free will. Where does God say that he will ever intervene and force greedy business gurus who (speculation) may not believe in him to drop oil prices? -Desert MP

Why are you asking me? I am not the one praying for lower gas prices, after all.

I fail to see the legitimacy in your well written entry. These people are praying for God to assist them in their lives. I cant begin to imagine in what ways God may help. Maybe he guides them to get a job closer to home so they dont have to commute long distances? Maybe he emboldens(sp) them to work for a promotion? Honestly mate, the list could be go on forever. Just a side note…three months is obsolete to God. He’s been around forever…so time doesnt really exist to him -Desert MP

I am sure the list can go on forever, but again, the fact of the matter is that these are not what they are praying for. If the only answer you have is that maybe God is doing anything else other than lowering gas prices, then I am afraid there is not much more that I can say. If that makes you feel better, fine, but it’s not susceptible to any easy test like “lower gas prices from current levels.”

I think that prayers notwithstanding and without presupposing god or a lack there of, I’m thinking gas prices don’t have anything to do with god and I seriously doubt you do and so the list of explanations has more to do with antagonizing christians with examples of dumbass christians than with any attempt to work out an answer. Wonder what dumbass ideas atheists have regarding oil prices. I could be mistaken. -haredawg

If by antagonizing a small group of Christians you mean pointing out the failure of their endeaver, then yes, that’s what I am doing. I don’t know what “dumbass” ideas other atheists have regarding oil prices, but whatever they are they surely cannot be as “dumbass” as praying at the pumps.

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