Pray4Healing Founder Incensed by Competing Site

Shirlee at pray4healing.com (formerly pray4trig.com) is incensed today, as upstart “efficacyofprayer.com” jumps on the PZ Myers conversion bandwagon. Me? I’m tickled!

Demonstrating the irrational paranoia common to crazed cultists everywhere, Shirlee had a hissy fit when a trackback to her site showed that someone else was muscling in on “her” PZ. Jealous much, Shirlee? He’s a married man, for cryin’ out loud!

I’m not going to be ignored, PZ!

That’s right, the “Efficacy of Prayer” site, new to the Interwebs, has presented itself as the place to:

examine whether or not prayers are answered. Join the Forum and share stories, research studies, news articles, and discussion. Look through the Library to see what EoP has collected so far. Check out the Pray4PZ “research” currently underway.

Approach the evidence with an open mind, and see what you decide.

The what? Pray4PZ research? Says the admin, in part:

PZ Myers is an associate professor of biology at the University of Minnesota. He’s better known for being an outspoken atheist. His popular blog is at http://www.scienceblogs.com/pharyngula; here, he and his readers share often-derogatory discussions about religion and Creationism.

…

I imagine that God responding to prayer by showing evidence of His existence to an outspoken and well-known atheist would be a convincing display.

Yes, that would be convincing. Why not pray for something easier, though? How about praying that “God” will turn the moon into an ice cream cone? It seems far simpler than convincing an atheist that there’s an invisible man out there who made the first man out of dirt (what I like to call the “Dirt-to-Dude Theory”) and the first woman out of a rib (the “BBQ-to-Babe Theory”).

I’m not descended from a mudpuddle, are you??

Here we see why Shirlee is getting so uptight:

I don’t think the ladies hosting the “pray4healing.com” site will be very successful; people seem to think their site is a gag. Probably because it started as “pray4trig”, which sure smacks of one.

So, I’ve set up this page and also a section in the discussion forum. I’d like to see this little experiment happen, and will do what I can to help. I’ve even registered the domain name “Pray4PZ.com” and directed it to this site.

I’ve followed some of the discussion over on Pray4Healing.com. A lot of folks want Shirlee to agree that, should Myers not convert on “the appointed date”, she will relinquish her belief in God.

She won’t agree to that, and I think I know why. At 2:20, Linus learns the lesson Shirlee can’t quite bring herself to explain to her detractors:

“If”. Indication of doubt. No Christian can indicate doubt, because it means she lacks faith. Lacking faith means that “salvation” is uncertain. Christian has sacrificed much to gain this “salvation”, therefore must certainly be getting it, therefore cannot question or doubt. This is the subtle message Charles M. Schulz — a Christian at the time (1965) — wanted to convey. You should fear doubt.

I wonder if he came to regret that message in the 1980s, when he determined himself to be a secular humanist?

I’ve got nothing to fear, so I’ll say the opposite: If PZ Myers converts on (whatever date is chosen), I will believe, and will announce it right here on this forum!

Jenny and Mike will join me in a joint posting, in fact! (Um, I’ll tell them about it later.)

I’m jumping on the Pray4PZ bandwagon, too! Are ya real, God, or just the fantastic creation of a bunch of semi-literate nomads? Show me!

Related articles:

1. Coming soon: Paliban Kids!
2. Pray4Trig Seeks Miracle to Prove God's Existence to World
3. Site Redesign Continues; What Do You Think So Far?
4. Site Renaming Underway – Post 1 of 2
5. Site transfer complete

Dr. Tom

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