Question for those who pray

[Gidget]

It's probably not too smart to choose this particular forum to post my first thread on DD, but something has been bothering me that I need to share with someone, even if it means getting ripped apart for posting before the big girl panties that I ordered come in the mail.

It's impossible to read the stories on this site and not have them stay my thoughts. And being someone who believes in God, I feel like I need to pray about these things from time to time.

I mean, praying for little Giovanni to be found safe is a given. And if that's not meant to be, I'll pray that God will put a weight on the father's conscience and move him to do the right thing, so that the little boy's body can be found and given a proper burial.

But what about someone like Stephanie Hays? Or the asshole who raped his week old daughter? All I'm coming up with is "Please Lord strike them down, they don't deserve to live in this world."

I guess that's my question to those who pray: How do you pray for someone that seems to be beyond prayer?

[Just my luck sucks]

I guess that's my question to those who pray: How do you pray for someone that seems to be beyond prayer?

Simple Gidget, I don't. I only pray that the monsters are struck by lighting or somehow Karma comes around and really, really, kicks their sorry ass and I'm still around to witness it.

The children? The children deserve my prayers. Prayers for those who can be healed and prayers for the others, to rest in glorious peace.

[WhatThe]

All I'm coming up with is "Please Lord strike them down, they don't deserve to live in this world."


That is the worst you are coming up with? Seriously though, I have some horrible things running through my head when I read these articles. I am not very religious and I don't pray a whole lot. I don't pray for these people, but I do hope and pray for their victims. I am always asking God to help me stop wishing such horrible things and thinking such horrible thoughts about the offenders. And I hope for justice. Oh, do I hope for justice. In every karma sort of way possible. And I don't ask for forgiveness for what comes around. (or did I mean to say what goes around? You know what I mean :) )

[prettyuglyish]

Maybe you could ask your God to protect the children from getting ass-raped, tortured or murdered in the first place. Because he doesn't seem to stop that from happening.

Yeah, yeah...free will, eve & the apple...I know.

But if he was concerned about these poor kids don't you think he would send down a lightning bolt before it happened in the first place? Pray for that. I mean, let's be proactive, nor reactive. Right?

[Gilbrit]

Pray, wish, hope, karma, meditate, and just desserts.

There are many verbs but it boils down to thinking about innocent children and people being harmed by evil people.

If you have adverse feelings about wanting harm to come to these evil people, here's what you can do:

Pray for the courts to work in favor of the victim.
Pray the convicted get the death penalty.
Pray that Bubba gets lucky on "new meat".
(So on and so forth.)

Don't waste your brain power and thought on the scum who caused harm, violence and death.
Focus on the living and those people and courts who can rid this earth of that scum once and for all.

PS.
Gidget, you did just fine without your "big girl" panties. :)

[MOGal]

Gidget,. this is a real sore spot for many here. I am a Christian and a Mom. I sincerely believe in a God that loves me in a way that I can't even comprehend. I don't understand why horrible things happen. I am a nurse in a trauma center emergency room and I see horrible things happen to horrible people and I also see horrible things happen to innocent people/children. I often ask why? I almost never get an answer and maybe some day it will all be clear to me.

I also see some really wonderful things happen. I KNOW I see miracles. I often pray with pt's or family while I'm at work and frequently pray later at home. I pray for those who are still around to hurt. I pray for law enforcement, medical personnel, judges and lawyers who have to try to make sense out of such horrible circumstances that are to me nonsensical. I thank God that I have a loving family and two wonderful daughters that I'm still able to see laugh and smile.

The whole point of this site is to vent and shame the most despicable humans who share our air. Some here are very vocal and nasty, and though I don't contribute in that way, I can completely understand those who do. Maybe the shame and public outrage will sink into just one person and prevent another tragedy. That we can pray for.

I also pray for strength and foresight to be able to step in and possibly stop a tragedy before it happens. I pray that I can live my life in a way to set an example for others. Perhaps my example can change someone who is going down the wrong path.

I had a horrible tragedy at work Thursday night that I'm really having a hard time with. I pray for the family, for my coworkers and everyone who's lives will be forever touched by the lose of a young life. I pray that I said the right things, did my job to the best of my ability and in some small way eased the suffering of many who loved this young man.

I also pray for those who are so lost in this world that they commit such horrible crimes. I don't pray for long jail sentences (that's a given) or painful torture, but that somehow the offenders may truly understand what they have done and why it's so horrible. That doesn't mean that I think they should be set free. It doesn't mean I don't think they deserve punishment, just that they can understand what they've done and will never be able to repeat such crimes.

I will get off my soap box. I know I'm an idealist and would love to save the world. I also know I can't,..but I'm not going to stop trying and praying.

[Pete Bondurant]

My God is an angry and vengeful deity who destroys the innocent for his own personal amusement.

[impqueen]

That's a very thoughtful post, Gidget. And it took some balls to post it, so thanks for that :)

I don't very often pray for the perpetrators. My prayers are saved for the victims. Perpetrators have a choice. They make a choice to hurt someone, and then they do it. Victims do not generally have a choice, particularly child victims.

It's for those children that I cry, that I feel, that I pray. And I have learned that asking God why He allows children to suffer only results in a lot of silence by way of answer. That doesn't mean I have no faith; it just means that I have no hope of understanding why.

[auddie]

I rely a lot on faith and also am not big enough to pray for perps - I'm a victims-only kind of gal too. I think when I pray for mankind in general, the perps are covered?

[HijabiGirl]

My prayer? Please Allah, be Just. In Islam you must be forgiven by God before entering paradise as well as forgiven by those you've wronged. So in the end, the victim will be in place of power to decide the fate of these animals.