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Of course I demand the evangelicals fix this cancer with prayer, or else. Buggy religion. Can't even extend their own average life span, despite having a pipe lne direct to God.

At least my Mom has an hour a day she's devoting to something other than complaining about he 83 yr. old body shutting down....



So, I'll start with the apology ... Sorry, I can't help myself! Now that that's over with ...

I must say that I was at least encouraged to see that your use of the word, "God" began with a capitol-G. While the evangelical does pray for both of us (and sometimes even when we don't deserve the prayer let alone a Creator who would voluntarily listen to it), it's most fortunate for us that it's not religion that's been prayed 'to'. Frankly, I'll go out on a limb and say that it's THE LISTENER of those prayers that matters, not the pray-ers. I'm afraid my own hopes have never rested well with the latter as I often wondered their true intentions.

Yes ... 'twill be argued 'til the end of days I suppose. But ... The answer to any prayer will ultimately end with either a YES, NO, or a MAYBE. Yes? Agreed? So, it's really not that complicated as I see it ... Most assuredly, I haven't a single degree in a single physco-study, but even my feeble mind can observe on almost any given day that while most can handle an occasional MAYBE, it's just not that easy to handle NO so well (in fact I believe there was once a man in some old book that tried to forewarn mankind of this -- in so many words). And ya' know as I recall it now ... seems the results weren't so different than my life experiences with a certain earthly father I know! Ah, I can hear it like it were yesterday, "But Dad ... Son, I'm not gonna' tell ya' again! I said NO!" And yes, I know ... it's not the most popular, politically-correct version of a creator is it? Ah, but I am told to, "... fear ..." him, am I not?

And as for the next question which ultimately always begins with, "Why ...", I'm guessing we'll just have to be content to wait to find out the answers to it, because again, as dear ole' Dad used to say ... "Because I said so!" Now certainly you must, at the very least, be able to pretend to hear a thunderous voice of a Creator saying, "Because I said so!"

On your final observation, I'm not entirely certain I've met anyone with a pipeline per Se. I can only suggest that there's been times when I was just happy to know that there was ANYONE who claimed to hear so much as a whisper now and then! And I don't mind telling you ... I've begged plenty for my share of whispers! I'd take a pipeline too of course!

Good days to you.

Ike