Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.
Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Support the Peninsula’s only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe!
Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions.
Premium Subscription
As low as $8.25 per week
Premium Includes:
-- Access to the Daily Journal’s e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. You can download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. You can also clip & download articles or images from the e-edition to share with others The most recent 90 issues are available at any given time.
-- Unlimited access to our award-winning online content
-- Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community
-- NEW! Access to our online-only digital crossword puzzle. A new puzzle every day, seven days a week!
| Rate | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | $99.00 | for 365 days |
| 1 Month | $20.00 | for 30 days |
| 1 Week | $8.25 | for 7 days |
Support the Peninsula’s only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe!
Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions.
DJ Basic Subscription
As low as $5 per month
Basic includes:
-- Unlimited access to our award-winning online content
-- Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community
What you're missing -- Additional features available only with the Premium level:
-- Access to the Daily Journal’s e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. You can download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. You can also clip & download articles or images from the e-edition to share with others The most recent 90 issues are available at any given time.
-- NEW! Access to our online-only digital crossword puzzle. A new puzzle every day, seven days a week!
All for as low as $8.25 per month.
| Rate | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | $60.00 | for 365 days |
| 1 Month | $12.00 | for 30 days |
| 1 Week | $5.00 | for 7 days |
Editor,
Jorg Aadahl’s letter (July 28) regarding the power of prayer (or lack thereof) was challenged by Robert Wackerman (July 30) who claimed that questioning it was a direct insult to every God-fearing worshiper on Earth. It wasn’t. Aadahl simply observed that expecting prayer instead of action to prevent catastrophes or save lives has failed miserably and gave some concrete examples.
Unfortunately, prayer does nothing to provide actual aid and comfort to victims. We all know that Republicans offer “thoughts and prayers” after each mass shooting and repeat it daily while the slaughters continue, yet, doing nothing about it while expecting absolution. During the Texas floods, people thanked a “Loving and Merciful Heavenly Father” for killing only 135 adults and children.
I suppose if prayer actually worked everyone would win the lottery, and I wonder how God decides which team wins when both sides pray for victory?
If praying gives people solace, more power to them if they also understand that actions speak louder than words. Sadly, Wackerman doesn’t appear to understand cause and effect although I pray that he will someday.
Irv Brenner
Palo Alto
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
(12) comments
Irv - those of you who discount the positive impact of prayer or meditation simply do not understand that there are people who rely on discovering inner peace. It should not come as surprise as most of you seem to worship the virtues of a Kamala Harris, who in our books was and is a total zero. But, if you believe that such individuals are our future, please at least acknowledge that there are divergent opinions on this issue. Prayers for some is an escape and if you do not appreciate that, I feel for you. Just find your peace with the Tok-Tok and the Ikea culture and then leave us alone.
Good afternoon, Irv
It appears your letter challenges Bob Wackerman’s belief that an LTE published last week ridicules prayer. That is Bob’s opinion, and he is entitled to it. You are of the opinion that prayer does nothing to provide actual aid and comfort to people facing or suffering tragedies in life, and you are entitled to your opinion, too. However, there is no way you can determine whether prayer does nothing to aid and comfort those who need and welcome prayer… no matter how stringently you believe prayer does nothing.
I am a member of a cancer survivor group hosted by a Peninsula church. Since last spring, a couple of our members have suffered serious setbacks that required surgery. Our group prays for them, and they are thankful. Those prayers have brought aid and comfort. Sometimes when confronting a dire situation, prayer just might be the only action that can bring hope. I had a PET scan earlier this morning. I don’t know the results yet, but I know my friends are praying for me, and that helps ease the anxiety.
While I respect your opinion that prayer provides no aid and comfort, my life experience has been different. Prayer can and does provide positive benefits.
Ray: So you mean, there is some powerful, knowing-all entity, just waiting for someone to pray hard enough for something to be done to stop something like the rainstorm? Yeah, religious logic gone amok! Very convincing, I'd say! Same for Holocaust?
Pain, fear, and loneliness... might describe those who could find no shelter from the storm or who have been brutalized by others who chose evil. They are suffering and they absolutely need our prayers. It's the same on a much smaller scale. I know someone who is feeling pain, fear and loneliness. I pray for him.
Ray: OK, I should probably "count my blessings", having family from half-way around the world visiting.
Ray: Has this “him”, or whoever you are praying for to your imaginary god figure, had anything to say in response to your overwhelming kindness?
Yeah, Ray, wouldn't you want that to be true? That would make YOU much happier, wouldn't it?
Jorg
You're bringing attention to yourself but it's probably not the kind of attention you want. I'm glad you are having "family from half-way around the world visiting." It's an answer to a prayer. Have fun!
Beautifully put, Mr. Brenner. It's encouraging to see someone use logic, without rancor or insults, to shed light on a troubling aspect of our current discourse. I am in complete agreement. Thoughts and prayers are not the answer.
What does God do when both teams "pray for victory?" Calls a tie.
Thanks for your letter, Mr. Brenner, but considering you’ve fallen on the wrong side of just about every hoax perpetrated by Democrats I’m not sure we can take your words to heart. Sadly, you (and others) don’t seem to understand repeating fake news and lies undermines your credibility, on any subject. I pray that you will someday.
Hey Jorg, I hope you see this great letter of support for your point of view (and mine as well of course). He frames it very nicely.
cheers
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.