Quote Originally Posted by mystic brew
interesting, and, BM, the most convincing arguement for non-intervention. It's certainly the best argument i can see.

Do you also subscribe to the view that this non-intervention applies to prayer as well?

otherwise, IMO the non-intervention theory falls flat on it's arse. as you say, the moment a decision is made to intervene it instantly results in all inaction being made a decision, and an intervention also.
Good Question

well, Jesus said when healing people that it was their faith that had healed them now, the placebo effect is a resonably accepted theory and would supply some of the method by which prayer can directly help (i believe that there must be a use to it as Jesus said to do it).

God is of course omnipotent and so knows what we want before we ask for it and so praying is not realy to inform god what you want him to do, as much as to clarify your thoughts, spend time thinking of others and hopefully get strength from the holy spirit. I am of the mind that god has given us the cures to our problems, we just need to look for them, use the gifts that we and others were given and sources like the bible and other christians for guidance, prayer is also to show support, many people even atheists apreciate it when people pray for them, it is a good way to show that you care about whats going on in their lives.

Essentially god intervened once, when he made the universe, in that intervention everything else was layed out in gods mind so for him the future would be pre-determined there is free wil its just he knows all the desisions that we will make!, so in a sence there is intervention, at the beggining that has decided the whole history of the world, and must have if god is omnipotent after all ''god does not play dice'' .