Looking for a Sign From God

The political blogger Andrew Sullivan has a weird practice of running emails from readers without naming or crediting the sender in any way, which to me makes him look like a spotlight hog. Here's a great one he received yesterday:

I was backpacking about twenty five years ago through Portland, Oregon and stopped to ask directions from a woman putting up marquee letters on a Baptist church sign (some message about Jesus but it was just started so I don't know what she intended to write).

I was looking for directions to a hostel. She was there with her son (I think he was about seven) and said perhaps she could give me a ride, but she had to pray on it. She paused and quietly prayed and then said, no, she could not give me a ride. She did not know where the hostel was. Still, she was pleasant enough, if a bit weird. I thanked her for considering it.

I enjoyed the encounter for its unique strangeness, but I really did not want a ride, so I was secretly relieved. Did God answer my prayer or hers?

Religion · 2008/07/17 · 5 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

Spotlight hog, definately. He could also be using the old "I got an email from" bit to avoid accusations of plagerism, while blatantly lifting material from previously published sources.

#1 · Scott Gunsaullus · 2008/07/17

I never heard a peep from God when I read the Bible. In fact, I'd probably be an atheist if I hadn't downloaded the Foxy Tunes add-on.

Now he communicates to me all the time. If only I knew what he was trying to say.;-)

#2 · Vince Williams · 2008/07/17

That is one weird story! Seems to me God always answers my prayers, he always says "no" but it's still an answer - just not the one I want!

#3 · Todd · 2008/07/19

Well, at least she prayed on it! Sounds like God answered BOTH of their prayers! What a riot!

#4 · Randy · 2008/07/19

Tadowe: they support Islamic prayer in schools where Christian prayer is forbidden,

Citation please? This quote, right here, discredits everything you say; show me a public school that's teaching Islamic prayer as curriculum, and then show a public school that's forbidding students from praying outside of classwork, and you might have something to complain about...until that time, you're spouting discredited and false statements.

Although, it sounds like you'd approve the teaching of Islam to baptists and evangelival children, so long as Christian prayer is included, right? Oh, I doubt that was where you're going. This isn't about you fighting against discrimination, it's that you think we're not discriminating against the correct religion.

Combining, "wah, religious descrimination is horrible, Christians have rights, too!" with your "stop those who believe in Islam, their religion is evil!" really makes it hard to take you seriously. Good 'troll' though, you got me to respond for three paragraphs before I realized you were faking it.

#5 · Azrael Brown · 2008/07/21