Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-13
Takes "Z. y. c." to Task.

10 deny the efficacy OF pravor 10 -
deciare God a myth and His insnireJ
worn untrustworthy. According IN y
~ o. in today's paper. PRAYER 10
confession of a lack Of faith that COD
VIII DO what is best for us. From cover
70 cover the Bible demonstrates thu re-
SUITS OF prayer in the proper manner.
az the same time it cxhorts us to nr,v
II prayer is worthless the Bible is 3,
joke. =
Agnostics. inhdeis and atheists b,ra
explained the universe on scien,i6c
principles and minute mathema,ic.I
calculations. AT this long distance from
the scenes OF those events only ono of
christs miracles fails to be explained
o' scientific principles. and that Is the
case Oh the water being turned into
WINE. All the others. although by hazv
possibilities. might have combination
Oh natural causes. Even medical sci
ence explains that 1t was possible for
on'ist 70 nave been born OF n virgin
cas SINCE a. mere has never been a similar
case 1t fails TO lose its miraculous as.
pect. 1T is possible for the CLAW used
On the plInd mans eyes to have had
I none curative properties and unbe-
though thcr sai bss to rest there. al
lihe II recorded, and, IN fact. il is
well recognized principle of theology
M M; nod IN His divine wisdom uses
oIuihhry ana natural means to ac-
complish His purposes. one oG ,be
SIeat stumbling blocks to mortal man
,.a neen me reconciliation Of profane
teachings that the universe can he cx
p!alheu by science. with inspired teach
ihss placing Creator above ali, and
, ,nere seems to have been placed the
temptation to deny the Creator because
lie Is less easily explained If scicnce
explains creation to the unbelicyer il
can readily explain the answers to
Out in Southwest Virginia number
or years ago a feeble old gray-haired
preacher. who had spent practically his
r roda ihh,m I'm to the mountain folk,
Ioue by one OF the distilleries which
were common in those days in that sec
ton He dismounted from his horse
s .S down on his keens in The dust of
,ne ROAD and prayed that God would
destroy that institution. which was
furnishing liquor TO those mountain
people: Less than week the distil-
lery burned completely. 1t was no un
usual fire. There was combustion and
chemical action of the oxygen and car
non the same as all fires. but that old
munity saw something else They saw
the hand of God. II T. N G. would
nave that distillery destroyed in way
in which God and God alone was rec,
ognizablee. how would it be done? If
the earth had opened and swallowed
4 there would have been formations in
,ne ear,h below the surfach which
1ro tornado !; would have REQUIRED at
believer fsl can entirely eliminate God
tion that is left open to mankind
~ several years ago farmer. who
was an infidel. while arguing the ques-
ton Of God with a friend. while
sitting on the porch during an elcctri-
cal storm. suddenly becoming cxas-
perat s as his friend met his argu-
open his shirt and yelled:
II there is God lie will strike me
dead: bolt Of lightning struck his
pared breast and ended his existence.
lightning. 1t was like Ell of them and
was static discharge from the clouds.
ou1 the believer sees the hand OF God
explain gravitation. but we have no
doubts about there being such a thing,
and ,bsrs SO h The beiiever has no doubt about
of prayer is disappearing it only proves
that we are drifting away from that
life, not that God is so busy controm-
ing the universe that he cannot be in
terested in the prayers of one of His
small creations. In Luke XIII and =.
we are reminded that even sparrow
is not forgotten before the Father, al
though five sparrows sold for two
tarthings But even the very hairs
rows"
u. n. G. refers to the fact that many
prayers are unanswered. Prayers with
a selfish motive are not answered.
neither are prayers from a supplicant
who uses no effort to the end prayed
for. God helps those who help them
selves. OF course prayers dametri-
cally opposed cannot be answered Our
supplications must he in the spirit OF
Christ's, who. although the Son Of God
found efficacy in prayer. and who
prayed. Not my will. but thine, be
done" To many a believer there is
an answer to prayer greater than ma
ter!al blessings prayed for. The true
believer who has implicit faith, does
not feel disappointed when his prayer
is not answered: rather he feels closer
drawn to the Father in recognizing
that His will has been done Perhaps
greater than material blessings arc the
spiritual blessings which come to the
believers heart and mind when he
communicates with the Father. y most
excellent article, to which refer
"Doubtcr" as we'll as "I y. c." was
published in the October American
Magazine, entitled What Prayer Has
Done for Me-" While y. y. c.. is con-
-St-