Would You Pray or Call a Doctor?
Imagine, you’re deathly ill. You’re a Christian. Do you call a doctor or do you pray to God? If you call a doctor, does that prove you don’t believe in God?
So recently I heard that question asked to a Christian that was an attempt to stump him.
It gets worse.
After the atheist asks the question, he continued by adding that you only have one option. You can pray or you can seek a medical professional. Which option do you choose?
The atheist asking the question assumes that if you elect to go to a doctor then you don’t really have a God that would answer your prayer. In other words, either God is not real, or your faith isn’t real.
However, that theology is wildly flawed.
Let me give you a few examples.
1-My $2000 mortgage is due.
I’ve got 20k in the bank.
Do I pray that God pays the mortgage payment, or do I recognize that God is already provided the resource?
2-I’m starving.
I look across the street and there’s a McDonald’s.
Do I pray that God will give me a hamburger, or do I walk across the street recognizing that God has already provided the resource?
3-I am homeless and freezing.
There’s a shelter about 1/2 mile away.
I have one option. I can stay in the shelter, or I can just pray.
Do you see the problem there? The resource has been provided. Maybe it’s a doctor, maybe it’s a hamburger.
Now, if the atheist had asked me “You have cancer. Three of the best doctors have told you ‘there’s no cure, and you’re going to die no matter what’. You have two options. Do you go to another doctor or do you pray?”
In most cases, the answer from Christians would likely be that we would just pray.
As Christians, we also realize that sometimes God doesn’t heal. We realize that godliness is not a means of financial gain.
But this idea that we should abandon human logic when the provisions have already been provided by our God is a senseless question founded on weak legs.
However, I could flip the question back on this guy. You’re on a deserted island and you suddenly find yourself dying of a terrible disease. There’s no one to help you. No one knows you’re there. Would you just die or would you look for Hope and pray to God for healing?
You see, all we are both doing is creating senseless debate. He has not disproven God, and I have not proven God. Moreover, He presumes that we only have one option, when God often provides multiple options. The atheist is asking us to abandon what God has already made available to us. The only fair way he could ask the question would be to give an example when God has only given us one choice. In which case every Christian would pray.
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
