If heaven is so wonderful, why do people pray to stop someone going there

All I can say is many of us prayed for someone at our church who had pancreatic cancer. We had a roster praying all day and all night. His prognosis wasn’t good, a few months at best. He is still with us ten years later and in good health. A miracle ? Perhaps but all of us believed the prayers were instrumental. It certainly reinforced my faith in our God.

Aldom

NanaK54

Franbern, I can assure you, knows all about the pain of losing someone precious to an early death.

I am sincerely sorry to hear that.

Are you saying that I shouldn't have shared my views?

I now feel upset all over again.

Franbern

I really do not understand, am totally bewildered by all the prayers being said for the current Pope.

Surely, if the afterlife is such a wonderful place, prayers should be said for him to get there as soon as possible

Perhaps his work on Earth is not done yet.

I'm sure there will be a place for him in Heaven when the time is right.

We are here to help others, to teach others [whether we realise we are doing it or not] and learn from others - to witness events and behaviours and nature - to learn what true love is.

If we survive events/illness it may be because it's not our time, other people may need to witness our vulnerability, think and learn from it...and we haven't finished our 'journey'.

It's making posters on here think, isn't it.

Heaven and Hell are for control ling people's behaviour . Religions are often used as means of controlling people's behaviour

On a Thread about why prayers and spirituality, does it look to anyone else as if there an element of guilt tripping?

NanaK54, of course you should share with us.

Religion, politics and social constraints can all be used as means of controlling people's behaviour.

Maremia

On a Thread about why prayers and spirituality, does it look to anyone else as if there an element of guilt tripping?

NanaK54, of course you should share with us.

Thank you that is very kind

We pray for him to have a long life on earth, doing good works. In Heaven, not walking among us, we won't be able to learn of his work.

nanna8 that's wonderful. What a lovely church community.

nanaK54. No I didn't mean that you shouldn't have shared, but I think you and anyone responding should know where Franbern is coming from.
I'm sorry for your loss, I'm also a bereaved mother.

nanaK54

Aldom

NanaK54

Franbern, I can assure you, knows all about the pain of losing someone precious to an early death.

I am sincerely sorry to hear that.

Are you saying that I shouldn't have shared my views?

I now feel upset all over again.

Like Franbern I am sure we have all experienced the pain of losing a loved one.

This is the very reason why it is such a bizarre post.
Why would anyone want to hasten someone’s death unless they were suffering?

I believe in the power of prayer and even if I didn’t I would respect the fact that it helps in that people feel they are doing something and friends and family of the patient know they are not forgotten.

Aldom

*nanaK54*. No I didn't mean that you shouldn't have shared, but I think you and anyone responding should know where Franbern is coming from.
I'm sorry for your loss, I'm also a bereaved mother.

Thank you, and I am genuinely sorry for your loss

I’m agnostic…and as such have an open mind…..🤔

I don't think this thread is the right place for a discussion on the role of religion potentially controlling etc etc.

When it comes down to our personal views on that it's another thread.

We support each other, whatever our beliefs. What works for us, for our families, for our dear friends.

It is hard to discuss the existence and nature of heaven and the role of prayer in illness and suffering (as per the thread title) without discussing the role of religion.

There, we disagree. Because people are sharing personal stories and there's a right place for everything.

The title is a genuine query, ie trying to understand "why people pray" if it's a nice place to go, and the needs of the dying and those around them, not whether religions are politically and socially controlling.

I gave the example of someone who accepted a heaven, but was fighting dying, because she and the family wanted to spend more time together. (she has accepted it now cos of the pain, its the family all christians, struggling.)

Yes, Franbern has posed a philosophical question.

Maremia

Yes, Franbern has posed a philosophical question.

I don’t think she has.
I think she has interpreted prayer in a simplistic, childish way as in “ Please God, make the Pope better”, like we might have done 70+ years ago for our pet hamster.
To pray for healing whether physical or spiritual is not the same as “ Don’t let him die”. It’s also a prayer for his ministry on Earth- much needed in these troubled times- and it’s a prayer for the Church and for all of humanity.
Sometimes we pray for suffering to be eased or for a peaceful passing, a “holy and happy death”. But there is no hidden motive of delaying going to heaven as OP implies.
Death can come at any time in our lives, sometimes after a full one devoted to others, but sadly too early for many more whose lives are cut short by illness, accident or war. Of course we do not want to be parted from those we value or love, but that is not a wish to “keep them from heaven”.
So I find the question posed by OP to be based on a fundamental misunderstanding of “prayers for Pope Leo”.

not whether religions are politically and socially controlling.

But is is about social control. The OP is asking about heaven. The point here is that the heaven and hell of organised religion are exactly that: social control: if you stick to my rules you go to heaven, if you don't you go to hell.

Sorry - I totally and utterly disagree. We disagree with a lot of current political stances these days - definitely not pro the current western governments .

Nope, will all due respect,
I think she is asking
'if heaven is so great, why pray to delay going there?'
I think she is attempting to call out what she thinks is hypocrisy.
BUT
the only way to know for sure is for Franbern to return and explain what she meant.
But also,
on GN folk are free to develop and explore.
But also,
I agree with what you are saying with regard to prayer.

Will pop in now and again to see if the OP has bothered to return

I remember being confused by this when I was 8 years old and my grandmother died.

Sorry, that was to Maw

I would like the OP to come back us and tell us what she means.

I currently am praying hard for a close friend who is very seriously ill, I want him to live so badly.

I want him to live for his children, grandchildren, wife, all the people he helps through his work, the charity he founded and all the adventures he has not yet had.

Does the OP think I should pray for him to die?

I really don’t understand.