Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for September 20, 2014

That’s wonderful news I hope Jimmy and the train will be around for a long time!

Yay!

Steam therapy.

Amen

Ditto that Amen.

I will attest personally that prayer does indeed work and that miracles do indeed happen. And I’ve known many doctors who feel the same way.

Very nice ending.

Now, for something completely different. Corky’s daughter Eve drives her motorcycle to her twin brother Adam’s farm and does wheelies around the barn, scaring the livestock. After an absence of 30 years or so, big brother Nubbin arrives to break up the melee.

Sorry for the people who don’t believe in the power of prayer.

Wow. Simply mention God (they didn’t mention whose) and the snarky hate comments commence. How about a little “live and let live” — ?

The two cartoon children have more wisdom than the real-life atheists who have commented here today.

I predict that the next time there’s a reference to God, the Lord Jesus Christ, prayer, or church in Gasoline Alley, there will be another batch of uncomfortable people who will be unable to bear it.

As a two-time cancer fighter, i have enjoyed this storyline (as one of my hobbies is model railroading, it is even more personal). While i don’t belong to any church, i do believe that the Big Guy is in charge and the fact i am still here to post this is proof enough for me that there is a Higher Power.

Whether or not you believe in God (I personally will wait to meet him to decide for absolute sure) there is no doubt as to the power of prayer. There is something called The Mind Body Connection which sincere prayer does seem to access and to use. Whether it is a Supreme Deity healing the body or the body itself doing the deed from the power of the Mind and the impetus of Belief makes no difference to the resulting health. I don’t care what your Philosophy of Religion might be — this was an excellent series!

I see the thought police are trolling today, trying to put a damper on an excellent strip.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” Although this comes from the Judaeo/Christian book of Psalms, It seems to me this statement could come from any religion that believes in a Supreme Being(s)

Snarky comments from names I’ve never seen post on this strip before. Guess we shouldn’t be surprised that they have an agenda. As for me, I’ve loved this arc, and I love how it’s ending. Great job, Jim. And yes, prayer works. Our 27 year old son would not be here today, if it didn’t, Thank you, Lord!

And so, without the medicine, God is powerless ?

Well, there’s an old saying that , “God helps those who help themselves.” It’s not in the Bible, although there’s something sort of similar in the Koran: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (13:11)

Yet oddly., medicine without prayer works just fine. I’ve yet to see prayer prevent Polio or cure it. Or restore a missing finger, even a tiny finger tip. You’d think prayer could manage that. Yet medicine can without needing any prayers.

If prayer was such a universally effective method, medicine would never have needed to be developed and there’d be no call for it.

And the Towers would not have fallen if prayer was worth anything whatsoever. If prayer only works when it’s aligned with “god’s will” then prayer does nothing since “god” had that outcome in mind all along. “I jumped off a cliff and prayed I’d hit the ground.” sort of thing will always work but it does not show squat about prayer’s supposed powers.

Anecdotal evidence is worthless. “I know prayer works because it worked for me” has no value. People who die rarely have a chance to mention how well prater is working for them.

Moslems claim their prayers work as do Hindus and so on and on and on. You can’t all be right or you;d not be so busy killing each other over who is right.

Let’s see Joel’s minister identical relative, Bishop Noel.

both are on the right track