Rougy's answer: what an asinine question to bring up in a political debate. I'm not running for office in order to pray for you.

I don't know if prayer would or would not have stopped those catastrophes.

I do know that adequate funding, meaningful regulation, professional competent oversight, and a responsive government would have stopped, or lessened, the disasters of Katrina and the collapsed bridge.

Obama came closest, but I like Kucinich and Gravel best.

(Stephanopolis is a punk)

actually... it's a perfectly good question to bring up in a political debate, as it's a very nice litmus test to who to not support, as they are obviously either delusional "believers" or dominionist threats to freedom.

Obama did come closest... as he's the only one that actually mentioned the real solution to those problems, but even he is still spouting this religious idiocy

They have to give answers that don't deter the religious democrats from supporting them. I think Bill Richardson didn't have to look quite so wide-eyed though.

god created a perfect plan for us all.
god wants us to beg and plead with him to change his perfect plan (prayer).
if he changes his perfect plan based on our prayers, it probably wasn't so perfect.
if he doesn't change it, prayer has no productive use.

So, do you think Hillary really didn't hear the question the first time or do you think she was thrown by the question and was buying time?

The latter.

You are kidding me, these people are running for president?

Surely you guys can see that every single one of these people are crazy, wide eyed class-A jibbering lunatics?

They are all f*cking insane, why is nobody saying this?

The easy answer to the question is plain "no", but through the power of suggestion and placebo, the remarks about courage are true enough. Some people er truly "empowered" by prayer, and I think Obama came closest to saying that.

And Hil-dog was definately buying time. ;-)

Pray all you want.

Of course, nothing substantive will come of it, other than possibly delusional self-satisfaction that -you- are -so- special that some omnipotent life form that created 'everything', the universe, the cosmos, and every atom, actually gives a flying frick about your personal yeast infection.. or that your dog crapped on the floor, or that you gambled away your measly $7 per hour income at the dog track... or that you -truly- want to kick that drug habit -this- time, but simply lack the inner power to do it yourself. Thus you wish upon a star, hoping 'magic' will get you out of the craphole of a bind that you got your sorry tush into.

Good luck.

Take actual action.. or pray about it. You decide.

buying time all the way. and I did like the answer that that one guy gave, "I will not wear my religion on my sleeve and force my beliefs on anyone" to bad they all can't think that way.

Actually, I was under the impression that Edwards probably said it best, and his answer would be the answer for any sane person who wants to be elected. Take it as you will, but an atheist is not going to be elected.. but he showed the most political savvy in his answer that prayer is good.. but no reasonable person can expect it to keep bad things from happening.

The other guys (Gravel: People who pray = warmongers.. sure a lot of atheists might think so, but chances are most of the parents of men and women who've died in Iraq are praying individuals and they hate war more than you or me) sounded like either shills to the Bible Belt (Clinton, Dodd, Obama) or sounded like crazy anti-religious nutjobs (Gravel and Kucinich).. Edwards gave a perfect answer, and as soon as I heard it I knew the answer to the summary's question... Edwards nailed it.

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