In reference to catspaw's post and the clickey to his comment about a possible higher purpose (or, at least, higher result) of his pre-surgery goodthoughts thread:
I've been thinking about this whole "prayer/goodthoughts" thing over the weekend. I was raised in a strictly fundamentalist Protestant home, where the Baptists were considered backsliders. I'd observed no power of prayer there; just a lot of people mouthing the words and basically telling each other they'd better believe it does some good, or else. As an adult, I've stayed far, far away from anything having anything to do with Christians, prayer, faith-healing or purported "miracles".
However, as I've sometimes seen people of different faiths come together to support one another and observed the positive results, I've come to wonder whether the "power" generated from that connection has to do simply with making one another "feel better"... or whether it actually serves to improve the situation. Who's to say that all the good things that have happened to me in my life AREN'T the result of someone, somewhere, thinking of me and wishing me well? Maybe not, but maybe so!
So, having been on both sides of the "belief" fence and now sitting on it, I have to disagree with the characterization of prayer/goodthoughts threads as mindless chain letters. To some people, they are so much more than empty words. And whether or not the good thoughts make a real difference in the circumstances that caused the threads to be started, they do no harm, and they make the thread-starter feel better to know that some nice people out there are thinking of him and his concerns.
Please, Joe, don't prohibit us from asking for good thoughts or expressing our support. If you make it a hard-and-fast rule that we need to do so through private messages only, then please say so in the FAQ with a blueclickey reference to some starting points to do so, for the benefit of GUESTs and new members who won't know better. But I wish you wouldn't make such a rule, because I feel that it would leave out many people who are "turned off" by the term "prayer chain". (Perhaps a "good thoughts" chain could be started in addition?)
Charcloth, if you're still reading this thread, we ARE still thinking of you and yours, even in the midst of this misplaced debate, and hoping for the best that can be for the child.