@Paul4747 Don't confuse Nature with a deity - it is not a a god in any stretch of the imagination - it is a science and it does not require belief or faith - it just is ...whether you choose believe in science or not...

@Gwendolyn2018 I was not aware of that. Thanks for the education! I guess if I ever join a cult, it will be the Pentecostals...

@FrostyJim You've mistaken my meaning, Jim... I'm referring to the phrase in the Declaration of Independence where "Nature's God" is invoked, in the phrase "...the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them..." This means no specific deity at all, but the processes of the universe. "Nature's God" was not understood to be the God of the Bible intervening in wordly affairs, rather, if anything, it was a clockmaker figure who set everything in motion... the personification of the forces of nature.

This was as close as the Founders could come to being openly atheist, and it's pretty much agreed that if they were around today, they would be outright atheist.

@Gwendolyn2018 No coffee? Sorry- cancel my subscription.

I had an acquaintance when I lived in Scotland who took me to a Pentecostal service (I believe I'm right in saying they were Pentecostals) where they had a faith healing segment- that is to say, they prayed for everyone's ailments to be healed. This acquaintance had some serious problems, if I recall he had muscular sclerosis, and had been praying for years that he would be healed. I was personally disgusted with the whole idea. He seemed to be under the impression that there was something lacking in his prayers, and if only he had perfect faith, his reward would be a healing.

At that time I was a mystic/agnostic, looking for evidence of something to believe in and dipping my toes in the water of many different religious experiences, but I knew damn well that "God" didn't heal people who believe and punish people for suffering the merest iota of doubt by witholding their cure.

@Gwendolyn2018 Sounds about right. I forget whether there was laying-on of hands or not, it was one service 22 years ago, but I wouldn't be surprised...

@Gwendolyn2018 Wow.
At a very drunk tarot reading, it was foretold that my death would come either at the hands of a jealous husband, or being run over by a truck full of Coors Light. Or by a jealous husband driving a truck full of Coors Light.

@Paul4747 yeah, but was he supposed to share any of the Coors light with you beforehand

@Gwendolyn2018 "By the way, the wife had several extramarital affairs, including one with her husband's brother"
Gives a whole new meaning to "Laying on of hands"