There are two separate issues here, which Tom is awkwardly conflating.

1. Did God create viruses?

2. Is prayer effective? (though the real question, under disguise is, Does God exist?)

Let's look at both. https://twitter.com/Godneedsashave/status/1251829628320321537

1. Did God create viruses?

Yes.

Most people when they think of viruses, think of sickness. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg is the crucial role viruses play for life on Earth. The plain fact is, without viruses, none of us would exist.

Viruses play an important role in ecosystems, regulating biodiversity, nutrient cycles, and the water cycle. They regulate these things by, for example, producing the seeds for precipitation (rain, snow, etc.) and keeping the bacteria population in check. If not for viruses...

...the only life on Earth would be bacteria. Bacteria are necessary for the diversity of life we have on Earth, but without viruses to regulate their growth, they would be the ONLY form of life on Earth. Bacteria + viruses = a good balance for diverse life on Earth.

So, what about the kinds of viruses that make people sick with colds, flus, SARS, AIDS, etc.? Did God create those? Personally, I don't think so. These viruses start in animal populations and at some point make the leap from animals to humans, usually as a result of our choices.

These viruses leap and spread when there are high densities of animals that come into contact with high densities of humans. Cleanliness and lifestyle are important factors. How we choose to live increases the likelihood of these leaps and how much damage they ultimately lead to.

2. Is prayer effective? i.e. is God really there to take your phone call?

The graphic Tom showed came, I think, from Richard Dawkins. His Twitter feed is the first place I saw it, anyway. It appeals exactly to the kind of person who probably has no idea of the purpose of prayer.

The question of whether prayer works reminds me of an episode of The Simpsons. Bart and Todd Flanders are engaged in a mini-golf showdown, which is really a proxy for their fathers' rivalry. Homer sees the Flanders praying before the tournament, and snarkily comments that...

...the Simpsons had already prayed, and they can't both win. Homer is obviously implying that they prayed for Bart to win, and his assumption is that that is what the Flanders are praying for, too. Under this assumption, Homer would be correct, but as Ned points out...

...they were praying for everyone's safety, not for Todd to win.

So, what is the true purpose of prayer for Christians?

On the National Day of Prayer, should we have expected - if God really exists and is who He says He is - an immediate downturn in the graph?

I think that expectation is incredibly naive. It assumes, among other things, that:

- this is what Christians were praying for
- the God of the Bible is like a genie who grants wishes
- we have more wisdom than God
- the effect of prayer is necessarily immediately noticeable.

I'm not a religious leader or a theologian. I have no authority when it comes to religious matters. All I can tell you is that when I pray, I pray for God's strength, wisdom, love, and patience, for myself, for those suffering, for our leaders, for those in the thick of it.

I also pray for an end to our suffering. However,

1. When we as a population or as individuals make choices that make e.g. the spread of SARS-2 more likely, it's a natural and logical consequence. I don't think a good and loving God would entirely remove consequences.

2. I trust God to work good things for us in spite of and through all suffering, especially that which is natural and logical. In His time, and in His way.

The ultimate purpose of prayer isn't merely to get what we want, but to be connected to God and in harmony with His will.

That we didn't see a magic downturn in the graph after the National Day of Prayer is hardly conclusive of anything. It's mostly a form of rhetoric that reinforces what people already believe. But if you look at this through a form of analogy, it collapses.

I've written letters to influential people that resulted in no change at all. Am I therefore justified in believing

- these people don't exist
- they aren't making good decisions (I know best)
- that communicating w/ them is never effective
- my letter made no difference at all?

With the exception of maybe the second point, I don't think anyone would argue that I'm justified in believing any of those things on the basis of not getting my way. And of course with God, the idea that any of us somehow knows what's best is absurd.

Okay, so is prayer effective? For once, I'm going to rely solely on personal experience. There have been studies on the efficacy of prayer, and I dunno what they say, but I have legit personal experience in this regard, and I'm convinced prayer is powerfully effective.

Two times with unexpected healing that even doctors in the ICU thought were miraculous, countless times with unexpected resolutions to problems, and most powerfully with the sense of peace and joy I feel just from connecting with God. I've tried various forms of meditation...

...and other peace-cultivating activities, and NOTHING has worked for me like talking to God. I've become more kind, patient, temperate, wise, unafraid, and joyful - all things that are fruits of the spirit, exactly what I would predict for being more in harmony with God's will.

As an observational scientist who has written peer-reviewed papers on various forms of experimental bias, I'm utterly convinced through my own experiences - which are legitimate data - in the efficacy of prayer. It has certainly fulfilled its main purpose in my life.