!OMG!

[kpete]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/38531888/grandma-accidentally-prays-to-elrond-from-lord-of-the-rings

[dhol82]

1. Wonder if he answered any prayers?

[Angry Dragon]

2. same as always

[pinboy3niner]

3. More trickery by the filthy Hobbitses!

[Gothmog]

4. I feel sorry for this lady

[Me.]

12. Me Too

Why make fun of her?

[lindysalsagal]

5. I don't see what difference it makes: None of them are real, afterall.

Might as well pray to a spongemop. It'll get you just as far.

[malaise]

7. Precisely

although not many want the truth as defined by 'facts' and not beliefs.

[Hekate]

6. An icon or other image is only a focus to the Divine, and the intent of the petitioner ....

...and purity of purpose carries the weight of the practice.

But you could do worse than Lord Elrond.

[ismnotwasm]

8. Thank you

No matter what one personally believes, the faith this lady felt was real, and it doesn't matter what the figurine is.

[lindysalsagal]

9. Satan has purity of purpose. So did Hitler, Stalin, and Asad.

Interesting, how the word "purity" seems to conjure a default divinity and raises the value of the desire to the level of sacred validity. The label of "purity" demands that the wisher be a sympathetic character.

It also does not distinguish between serving people or deities.

The difference is, Hitler, Stalin and Asad are real.

[Hekate]

11. That's rather askew of my point.

But you knew that.

[Lucinda]

10. +1

[YOHABLO]

13. Well I'm sure her prayers were heard just the same.