tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9479398.post830758633946607294..comments2024-03-28T11:33:16.271-05:00Comments on Adventus: Sweet Hour of PrayerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9479398.post-77095579280549396352016-07-12T22:43:33.651-05:002016-07-12T22:43:33.651-05:00A view of prayer I heartily endorse. And pretty m...A view of prayer I heartily endorse. And pretty much the view I take from "The Lord's Prayer," when I look at each line of it. That prayer is not about what God can do for me; it's about what God should be to me.<br /><br />It's a prayer meant to change you; or at least teach you about prayer as change. Still a partial idea of prayer, granted; but a better part than prayer as "Do something for me!"Rmjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06811456254443706479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9479398.post-43888706453677559462016-07-12T20:48:07.402-05:002016-07-12T20:48:07.402-05:00In the hard practicality of a group I hang out wit...In the hard practicality of a group I hang out with outside of church, prayer is for change, your change. Prayer may not change anything else, but it will change you. Pray for your enemies, they may not change but you will change, become more caring toward them, see them as people. Pray for the sick and dieing, they may not be healed but you will learn to accept their condition and help them. It's a hard nosed partial view of prayer. rustypickuphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17861692872132066016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9479398.post-48232081754599540132016-07-12T14:16:53.052-05:002016-07-12T14:16:53.052-05:00I'm ever more struck by how the atheism of the...<i>I'm ever more struck by how the atheism of the professional atheists is built on that cargo-cult "God" which is one so convenient to their atheism. </i><br /><br />It seems to be prevalent among Anglo-Americans who have to disdain religion (i.e., Christianity) at every chance, never acknowledging any knowledge of it, or, indeed, having any.<br /><br />Interesting that Derrida, a philosopher of religion, Jewish by heritage and atheist by confession, can quote Paul at length and with understanding, while Dworkin or Dawkins can only cite impressions of what they think Christians believe or what Scripture says (like God=Hairy Thunderer in the OT).<br /><br />I've pretty much decided that, on matters of religion (and life in general), the Continentalists are wiser and more humane than the Anglo-Americans, who think science and math are all you need to explain everything (and what doesn't fit into those two is not worth bothering with).Rmjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06811456254443706479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9479398.post-63353161631384298202016-07-12T14:07:40.547-05:002016-07-12T14:07:40.547-05:00In my younger days I thought of it as God consider...In my younger days I thought of it as God considered as a cosmic slot machine; insert enough coins and pull the lever enough times (i.e., prayer) and God was sure to pay off.<br /><br />That theology never struck me as valid.Rmjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06811456254443706479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9479398.post-32423375532433010192016-07-12T10:13:41.170-05:002016-07-12T10:13:41.170-05:00I'm ever more struck by how the atheism of the...I'm ever more struck by how the atheism of the professional atheists is built on that cargo-cult "God" which is one so convenient to their atheism. I am also struck at how much like the atheist "God" the one of the "gospel of prosperity" and some, if not all of those weird mega-night-club-style churches is. <br /><br />Well, as you point out, that's a "God" I don't believe in, either. And I don't feel at all in the mood to cooperate with reducing God to that kind of stuff. I remember Sr. Jean-Paul (yeah, a nun before a Pope) warning us about expecting prayer fulfillment. She said that maybe God knew that we'd do something stupid on that bicycle we'd prayed for and get hit by a car. I think I was about seven when she told us that, yet so many adults still figure that's what it all depends on. The Thought Criminalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01381376556757084468noreply@blogger.com