Our local paper had an article a couple of days ago about a prayer caucus. The photo had US Representative J. Randy Forbes and several others, standing outside with their heads bowed...yes, in prayer. That was the catalyst for this site.
OK. I know, maybe I shouldn’t make fun of or question peoples' religious beliefs. But, dang! Enough's enough!
“Randy believes that prayer is what changes things and our country needs to be on our knees in prayer,” said the Rev. Allan Campbell, the church’s music minister.
Let's see, Randy believes prayer changes things. OK, Randy, please. One example, just one, that prayer changed anything. One.
Robert A. made a comment to the paper, which said in part….."God will honor this and answer our prayers. He is always faithful to respond when we seek Him. I will be spending more time in prayer for our country, its leaders and our troops."
My comment.......
OK. If you actually want to pray for something worthwhile, I want you to pray that all of our young men and women, who have had limbs blown off in Iraq, will have God put them back on. That should be a piece of cake for someone who is all powerful. Show me one limb reattached and I'll join you folks. Otherwise, I will remain a Pastafarian….
Kind of angry bitter words. Yes, they were.
*****
Though the above I guess launched this blog, the rumblings started a few months ago when a cherished friend of sixty years died. How would I describe him? Well, sit and write everything you'd like to have in a good human being, and that would describe him. As a human being, he had it all.
A couple of years before he died cancer started its attack. Gathering speed and resisting all known medical treatments, it soon had the upper hand and attacked with a vengeance. The day before he died I visited him briefly. This strong exuberant person, who loved life and always tried to spread happiness, good will, and humor, had been reduced to lying in his death bed, weighing not more that 75 pounds, eyes open...not able to talk or move. It wasn’t known whether or not he could hear and even if he had the ability, I doubt that he could have overcome the horrible pain he suffered every moment his life continued. Hmmm.
Yes, I went to the funeral. Yes, went to the church. Catholic. There were more than a thousand people.
I picked a seat at the end of a pew. I watched the faithful come in, kneel, move their hands around saying, I guess, some kind of prayer before seating themselves. Also, a kind of birdbath thing with water. Here the faithful, dipped their fingers. Hey, guess it was holy water.
And then the proceeding started. No, I can't remember it all. There were at least four men dressed in, well, sorry, dressed in tacky and ostentatious costumes. They walked up on the stage, or whatever it's called, and spent no telling how long moving around kissing things, mumbling prayers, moving stuff around, opening and closing books and Bibles....and so on. They sat side by side, each jumping up and doing something and then passing it on to another.
As I watched this I just got more and more disgusted and angry. Here was my friend lying dead in his coffin and they seemed to be putting on some kind of show for, of all people, God. They seemed to be praising God! I'm thinking, if God had the all-powerful stuff everyone talked about, why did He allow my friend to die in the manner he did. I found it insulting, praising God, as I found him to be the villain. The Devil, if you will. Isn't anyone pissed off? Isn't anyone mad at God for allowing this horrific thing to happen? No, praising God!
Yes, they did speak of my friend, but it was as if he was secondary to praising God for allowing him (my friend) to enter the Kingdom of Heaven…or something like that. Hmmm.
After 30 minutes or so I started questioning if I should stay for the rest of their show. Would I dishonor my friend if I left? Of course, he would never know, so how could I dishonor him? Finally, after ruminating for 15 minutes, I decided I could best honor him by getting the hell out of the church. And, I did.
I picked a seat at the end of a pew. I watched the faithful come in, kneel, move their hands around saying, I guess, some kind of prayer before seating themselves. Also, a kind of birdbath thing with water. Here the faithful, dipped their fingers. Hey, guess it was holy water.
And then the proceeding started. No, I can't remember it all. There were at least four men dressed in, well, sorry, dressed in tacky and ostentatious costumes. They walked up on the stage, or whatever it's called, and spent no telling how long moving around kissing things, mumbling prayers, moving stuff around, opening and closing books and Bibles....and so on. They sat side by side, each jumping up and doing something and then passing it on to another.
As I watched this I just got more and more disgusted and angry. Here was my friend lying dead in his coffin and they seemed to be putting on some kind of show for, of all people, God. They seemed to be praising God! I'm thinking, if God had the all-powerful stuff everyone talked about, why did He allow my friend to die in the manner he did. I found it insulting, praising God, as I found him to be the villain. The Devil, if you will. Isn't anyone pissed off? Isn't anyone mad at God for allowing this horrific thing to happen? No, praising God!
Yes, they did speak of my friend, but it was as if he was secondary to praising God for allowing him (my friend) to enter the Kingdom of Heaven…or something like that. Hmmm.
After 30 minutes or so I started questioning if I should stay for the rest of their show. Would I dishonor my friend if I left? Of course, he would never know, so how could I dishonor him? Finally, after ruminating for 15 minutes, I decided I could best honor him by getting the hell out of the church. And, I did.
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