Discussion: Selfish Praying
Wednesday July 5, 2006
A forum member writes: [I read an article] mainly about a survey on the use of alternative remedies for curing sickness, such as herbs, acupuncture, etc. But this bit struck my eye: "Forty-three per cent say they pray for their own health and 24 per cent say they pray for others." Um, isn't that a little selfish? If you believe prayer helps with illness, shouldn't you, as a Good Christian, be putting your efforts into helping others before yourself?
It does seem as though a lot of praying is done for selfish reasons. Some people pray for world peace, but how many more pray for financial advantage or other materialistic things? Read More...
Comments
Hmmm….a very short, almost ‘non’ discussion! I guess since it was posted in 2000, the linked article isn’t ‘found’ either!
As a childhood [born in 1939] Catholic, now; somewhat longtime…atheist; in my review of the basic Christian teachings, doesn’t the notion of ‘personal’ prayer contradict the ’supposed’ words of Christ: “Not MY will, but THINE be done”…OR…in the Our Father: “Thy kingdom come, THY will be done, in earth, as it is in heaven.”? [Note: A curious difference between Catholics and Protestants;…original Catholic: ‘IN’ earth as opposed to ‘ON’ earth! One is ‘in’ matter [earth]; not ‘on’ matter!…but that’s more of an Eastern religious, or even, ‘New Age’notion,…or even more Philosophical/Religious?]
In other words, one is supposed to leave to God’s ‘perfect’ knowledge of one’s ‘Gift of life’, the contents and outcome of its ‘unfolding’; be it regarding health, nation, world,…or ‘whateva!’.
I’ve noticed that, in many media quotes from the Iraq war, even the Muslims, it would seem, do this better than the Christians. “If it’s Allah’s [God’s] will…”; or…”It must have been Allah’s will!; no matter how dire the context!
“But whaddoIknow?…Yada, yada!”