Many, but not all churches heed Bush's call for national prayer

[sabra]

http://www.woodtv.com/global/story.asp?s=3858515&ClientType=Printable

Many, but not all churches heed Bush's call for national prayer

WASHINGTON Some churches are not going to be joining in President Bush's call for a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance today for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Some say they've already had their services. Others are upset over the government's sluggish response to disaster.

Still, many houses of worship plan to take part. The president himself will be attending a service at the National Cathedral in Washington.

Congregations across Texas, which is supporting tens of thousands of evacuees, are preparing special prayers.

[acmejack]

1. Sure glad our Govt doesn't push a State religion.

[oneighty]

2. Do prayers by decree

work as good as the prayers made while the water is filling one's lungs?

I have always been curious about that.

180

[ClintonTyree]

3. "Special Prayers"?????

And these differ from the ordinary, garden variety unanswered prayers....how? Goody, "special" entreaties to the invisible cloud being, probably praying that "they don't all want to stay here"! :eyes:

[rexcat]

4. I would say two things concerning a day of prayer...

1. Prayer did not stop the hurricaine from devestating the Gulf Coast,
2. At this point action is needed to help the people of this region, not a passive repsonse like prayer.

[Bridget Burke]

8. For many, prayer is not about making God do something for you.

It is a way of concentrating one's efforts. So you can make the right decision, or so you can carry on when you just want to curl up in a fetal position.

Prayer can be a form of meditation. Not so much a "passive" response, but a way of gathering one's energies for the work that needs to be done.

Others pray like the Pharisees, advertising their "faith" to all. These are mostly Bush supporters.

[Dervill Crow]

20. My pastor used to say prayer is great, but if you're on a railroad track

and a train is coming, you'd better get up. He also said that the bible doesn't ever really say, "god helps those who help themselves," but it does say that faith without works is dead.

Dubya's got the deadest looking eyes I've ever seen.

[pansypoo53219]

5. prayer

IS EASY.

[meti57b]

6. my national prayer: G-d, save us from the bush administration.

[forintegrity]

7. Only the whore churches

[pop goes the weasel]

9. Since when is the President head of the Church?

Is he Pope now, also? Or Archbishop? Or Queen Mother? Maybe he's an ayatollah. Whatever he thinks he is, he needs to stop with the calls to prayer, and churches should make a point of ignoring those calls. He is using religion for political purposes, playing the religious like honky-tonk pianos.

[anotherdrew]

18. exactly... and what's this - National Cathedral in Washington ?

hope my tax money isn't paying for that god barn

[SemperEadem]

10. Yeah, it's easy to say a prayer.. the question is

how many of them have sent money to NOLA or have opened up their homes to take in displaced survivors? What has T.D. Jakes done, besides try for a photo-op with *? What about Creflo Dollar? What has he done besides demand to see the income tax papers of his congregation so he knows that they're paying the right amount of tithes? What has Pat Robertson done besides call for the execution of a head of state or try to dip his hand into FEMA money?

[Gregorian]

11. Bush is a murderer. He's the one who needs to pray. For forgiveness.

Since when is prayer a president's business? Is separation of church and state something that only an attorney can understand? This seems like stepping over that line, although I know that sep of church and state is different. Or is it? As religious as I am, I find this highly offensive. My religion is private. On top of that, Bush is probably the biggest hypocrite who's ever lived. Offensive. Sick.

I have strong religious beliefs. But every once in a while I meet someone who says god talks to them. Or they can heal by prayer. I say get thee to an emergency room and start fixing broken legs. Bullshit.

Religion is not a science. We have a wacko in the White House.

I don't even know why I'm posting this. It's all so obvious. It's just that Bush is a nutcase. I have to say something.

[GOPFighter]

12. I have an idea!

Lets have a whole week of National Prayer and then a whole week where no one is allowed to pray. Then we can compare the number of disasters, the number of dead in Iraq, the number of murders and rapes, etc. etc. Then we will all know just how effective prayer is. :evilgrin:

[onager]

13. Hey GOP F! I like that idea!

:evilgrin:

I'm also going around these prayer threads, and dropping off one of my favorite old sayings:

Religion is the only business where the consumer blames himself for product failure.

[GOPFighter]

14. Ain't it the truth?

And religion definately IS a business!

[MarsThe Cat]

15. In regard to prayer, especially in time of catastrophe-

isn't kind of insulting to the intellect of whatever god that's being prayed to?

I mean- any god that's omniscient enough to know the thoughts, intents, and actions- simultaneously, of every person on the planet- probably has a pretty good handle on the scope of the catastrophe that he/she/it has just caused. asking for a change in the outcome that the god has already decided on...?
Nobody in a position of authority likes a lot of second-guessing every time they make a controversial decision...all that prayer probably gets on the god's nerves pretty quickly- and in the case of the judeo-christian god- he's made no secret about his short temper.

[Dervill Crow]

21. But "God is Love," if you're white and vote the way God wants. n/t

[BiggJawn]

16. Nothing FAILS like Prayer. n/t

[Arugula Latte]

17. All Bow to the Invisible Sky Diety

or you will me smote. Or smoten. Or something like that.

[Dervill Crow]

19. Tonight's a full moon and Mabon celebration.

If it wasn't for that, I would make a special point of not talking to or about ANY god or goddess today, just because it pisses me off immensely that that PIPSQUEAK who can't even dress himself or speak an unscripted sentence or behave like a human being in public would have the audacity to tell U.S. citizens when to pray.

He gives christianity a bad name. Personally, I don't buy it, but I would LOVE to see the WTF expression on *'s face (although it pretty much is his normal appearance) if the rapture really did occur and * and company stay here with the pagans and muslims and buddhists and we all get sorted out. The fake christians get the lake of fire and we get the planet, or what's left of it after his stupid environmental policies.

Probably thealogically and doctrinally unsound, but it's my fantasy and I'm stickin' to it.