Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: We really can pray together (gulf crisis, spiritual help for peace) Message-ID: Date: 1 Oct 90 00:39:55 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Data General Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC Lines: 40 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article daveh@tekcrl.labs.tek.com (David Hatcher) writes: > > That's what has prompted me to respond in the first place. Even in > prayer, Christians have a very hard time finding a place in their > hearts where they can pray with other of other faiths. David: I don't want to keep this thread going much longer. However, something that I think must be pointed out is what prayer is for many Christians. Prayer is not merely mouthing a bunch of requests. If you read the outline for prayer that Jesus gave, which is often called the Lord's Prayer and repeated in some churches Sunday after Sunday, it starts off with praise and worship of God, our Father. This is a key issue--prayer as worship. Further, notice that we are to call God our Father. This is not common within other religions to refer to the one, true, living God as your Father. Yet, that is what Christians can do--indeed should do. "But as many as received him [Jesus], to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1:12 KJV) While you may not agree, we have no other gods before us. Further, we believe that all other gods are false. And we are forbidden to worship other gods. Thus to pray (a form of worship) in concert with those who worship other gods would not be proper for us. However, we can pray for peace. There is nothing that prohibits us for asking the Father for peace, as He wills it. But also be aware that some of us do not believe that there will be much peace in the world due to our eschatological views, but that is another discussion. Having said this, I will bow out for now. I think that this thread has been done enough for now. Any further discussion, which I'm not opposed to, can probably be carried over into email, time permitting. Because He lives, Gene Gross 2 Chronicles 7:14, 15