I love prayer... Why work toward making a situation better when you can just ask and wait for someone else to do it?
The failure state and irrefutable explanation is even built right into it. Did you pray for something and it didn't happen? It's because God didn't will it, it's part of his plan, beyond your comprehension but clearly for the best.
Also, pray hard, but remember God only helps those who help themselves.
And he already has a plan
"God helps those who suck up to him relentlessly."
Unless it’s not in his plan.
They know that when Jesus made the endless bread and fish (with a meal purchase at Olive Garden) he definitely limited who could get it based on income and passing a drug test.
If Jesus came to school with a loaf of bread and a couple fish, he'd feed everyone.
And then get sued.
A middle eastern religious extremist walking through an American public school talking and feeding kids would probably be shot and killed live on national television. Possibly by a student.
To be fair, according to the stories, he was publicly killed in his time too.
Matthew 6:5-6
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
The thing about the bible is that there are some solid parables nestled in there about how to be a halfway decent human being. But then we get prose like this that reek of good intent, but have barn-door sized holes in the grammar thanks in part to being re-translated and edited many times over the centuries. Heck, a new edition dropped just last week.
For example:
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Oh, so if I act like a hypocrite, I'm good to go? Huh, sounds like Matthew had this one wrong.
I think someone would have to want to read it that way, to interpret it that way.
I mean, I'm not religious myself. However, to me, hes saying they got their reward (being seen praying) and they won't get anymore reward than that. If they prey privately, their God will reward them.
Exactly. I'm not saying that's a valid interpretation given the context, but rather I'm illustrating that given the intent to justify one's own (bad) behavior, the text is easily abused. Which is a problem.
I see, yeah that makes sense.
That's not how I interpret that line. I'm pretty sure he means that if you act like a hypocrite, the scorn and derision of the people you are annoying that you get here in life is the only reward you can expect, and no further reward will be gained in the afterlife.
However, if you follow the rules, are a good person, and most importantly don't go around boasting about how good you are, then you'll receive a greater reward after death, than any earthly reward that us lowly humans could give you.
We worship Capitalism, it’s on the money.
In God we Trust One Doll
Ed States of A, it was right under our noses
Imagine a religion that isn't based on "us vs. them"... Oh, right. You'd literally have to, as it hasn't ever existed.
Buddhism and Taoism are such a way, I believe. Beliefs where there isn't really good and evil, just creation and destruction as two halves of a cycle.
Both are bloody AF, and not that long ago. Neither are simply an outlook, and millions throughout history have been murdered in their name.
More to the point, any "higher power" that designates individuals/groups as "good" or "evil" based on its own internal system is exactly what I'm talking about. Anything beyond that is merely classifying it as something closer to a religion with each step toward dictating followers' behavior.
It's like "believe in God and he will provide" fuck that noise, we need action and belief. We need proactiveness. We need people to act not just believe.
FFS, the only person who was only ever able to provide like that in the bible was Jesus. And there was always a prerequisite to it - he had to have something he could multiply - he didn't conjure wine out of nowhere, he needed water to convert. He didn't randomly produce the food for 5000 he needed fish and bread to begin with.
Even in the bible people had to at least do the bare minimum for shit to happen. These guys are withholding even that and saying prayer is the answer. Like it's a cure all, it's not, and it never was.
Yep. These idiots actually try to say (and maybe even believe) that if you pray hard enough, the loaves and fishes will appear.
It's such a stupid thing to say too. I got into an argument with a relative about it recently. By the Bible's own rules, a Christian who tells someone hungry to pray a little harder instead of just feeding them isn't a Christian, and they're damned. This whole "God helps those who help themselves" bootstrap/prosperity Christianity is the worst type of religion.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
James 2 14-19
Even in the bible people had to at least do the bare minimum for shit to happen
Beyond that, there are a lot of good behaviour and principles in there: while some insist on faith alone, it is abundantly clear that the gospel demands action, as there are a plenty of parables for people to listen - they tell you how to behave and how to act in the world - . If you have faith and that brings to actions and good deeds, fine, if you use faith as a trump card (ah, see what I did there), you're doing something wrong. I have read the faith only arguments, but I will strongly disagree with them. If anything the whole point of the gospel is too act and not to be too formal about it. But I am a little skinny ape, I think as one, and apes like action.
Hmmm. A Christian believing something that doesn’t make sense because it’s not* in the Bible?
By any chance, does that belief help them give into their sinful nature and pretend god is cool with it? The usual: laziness, greed, hatred, dishonesty, etc.
Lets all pray to Crom. He never disappoints because he never cares. He already gave you all he's giving you at birth. Plus there's the whole riddle of steel thing
This looks like one of those weird Facebook text post options. It's just missing the silly laughing emojis scattered about
Just eat the prayers, the way the people of Haiti just ate those bibles given to them (they didn't do that, they starved).
so it's plausible that they could be eating the old testament in gaza 👢 I tell ya man, some people..
Something something actions louder than words
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