by Anitar 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Why do people say thank you to 'god' for food when there are millions of people starving in other countries because gods 'perfect creation' doesnt yield for them there?
Ummm. that's kind of the whole point of why I'm thankful for my food. Gotta thank someone for that. Thank the economic forces that make your food supply chain possible if you like.
I was born of two pioneers. I have never in my life felt comfortable praying or really felt the need. I tried when I was young. It just seemed so silly. I always felt there must be something wrong with me. ... There have been many times during my life after the WTS that I have felt someone/thing was looking out for me. When good things keep happening, I have thanked "whomever" is out there. I do not address the prayer to a specific entity -- like to Jehovah or to Jesus - it is just a quiet "thank you" to whoever it is. It is never a formal prayer as my father gives before each meal. I do not pray to ask for things.
hi anitar,
1) Do you pray? Why or why not?
yes. some might call it being, others a form of meditation, or others still a psychological methodology for the expansion of my consciousness. this is all fine. but, i'm not sure why or why not. i don't think there is a choice. either you are, or you're not.
2) If you do, than whom do you pray to? Do you believe there is a right one and a wrong one to pray to?
i "pray" to mySelf and the intrinsic relation i have to the cosmos, and this planet. right and wrong? i don't beleive in dualities, so i can't really answer the second question. if one has to make a distinction between right and wrong, then they aren't really praying. their just trying, not doing. perhaps they think they are praying in the traditional sense, but it doesn't mean they are praying. i would say that prayer, or stillness, exists outside of dualities, and "trying" to pray, is not praying.
3) How often do you pray?
every time i find myself in the stillness, and silence of now, with no words flowing in my mind. in a place of no-mind and no-emotion. prayer does not involve words, for me. it involves being right now. it's not a conscious thought, like, "i'm gonna pray now", because that assumes that you are not already praying through every action and thought right now, and not in the past or future. so whenever i find myself in this state, i am praying. but i never set out to pray, either. it just is a state of mind, i believe. so, hopefully more and more!
4) What are the general things you pray for? Do you mostly ask for things for yourself or for others?
nothing. i don't ask for anything, because i don't believe praying is about questions and answers, like some magic 8 ball. this involves acceptance of everything that is, as being part of the entire, perfect universe. and from this acceptance comes prayer. and prayer, for me, is nothing more or less that simply Being.
if i want or need something for myself, i measure it against whether it is good for others, and if it is, then i go out and consciously get it, or create it. if i want something for someone else, same thing. i go out and i consciously get it, and i give it to them with no strings attached.
4) If you consider yourself religious, than do the rules of your religion influence how you pray?
yes, i consider myself religious. i am the God of my own religion. i have no rules, and no followers, and that is the only way. so nothing but the prefectly present moment influences how i pray. the prayer is the moment. and i like the word "moment" better than i like the word "prayer", because of the cultural baggage associated with the word "pray".
5) If you are atheist or agnostic or have a nature based religion (for example Wicca), do you have your own form of prayer? How do you view those who are religious who pray?
yes. (i'm an atheist, and by extension a pantheist). i explained the form of it above. i view religiously praying people as people who have not awakened to their own God-nature (and the God-nature of all organisms), and still worship the God-nature of some man or woman who attained their own Self-actualized God-nature at some previous time. people who understood that God and Self are simply the same thing. the sooner that people awaken, or evolve, the sooner there will be no more religions, and countries and wars and self-hate. but if it never happens, then that's cool! it was fun for us humans!
6) Do you believe everyone has the right to pray? If not, than who doesn't?
yes, everyone has a right, of course.
7) Do you believe there should be a certain qualification for prayer, or that certain people should not be allowed to pray? If so, than who determines these qualifications and what would they be?
no. either you're praying, or you're not. only the individual determines her own spiritual path. this is because she is a god, even if she does not want to see herself as such, yet.
peace,
tetra
"Without ceasing", though sometimes I interrupt the flow by thinking about it...
Hello- is anybody listening up there? I can't hear you- I guess my prayer didn't make it.
The question is , "Is God is a personal God?". For those who went through the Holocaust, many were forever cured of the need to pray.
... There have been many times during my life after the WTS that I have felt someone/thing was looking out for me. When good things keep happening, I have thanked "whomever" is out there. I do not address the prayer to a specific entity -- like to Jehovah or to Jesus - it is just a quiet "thank you" to whoever it is. It is never a formal prayer as my father gives before each meal. I do not pray to ask for things.
That me. I thank "whomever" is out there. Whomever helped me and they know who they are I don't have to call them by name. Unless of course they don't exist...then it doesn't matter anyway. I guess, in that case I'm just talking to myself.
lisa
she said grace over a CHICKEN NUGGET!!
She should have prayed to ask forgiveness for putting that crap in her body.
When I was a jw my prayers were very superficial. I just could not get into the whole thing.
Since my fade began I have not prayed. Nor, do I plan on praying.
Only when I feel delusional, or a JW friend is watching me eat!
I do not pray. I see no point in talking to myself.
My mom will pray at the drop of a hat. We will be driving in the car and she will start talking to her god. It's very weird. What gets me upset is that she will say a loud prayer when we go out to eat. It's embarrassing. I have told her to knock if off and then she acts like I am persecuting her. My brother once prayed to satan and she got up and walked out. If we did that while she was praying she would be furious.
My husband (never a JW) prays/says grace over his food before he eats. Always!!! It's not that I have a problems with it. But he just does it...sometimes I'll be talking away or stuffing food into my mouth and I look over and he's got his head slightly bowed and his lips are slightly moving.
One time I said.."what are you doing?!" he said.."Giving thanks." I said "Who are you thankin'? He said "I was thanking God." I said.." I bought and prepared the food!" He said.."I was thanking God for you."
lisa
