Do You Actually Believe In The "Power of Prayer"??? (page 7)

JT

The question was ask

?JT: Since when was prayer the reserved domain of Christians??

I never said that it was. I looked back thru my post and was unable to located where I made that statement----

but since this site is mainly directed toward the belief system of Christians that is why I was discussing Christians--------- for I highlighted that fact by stating:

?in view of the FACT the believer esp believers of christaintity ?

For me it matters not what ones religious belief system is--- they generally share many common features and ?Prayer? usually is one of them,

so I was addressing my comment mainly toward the belief system of Christians but if you like we could talk about others - // hindu, muslium etc, fine ---but I was more focused on Christians-

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you stated:

?Further, what makes you think that Christians try to convert??

It is very surprising that you would ask such a question being a former jw???

For the ?Converting? of folks to Christianity goes back to the very day Christianity was formed, the spreading of the word is an integral part of Christianity, I assumed and I see incorrectly that you were aware of that,

now whether each and every SINGLE denomination WITHIN Christianity makes ?converting? a major feature of their particular brand of Christianity will indeed differ, but to ask were I got the idea that Christians try to convert folks is pretty simple, ever heard of matt 24 :14

you further state:

?non-believers do not have a core dogma or purpose or mandate "FROM GOD" to convert others to their views--they merely state what thier personal views are on a matter,

Certainly feels like folks are attempting to convert us, at times.?

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That may be true ? FOR folks are always trying to ?Convert? folks to their views on issues, the difference is and I highlighted that point is:

?non-believers do not have a core dogma or purpose or mandate "FROM GOD" to convert others to their views?

While I may feel that my view is one that others should share---- I or anyone else I know-- feel that such is a mandate from God

You ask the question:

?Do you really stand on your statement??

Yes I do,- unless you can show me were a nonbeliever as an individual or collectively as some group has felt that his/thier views are a mandate by god-

I have never seen that, but I have seen plenty believers who do.

Just my 2

LittleToe

JT:
My comments refered to this post of yours:

THIS is an interesting comment---- in view of the FACT the believer esp believers of christaintity are under orders from god to "push" the message to others, so one of the core requirements as a christian is to CONVERT FOLKS, yes to show others the errors of thier ways as the poster so niclely cited.

You directed your comments directly at the Christian section of believers, and it was that which I picked up on.

Regarding conversion, most Christians see that as the preserve of God. Most Christians go about their business quietly, without overtly proselytizing in-your-face.
All my comments were in the face of that terminology.

Since unbelievers dont believe in God, far less a God who converts, some can be quite as rabid as the fundamentalists, without having a "core dogma" to draw people to. Why do they need a "mandate from God", when they have their own mandate, and are effectively God in their own eyes?

Just my 2p, too

Princess

I just want to clarify an earlier comment I made. I found out this afternoon that it was not my niece who told Zoe I wouldn't be going to heaven. I have no idea where she got that information. She maintains it was the cousin so the only thing I can think of is she came to that conclusion after having a "heavenly" conversation with her.

*sigh* families

Terry

Well, God is gonna hafta get up off His eternal duff and assert himself to me. The ball is on His side of the court. This hide-n-seek business is silly and unproductive.
"Come out, come out wherever you are".
How religion becomes more than assertion is, I think, a matter of giving up the bravado that one knows something certain about God. Why do we have to be so cock-sure? Why do we roll up our religious sleeves and flex our faith-biceps?
Why not be honest? Is it so awful?
We are all but orphaned.
Where is our Eternal father? Daddy, where are you?
What? In that book? Huh?
Read it, believe it?
But--but...I want to KNOW you father.
I don't want your memoirs--I want YOU.
These are sepia snapshots and a lock of hair. I want dialogue. I want conversation.
Don't ignore me, please father.
Reading, sifting, drifting, lifting myself up by my own (faith) bootstraps....?
Is that as close as you get, Lord?
What, are you a hunchback? Are you deformed? I don't care, Lord. I love you anyway. I don't care if you are ugly or beautiful or short or wrinkled or the size of a Damascus flea. You are my father.
What?
You are afraid I won't love you if I REALLY know you as you are?
Trust me, God--- I promise I will love you. I will. I will.
But--you have to make the effort.
I mean....I'm standing here all dressed up and nowhere to go.
Are you going to stand me up again?
Why?

Gretchen956

I know I'm risking looking like a fool because I didn't read all the posts, but this bothered me:

but since this site is mainly directed toward the belief system of Christians that is why I was discussing Christians--------- for I highlighted that fact by stating:
?in view of the FACT the believer esp believers of christaintity?

Huh? What makes you think this site is mainly christian? Where do you get that? There are MANY of us who are not christian. We mainly don't get into the threads that get preachy or that get into all the wonders of that particular belief system, so possibly you don't know we're here.

But thats as far as I'm going to get drawn into the argument!

Who cares who you pray to? The topic of this thread is, do you believe in prayer? Yes, I do. I pray to a female deity, yours is male. Big deal. Can't everyone just get along????? For pete's sake religion is the main reason for almost every war we have ever gotten our sorry a$$es drug into!

Sherry

LittleToe

Sherry:
Aye, that was part of my issue.
The site has a broad section of believers, so I didn't understand why Christians were being singled out.
If truth be told there are probably more pagans here than Christians, and non-believers probably outnumber all believers (were they to be lumped together). The agnostic make up an overwhelming bunch inbetween, IMHO.

Terry:Biblegod didn't get off the page, and stood you up again, huh, Terry?
Seems he has a habit of doing that.
It might (in part) explain the lack of success that JW's have in direct contact with "daddy".

Rachel:So now you're not going to any kind of heaven at all?
Darn, you just LOVE bursting all those bubbles, huh?

JT

"but since this site is mainly directed toward the belief system of Christians"

my point was and i will let it be-- is this site is mainly a "Christian" / Bible focused site

correct me if i am wrong, but is this site one whose main focus is on the muslium , hindu for buddist faith???

if i am incorrect please let me know-

Gretchen956

the main "thrust" of this site is people who are current or FORMER Jehovah's Witnesses. Since the "former" JWs make up the bulk of the posters, and they are represented by athiests, agnostics, pagans, wiccans, spiritists, christians, buddhists, and others that I may not have discovered yet, I repeat: this is NOT a "christian" site made up mostly of "christians". You may have also overlooked the fact that there are members here from all over the world. Not everywhere is christianity so deeply ingrained as in this country.

Sherry

LittleToe

JT:
Just to add my voice to Sherry's comments, the only common denominator here is some personal link with the JW's (past or presesnt, and preferably not future).

Speaking as a Christian (albeit fairly unorthodox) I would say we're a pretty eclectic bunch
I would also state my opinion that JW's aren't Christians, they are a Jehovahist cult.

Hence, touching the subject of prayer, you will find that there are many and varied expressions of that pasttime evidenced here, from "none" through "energy work" to "consulting a deity of choice".

Sorry if you got the brunt of this distinction, but it can be a pretty touchy subject around here.
I hope that helps

minimus

Skeptics have a difficult time "believing" in anything.

Do You Actually Believe In The "Power of Prayer"???

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