by Frog 45 Replies latest jw friends
Who still find it strange years on to dive straight into your mail meal without 'giving thanks'?
Thanx. I almost forgot about that. Now I'll have nightmares over it!
Just kidding.
It felt strange for quite a while, especially at dinner parties, or a in'laws for holiday meals. Doesn't anymore.
"Dibs on the rolls!"
Perhaps the reason for the lengthy, out loud prayers, is to do with pride and "top show". Something that really focuses on them rather than God. Some may be hypocrites?
One recently bragged to me about how he can usually come up with a good prayer before a meal, all unrehearsed. I bet Jehovah was really impressed!
Gave up that unwarrented ritual many years ago!
My kids came home one evening after having dinner with some Christian friends. Seems our oldest was chastized for starting to eat before "grace". He took it well, but asked during the dinner where in the bible it was mandated to pray before eating. Apparently the man of the house was bible illiterate as he snapped back, "that's a question for the preacher, we just obey". So we had a very interesting and lively discussion about all the rituals that have crept into religions, especially Christianity and what the original meanings were vs the outward expression.
Prayin is fine, but I prefer doing so in private;.
carmel
What I find really strange on a lot of these posts is that so many of you, upon leaving the WTBS BS, believe that there is no God whatsoever. Many of you say you are atheists. Perhaps because I was not brought up JW, but only entered into it for about ten years after I married one (and disassociated myself in fall of 2001), I knew true Christianity from the womb. I have known unconditional love from my parents my entire life long. But, as a disassociated person, I am shunned now by the whole JW community, including my husband's grown children and his grandchildren (I raised one of his daughters while not having children of my own). My experience is that I EMBRACED true Christianity immediately after I left the JWs (as a matter of fact, slightly before). I am now more involved than ever in lay ministry, which is enriching my life in a deeply satisfying way. I have love, tolerance, acceptance, and, most of all ... peace. I have a strong, personal relationship with God. I love the world and those in it.
My point is this: I don't know how I would survive the BS of the Witnesses in my household and community without faith. Just now, for example, I noticed in our household's calendar that my husband will be attending four weddings this spring and summer, all Witness weddings, and, of course, all without me. How could I handle this crap if I didn't hold on to something bigger than what the clique of the Witnesses? This morning I preached a sermon about Jesus shepherding the lost sheep, and, strangely, his parable came on the heels of the Pharisees wanting to excommunicate the blind man. It is in John 10, 1 - 10. I guess the WTBS missed this scripture!
God is not a club. Grace to you.
What I don't care for is the people who had to put on a show by praying loudly in public.
For those who wish to say a prayer before dinner at home, who does it hurt?
With all due respect to my atheist friends here...
Our creator has given us, not only the rich variety of food most of us have access to, but also the capacity to enjoy it- it's aromas, flavors, textures, and the simple pleasure of sharing it with friends or family. It's not just a matter of feeding an addiction. So, what's the big deal about taking a couple of minutes to gratefully acknowledge what She's given us?
In all honesty, I don't pray over every single meal I eat; most of the time, I'm in such a mad rush that any prayer would be hurried and essentially meaningless. But when I've got the time to do it properly, I think it's only right to say a heartfelt "thank you" to the One who provided the food and the ability to enjoy it.
In the wise words of Bart Simpson...
'dear god, we bought this stuff so thanks for nothing'....
Nothing more need be said.
brilliant bart quote diamondblue!
As I've said before I can't see the point in talking to myself, before I eat or on any other ocassion. I do thank my boyfriend for bringing home the bacon though. I thank the checkout operator who serves me at the supermarker. I thank the chef at the end of a meal.
I do not thank imaginary freaky ego monsters in the sky though.
I usually offer up a "quick one", not so's anyone would particularly notice if they were sat beside me.
PD:
its just a ritual.
And one of many, that our lives are built upon.
Isn't much "spiritual work" built upon ritual?
DB74:
Yup, that one does it for me.
A yellow-faced cartoon must have the essence of true spirituality
If ya don't want to do it, then just don't do it. Supporting this stance with the words of an animation seems as ludicrous as praying to an invisible entity you feel pretty certain doesn't exist.
In the former case you have evidence it's a fiction...
I don't oppose prayer at mealtime, but I do oppose a lot of the hyprocrisy that seems to be associated with it. It appears to me that a lot of believers have had a lot of practice in the fine art of speech making, and then use that skill to wax eloquent at mealtme. This is the kind of hypocrisy that I think has little or nothing to do with real Christianity.
As an aside, years ago I read, for better or for worse, something to the effect of the following:
The Egyptians, at one point in their history, worshipped their Sun God, the One God, RA. They would pray to RA for everything they wished for, and then at the end of their prayers would say "RA-men"- which meant "May RA grant it to be so". Now along come the Israelites, and later the Christians, who pray to the One Ture God, meals or otherwise, and then end with AMEN (RA-men). It sounds like they are praying to the True God, and then in the end, are asking that the Sun God make it so.
Just a thought!
