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There is great power in prayer. It can change the hearts of people. Over time it can bring monumental changes in society. Two events in recent history testify to this enormous power of prayer. The prayers of Mahatma Gandhi to rid the Indian subcontinent of the scourge of colonialism were answered. So were the prayers of Nelson Mandela to bring a peaceful end to Apartheid in South Africa. So we don’t have to even look very far back in history to realize the powerful effect of prayer. It may take time, half a generation or a bit more, but prayer can bring change. Not so with abortion in this country.
One important thing is the prayers have to be sincere and the person’s life should reflect the change they are seeking. Gandhi ji said: “Be the revolution you seek to see in the world”. That is, start practicing what you are asking for others to come to. Nelson Mandela’s message was of peace even against the most atrocious violence of the aggressor. That is don’t react with violence even if the other is violent and CERTAINLY don’t commit violence.
Insincerity in matters of faith is contemptible in the eyes of God. To say one thing and practice another is the worst crime against religion. In another blog I used this quote from the Book of James and it is most appropriate in the context as well:
“14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good [2] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Indeed the whole Book of James is worthy of paying serious attention to. The overly zealous rhetoric that inundates the airwaves and attacks that are verbal but do turn to physical and sometimes fatal.
“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, [1] and set on fire by hell. [2] 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, [3] these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”
We live in the richest nation in the history of the world (and number 2 is not even close). So it would really behoove us to heed this warning. Who can it apply to more than us?
“Warning to the Rich
5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.”
Gandhi early life http://nhdmkgandhi.org/
Both Gandhi and Mandela could have lived lives of luxury but gave it all up to bring change in their societies. Their lives reflected their prayers. It is difficult to say the same for most anti-abortion activists. Anti-abortion activists insist on calling themselves Pro-life yet show scant concern for the poor. We, the greatest nation in the world, has over 30 million people living in poverty, without health care and wherever anti-abortion groups have prevailed in election process (like here in Missouri) funding is deeply cut to help with these problems of the poor. Is it a wonder that for over 40 years their prayers are not being answered?
Gandhiji from rich lawyer to carpet weaver http://www.indhistory.com/
Both Gandhi and Mandela did not wait for change to come. They worked to help make positive changes, no matter how small, for 20 – 30 years until finally the wonderful transformation came. Again, the same cannot be said about Anti-abortion activist. Abortion is really a symptom of problems that lead to abortions. They rail viciously against abortion yet do little to help remedy the root causes that lead to abortions. There is strong evidence internationally that wherever Anti-abortion activists are strong in a country the abortion rates are actually higher. Our abortion RATE is twice or more that of comparable western European societies. So not only do they not help remedy root causes, they try to prevent others from doing something as well. This shows Anti-abortion activist are making negative changes to reduce abortion. Is it a wonder that for over 40 years their prayers are not being answered?
Nelson Mandela age 42 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Mandela in prison 27 years http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk
Previous Comments
Khalid Shah, 50, is an American Muslim who came to the U.S. 32 years ago. He and his wife have lived in the St. Louis area since 1990, and have been active in a variety of interfaith activities as well as in the local Muslim communities. They have both spoken about Islam at a variety of houses of worship. After working as an engineer for most of his career, he is currently a small business owner. 
Hello Mr. Shah,
I sometimes wonder about the value of prayer. Many Believers engage in it, but there are too few genuine examples “God” actually “answering” a prayer to convince me, or any rational, critical thinking person, of it’s power to persuade “God” to act. To be honest, all the examples that I have every heard described, such as miraculous cures, are actually the result of human intervention (doctors, for instance), not “God’s”. Do you (or any poster) know of an unambiguous intervention in human affairs by “God”? Setting up a test would be easy: in fact, we could reproduce Elijah’s test regarding “God” and “Baal”. (See I Kings 18:18-39)
Here’s a thought: Prayer is worthless and unnecessary for appealing to “God” for intervention. Of course, “God” is, in all likelihood, just a fictional character anyway and thus incapable of intervention, but let’s suspend that idea for the moment and consider this, instead.
“God” is defined to be omniscient (among other things), thus knows everything about everything and everybody including not only the past and present, but the future as well. Bible stories tell us this is so using plain language. Presumably, “God’s” omniscience extends to our thoughts as well because if it did not, then “God” would not know everything.
Furthermore, “God” is defined as being perfect in every way, thus everything “God” knows (which is literally every thing, including future events and thoughts) is known with certainty, and thus every bit of the future is absolutely certain. It is certain because “God” knows everything and because “God” is infallible. Thus “God” already knows what each of us will do and think, and more importantly, what we will pray for and why, and most importantly (and since all of this is already known by “God” and certain), then “God” already knows what “He” will do regarding each and every prayer.
In this situation (where “God” is both omniscient and infallible), prayer is unavoidable (because “God” knew it was coming), but the effects of the prayer were also already determined even before the petitioner offered the prayer.
It is possible that you, Mr. Shah, or some others may object to this analysis because it appears that “free will” is denied, that is, one cannot avoid prayer if “God” knows beforehand that one will occur nor can one one engage in prayer if “God” knows beforehand that one will not occur. Unfortunately, that is correct. If there is a real “God” who is omniscient and infallible, then every word of my post (and every typo that I corrected, and even the ones I missed) was known with absolute certainty long before I was born and certainly long before any of us started using the Internet or learned the QWERTY keyboard. Loss of “free will” is a valid consequence of the same analysis: if there is a real “God” possessing omniscience and infallibility, then there is no “free will” among creatures in “God’s” domain.
On the other hand, if “God” is imaginary (or fictitious), then the definitions can still be applied, but then prayer is ineffective because there is no real omnipotent being able to respond. Prayer may still have some value to the petitioner, but no “God” is going to respond.
Thus, in either case, prayer is ineffective at persuading “God” to intervene or intercede in events. Either “God” is imaginary, and no response is ever forthcoming, or there is a real “God” meeting the definitions of omnipotence, omniscience, and infallibility, then prayer is merely a formality or fulfillment of “God’s Plan” along with whatever consequences “God” knew would happen, or what actions “God” knew “He” was going to take.
Your examples of Ghandi and Mandela are inspiring, but misleading insofar as depicting a real “God” “answering their prayers” for progress in human rights issues. Their examples are closer to Benjamin Franklin’s observation that “God helps those who help themselves”, whereas Ghandi and Mandela (along with innumerable others who have succeeded similarly) merely announce their goals, hopes, dreams, and “visions” “through prayer” then inspire people to work until success (or some success) is achieved.
You are right about one thing! Anti-abortionist prayers are not being answered by “God”. I wonder if they think their prayers are being answered? Are they still offering their prayers that “God” halt abortions? What convinces them their efforts are succeeding? Thanks for suggesting they take action besides just prayer; we will have a better world once the problems leading to abortion choices are eliminated. It’s not “God” that’s going to lead us or get us there… we must do it ourselves. News to Anti-Abortionists: it’s going to take more than prayer, placards, and the murder of doctors to abolish the practice.
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To my point earliar, that for me, God is within us all, and when we speak we speak to God, and all we say is as in prayer. It is a commitment that removes the barriers from what is for God, and what is not. All is for God. Every moment, every word, every breath.
The practise of devoting special times for prayer both alone and together is not meant to divide in this way, only to bind together those times when we fail.
A request is a petition or solicitation (prayer).
I am not going to continue a detailed conversation about the use of right and wrong in this thread. I have spent myself on it. I will leave it with one statement. It is possible to live a life of faith, glorifing and pleasing God, and never use or consider the words right and wrong.
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Another,
I am not sure I get this:
“I hope that people can stop calling abortions as killing babies.”
This is a prayer.
“That is very inflammatory and completely wrong.”
This is righteousness. You have taken what you have chosen for yourself in faith, and used it to make another person wrong.
The first statement is not a prayer (which would be directed at God) rather is request.
The second statement is not judging the ‘other’ person’s faith rather it is confirming one’s own. When two faiths disagree each must follow their own path. I cannot judge you according to my faith and I ask you not judge me according to yours. That is all the second statement is saying (or at least I hope that is what the message is).
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I went ahead and deleted the comment about A Centrist and the change in email. It was an issue with another responder and I mistakenly attributed that to A Centrist’s email address. Sorry for the confusion.
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“I hope that people can stop calling abortions as killing babies.”
This is a prayer.
“That is very inflammatory and completely wrong.”
This is righteousness. You have taken what you have chosen for yourself in faith, and used it to make another person wrong.
This is only for God. It is for me the distinction between tolerance and acceptance. Tolerance witholds action while keeping the judgement in place in the heart. (As an act of obedience to law, it serves the user and pleases God.) Acceptance removes the judgement, and gives it to God, providing me access to love and another. (As an act of being, it serves and pleases God.)
I can only speak for myself as a Christian. I am asked not to judge, and to live my life by example in hope, love, and faith.
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John,
I like your point about ‘follow the money’ and I agree abortion is unfortunately an industry. You are right about that. But this point cuts both ways. If you follow the money on the Anti-Abortion side as well and look at what is spend opposing abortion versus what is spent on undesired pregnancy prevention and what is spent on other ‘life’ issues it is paltry by comparison. It is also an industry that is thriving on the abortion issue with very real political and economic benefits to those ‘running’ the anti-abortion campaigns. While the supporters may indeed want to see abortion abolished, that would not be in the financial interest of those running the anti-abortion campaigns. Money is corrupting both sides of this issue. Both ‘hs’ and I made the point that with control of both houses and the White House for six years there was not a single bill introduced. That should cause people opposing abortions to ponder, are they simply being manipulated. You wrote earlier that we can work on reducing abortions. I completely agree. We fundamentally disagree on when life begins and I hope that people can stop calling abortions as killing babies. That is very inflammatory and completely wrong. But if we can be civil I would love to see abortions reduced dramatically. That would require fighting the money interests on both sides of this. Money interests always prefer the status quo.
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I will consider your view, that anger is good. I am struggling with that aspect of it that requires judgement of a wrong.
I have no difficulty seeing Jesus doing what he did in the temple without anger. I admire it. Anger, not so much. Especially in light of declaring for himself that he does not judge.
Grief and anguish maybe, yet it is not written there either. An obsolete form of anger is ire, anguish and/or grief I could accept. These are free of judgement, and rely on God within me in the presence of sin.
I even abide a hate of sin as intense aversion or passionate dislike in the same manner. This is different than me choosing to be offended, and to judge as wrong….? I struggle with God’s direct request, through Adam and Jesus, that I not use this knowledge, that God will provide what I need in this. I have only to listen.
I guess there could be anger by proxy. Yet then I would be placing myself between God and another. I think God would personally have to ask me to do this. I would not presume it. (half joking….)
Obedience to God’s will pleases God. God will judge the righteous. I would not collapse the two. It presumes too much, for me.
I have enjoyed our exchange.
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A guy driving peole with a whip and physically overturning tables isn’t angry? Not my interpretation, but to each his own.
Obedience to God’s will results in righteousness. If you are obedient to Him, you will begin to hate sin as He does, but you will also be able to love everyone as He does. A compelling duality most cannot comprehend or achieve.
Interesting about your clarity in word for prayer. I take a different approach to prayer: I begin speaking plainly enough, but most of the time end speaking in my prayer language. I also use prayer to allow God to change me instead of the other way around. I feel that this leads me to a deeper peace and understanding.
Back on topic, it’s always interesting to follow the money. Research the abortion industry and follow all of the money that flows through them. Also, if you ask doctors if they would perform an abortion most will not.
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Mr. Shah, thank you for deleting my comment asking why you are ignoring my comments. What? They weren’t funny enough for you this time? Come on respond. I’d like to read what you have to say. Why hasn’t the Muslim community issued a statement regarding their last terrorist act in America?
At least the pro-life community condemned Dr. Killer’s killing.
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Khalid,
My most recent post was for John R.
Clarity in word is essential to prayer. If it is not in our laguage, and clear in our use of it, it does not exist for us.
People pray as they speak.
Thank you for your work in this.
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I will offer another view.
Instead of anger, Paul suggests it is appropriate to experience grief in the face of sin.
anger–noun 1. a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath
Anger is aroused by judgement of a wrong. Wrath is fierce anger with deep resentful indignation, vengeful and punishing. If this does not demonstrate the distinction of Old and New Testament, I do not know what will.
Consider it takes great strength and faith to be in the presence of sin, and accept responsibility for it. Even when as a person we are not the source. It is automatic in us to take this on universally as God does, as Jesus does for us. We are in God’s image.
The pain of it is too much for us to bear, we are tempted to judge and blame to numb the pain and grief of sin. We can not bear the responsibility of it. To use judgement and righteous indignation in this way is not Godly.
It is not wrong. It is what we do. Jesus has taken this on for us. We no longer need to blame in the presence of sin. We are given freedom from judgement.
I shared your view of Jesus and the money changers. I remember pictures of an angry Jesus in a picture in my Sunday school class driving out the money changers.
Interestingly, there is no mention of Jesus being angry in the scripture. Only that he overturned the tables and drove them from the temple. Then he went about healing. One cool dude.
Judgement is not neccessary to take action. We are called to action by who we are, not the sin of another or the fear and anger in its judgement.
The temple has an intent. There was a lack of integrity in what was occurring. Jesus, a rabbi, took action to realign it with its intent. No anger.
A choice, a commitment, and integrity is all that is required to be called forth to take action.
The idea that action must be justified has many purposes, none have integrity.
Truth be told, we are inspired to act. Any action that is undertaken in the context of anger is suspect in that it is several layers removed from the inspiration that we are. Those layers are reason and justification to hide our guilt at acting in anger from judgement, because we want to be seen as strong and righteous in our anger.
For me as a discipline, it is more effective to be obedient than righteous. In obedience, an inspiring choice, commitment and integrity are required. In righteousness, justification and judgement are required.
I accept your distinction of murder and killing. I would debate the use of justification in killing, but for another time.
Look to the words. Jesus is this word incarnate. What a blessing, our God.
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Another,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments and the effort you are putting into them. One message I am getting is the futility of words how they can imprison our ideas. You are using some of the terminology of Tolle so I am assuming you are familiar with his work. From reading what you wrote I realized that I am using the word righteousness in a very different manner. In Islam we are engrained in the idea that there are no absolutes of qualities for human beings only for the divine. Mercy, love, justice, whatever these qualities only exist in perfection in the Creator (Al-Lah The Undefinable). So when talking of them with respect to us I have (unconciously) implicitly thought of them as relative qualities. So righteousness is our attempt at being in harmony with the Creator’s intent. It cannot be a fixed set of actions. Life is a growth process (hopefully!) and so our understanding of the Creator’s intent should also evolve. Righteousness would then be evolving our actions to keep working on achieving harmony with the Creator’s intent.
I know we have digressed far from the original intent of this blog (but c’est la vie!) but in a way understanding prayer (or meditation if you will. Again lets not get hung up on words) as our connection to the Creator is essential to understanding everything else. Fatima Mernissi in her book ‘Beyond the Veil’ ( which was a critical look at male domination in Muslim Society) talks of the comfort of prayer. She talks of women praying and how it comforted them in a world full of oppression. If nothing else prayer can be a refuge for the oppressed. But used properly it can be like a beacon steering us to do God’s will.
The problem is that people do not pray. They go through the motions but there is no communication. Their actions that need to evolve through the guidance of prayer instead get frozen in the direction they chose at an early point and no wonder they steer off course.
Peace.
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It is perfectly acceptable to get angry; Christ himself was angry when He overturned the moneychanger’s tables. We should get angry at sin.
Too many times Christians turn their backs on the world and their brothers who are trapped in sin or are temped by sin: it’s not my problem, I shouldn’t judge. What a shame, you stand up for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.
Christians are called to be obedient to God’s teaching.
Another–God doesn’t say don’t kill, He says don’t murder (premediated killing). He also understands that there will be accidents (see old Testament about an axehead flying off and killing your neighboor-Duet. I believe)
Righteousness is trying to think and live according to a set code, e.g. the Bible. If we are called to be like Jesus, shouldn’t we strive to be righteous?!? I agree self-righteousness is not a quality that should be desired.
I identify myself more so with the Republican party than others because more often than not they are more conservative. I believe in self reliance, most people should work for what they have. Some people cannot do that and they need help, the help should atart at the community level.
I don’t believe it is the government’s responsibility to take care of me or anyone else on a personal level.
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Even shorter, there is no glory in “being” right.
At best, it is a booby prize. Those with integrity and faith are up to other things.
Tarnishing this prized possession of the believers will not make me popular, I am sure.
It is Jesus message to the Pharisees, and his call to be born again.
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Much shorter version and after being more with your thoughts.
It is not possible to “be” right or righteous. It is inauthentic to claim it as a way of being. To your point, God can not “be” righteous. God can/may judge. We can not.
We may choose to be many things: accepting, powerful, free.
We can no more “be” right than “be” love. We access these through our choices in being.
Acceptance is our access to love. Judgement is our access to right and wrong (righteousness).
We may act in a righteous manner. These are only other’s views of us made in judgement. We may be judged as righteous. To your point, do we dare judge God as righteous? god may speak this only of God’s self.
Jesus says of himself. “I do not judge, and if did I would be right.” Very powerful. speak it for yourself, both as God would speak it and then as you as human would speak it, both as power over it, and as warning to it. the key to getting it as the word is jesus is not boastful.
We may not truly “be” righteous. Thank god.
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Obedience is a “good” thing, and it works as a discipline. Yet, it is only an act of discipline on the journey to being. Wax on, wax off.
Practise obedience and the way “may” occur automatically. What is still missing for an obedient person is to choose for themselves that which is the source.
Here is another way to view it. To your post, view the outcome, do the ends justify the means?
Do you do what you do to be right, or to honor your chosen way of being. Choose a way of being, and with integirity, the outcome is righteousness as viewed in God’s eyes.
Is a winner a winner in their own eyes, or do they work at their passion an the outcome is winning in your eyes? Do you see past the winning?
Do you not kill because you honor righteousness, or because you love and honor life?
Do you honor the elder in your community because they are righteous, or with respect for the virtues the elder honors.
For me, God has humility.
humble–adjective 1. not proud or arrogant; modest:
My view of God is that God is free of pride and arrogance. These or symptoms of righteousness. Only God can has power over righteousness.
For me, God has authenticity. God’s righteousness is not a strategy, but the outcome of “being” who God “is” when viewed by another. We do not honor the being when we see only in this way.
We are like God in this, as most things, in that we are in God’s image.
It is the same with judgement.
To your comment regarding terms, the distinction is, we do not apply them, we witness them, both in ourselves and in others.
If on judgement day, God chooses to apply them, God will, but not until then.
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Tiller reaped what he sowed.
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Permit me to muse a little. Are we, today, seeing God’s judgment being rendered?
Consider that for years, the religious pro-life groups have been praying to end abortion. Further, for years, they’ve been praying to (a) remake the supreme court so that it would have a rock solid pro-life majority, and (b) to build a solid pro-life legislative and executive majority to craft suitable pro-life law.
For a six year period, between 2000 and 2006, just such a majority existed in Congress, with an adamant pro-life President in the white house. During that time, no major pro-life legislation ever made it out of committee for debate, much less for a vote. Since then, the Republican party has seen a severe decline in it’s political fortunes.
I hesitate to assign God a part in such things….and yet…..
On the more general subject at hand, Khalid talks about the difficulty of assigning righteousness to God. I was raised with a very clear understanding that ‘I’ will always get myself in trouble when I try to specify what God will or will not do. God, after all, is by definition omnipotent and omniscient. Ultimately, God will do what GOD will do, and only occasionally will God do things my way. On prayer, I say frequently that I should always be careful what I pray for, I might just get it. The classic example is that one should never pray for patience. Most likely, the answer will be you finding yourself in a situation that requires infinite patience.
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God answers all prayers. Sometimes the answer is “no”. Sometimes it’s probably, “you’ve got to be kidding”. Maybe because for many it’s more about punishing people who have sex than it is about life? Joe Garagiola tells the story of Jimmy Pearsal batting and Yogi catching, and Jimmy, who had had some emotional problems at one time (with Cleveland, I believe, and I think I was there at the time; he may have got them from me, but I digress), went out in front of the plate and drew the sign of the cross in the dirt. Yogi went over to him and said, “Yogi, why dont you just let god enjoy the game?” Story not relevant to this blog item, but still a good story.
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Another,
Perhaps it is a cultural thing. The definition of righteous I grew up with was someone standing at ready to obey God. An upright person, a pillar of the village community, helper of those who need aid, quiet and humble in demeanor, short of speech, kind and gentle, yet strong. I agree with what you have written but from where I stand it is difficult to understand what is the distinction between righteousness and sel-righteousness for a human being in what you are stating?
Applying the word to the Creator is also muddling. It is not a quality I associate with the Creator. Trying to figure out why the only thing I can come up with is, and perhaps I just don’t understand this word, that righteous in with respect to or towards another. The Creator has no equals and so how does one apply a relativistic term to the Creator? One cannot.
A long time ago an old man said to me, ‘Allah has everything?’, ‘No Allah does not have humility (actually he used the persian word ‘aajazee’ which is humility and dependence)’, ‘I offer Allah something Allah does not have, my humility’. It made me realize that there are terms that do not apply to the Creator.
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I also assume you are aware that most Democrats also voted for the war in Iraq. I would not have voted for it.
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I doubt we will see the P-D report this:
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/06/hijab-wearing-muslim-fanatic-crashes.html
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Also, Mr. Shah, why do you think the media totally took at pass on a Muslim shooting an American soldier in Little Rock? Why hasn’t anyone posted a blog piece about it to discuss the first Islamic terrorist attack on American soil under the Obama admin.? Why the double standard?
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Mr. Shah, glad I could provide you with some amusement on such a gloomey day and that you accept your frailty. Bottom line I agree more in principle with the GOP than the Dem party. Also, I won’t take the bait and attack you or your religion as I am not an expert on it. Personally, I find it odd, however, that Muslims and Baptists voted Democrat, yet I believe their religions are opposed to gay marriage and abortion. Have you attacked them for voting for a party that does not go along with their core religious beliefs? Don’t Muslim countries actually kill people for even being gay?
Do I think the GOP is perfect and agree with them wholeheartedly? No, and I think anyone that doesn’t question their political party and believes everything they promote, should re-think that. Mitt Romney, for instance whom I supported, actually had the same healthcare plan as Obama. The GOP are not quite as congruent a group as Democrats. Democrats just seem to go along and accept everything that Reid and Pelosi say. I don’t trust any of them.
Democrats will pander and say anything to whatever group just to get their votes and their only goal is to control everyone, but they just can’t see it. How sad. I believe in freedom and distain the Marxist, socialist, Communist control of the Democrat party. Weak people want to be controlled and they will be.
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whatwhat,
I have never said I was right in my thinking. You make a good point, and it is a constant consideration. In other words, you are right:)
I am not advocating that we ignore the jaragon of right and wrong. It is the world we lve in. Yet within a safe place of faith, we can discuss the possibility, practise it, and provide it as an example to the world in our being, if not in our language. This is what the master’s do.
Of course, there is great risk in this because we will certainly love them, then hate them, mock, inprison, or kill them, then love them again.
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison “being” free.
It is a very distinct line, the difference between being and judging. I am no master at it. I appreciate your remark.
Think,
Thank you for a thoughtful repsonse. There is a powerful distinction in anger. It is the outcome of blame. These are red flags for us. If we are experiencing anger, blame, or righteousness as in someone is occurring for us as wrong , we are in judgement. There is nothing wrong in this. It is what we do, and it will not make a difference.
One possibility is to acknoledge it, give it up, and create something else for ourselves in that moment. Something that inspires us, that touches something else within us, and share that with the target of our blame or judgment.
This is to Khalid’s earliar comment about the intent of prayer, (or a time out for a child) the practise of giving up of ourselves, of letting go of all that we know, and to be open for that which is possible.
A master brings nothing of themself, and in that moment of nothing what is possible? Everything.
Thank you both for listening for what I am sharing.
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hs,
Two comments about what you wrote. I think the abortion rates for women who are married (need to separate out those that are separated/divorced) is much lower so that does point to the very important effect if the man takes responsibility.
When you write about individual ministry what comes to mind is the systemic nature of social behavior. Many recognize a ‘herd’ mentality among teenagers when it comes to fashion, music etc. But all of us are modified in behavior by our environment. I came to USA in 1976 and did not return for a visit to Pakistan for nearly 10 years. On my first visit back I became aware of how many of my responses were so different. Social behavior is influenced by societal environment. What I am trying to say is that sometimes good national social policy means recognizing this systemic nature of social behavior and nudging policy in a direction to have a positive effect. I think carefully crafted social policy has a lot of potential for dramatically bringing down the abortion rate in our country.
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Wow,Khalid,
Apparently dark sarcasm and judgemental, condescending arrogance, are accepted in the muslim faith.
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Think,
Thank you for your response. You bring up a number of issues that deserve to be dealt with in detail. And I will make a note and do that at a later time because this may take more than one blog. As someone corrected me today, I want to make sure before bringing the information up. But as a starter let me suggest if you take a look at one of my previous three blogs on the abortion issue. http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/civil-religion/abortion/2009/03/challenge-to-faith-is-religion-a-blight-upon-humanity/ It covers the issue of a positive correlation between abortion and church attendance across 8 western nations. That such a correlation was found across multiple western societies has very strong implications and we dealt with it extensively in that blog. But some of the other issues I will, God willing , hope to address in the future.
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