stanwyck@ihuxr.UUCP (Don Stanwyck) (03/16/84)
Bill Jeffreys (and others) have suggested that Jesus was against public prayer. Obviously, they either have not read that portion of the Bible, or they choose to take things far out of context. For starts, Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." The passage Bill and others have refered to is the incident in the temple where the pharisee got up bragged aloud about his status and "good deeds" in a prayer format, while the poor man prayed in the corner thanking God for His mercy toward a sinner. Jesus said it is better to pray like the poor man (i.e. sincerely) than like the pharisee (i.e. hypocritically). He did not say it is not proper to pray in public. Please, if you insist on attributing a statement or philosophy to anyone - me, Jesus, Buddha, anyone - please at least read what the person said, and take it in context! Thanx! -- ________ ( ) Don Stanwyck @( o o )@ 312-979-3062 ( || ) Cornet-367-3062 ( \__/ ) ihnp4!ihuxr!stanwyck (______) Bell Labs @ Naperville, IL
bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys) (03/17/84)
> Bill Jeffreys (and others) have suggested that Jesus was against public > prayer. Obviously, they either have not read that portion of the Bible, > or they choose to take things far out of context. This is a serious accusation, Don, and I don't appreciate it (especially as it happens not to be true). > The passage Bill and others have refered to is the incident in the > temple where the pharisee got up bragged aloud about his status and "good > deeds" in a prayer format, while the poor man prayed in the corner thanking > God for His mercy toward a sinner. Jesus said it is better to pray like the > poor man (i.e. sincerely) than like the pharisee (i.e. hypocritically). He > did not say it is not proper to pray in public. I believe that Don has not got the same reference I do. I refer to the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6:5-6), not to the incident in the Temple: "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." > Please, if you insist on attributing a statement or philosophy to > anyone - me, Jesus, Buddha, anyone - please at least read what the person > said, and take it in context! I believe that it is fair to interpret the passage above as encouraging private prayer and discouraging public prayer. As for those that insist that children should be coerced into public prayer in schools, regardless of the children's feelings on the matter - are they not teaching the children to pray as the hypocrites do? Why the insistence on *public* prayer, I ask again? Who are the real hypocrites? -- Bill Jefferys 8-% Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712 (USnail) {ihnp4,kpno,ctvax}!ut-sally!utastro!bill (uucp) utastro!bill@ut-ngp (ARPANET)