[soc.religion.christian] pray for the dead and the ...

jmoon@lehi3b15.csee.lehigh.edu (Jonggu Moon [890911]) (11/09/90)

One day our IV chapter was having a hot prayer session, when
in walks a lady who says that her mother had died and asked
us to lift a prayer for her mother.

Well, during the prayer, we prayed for the daughter ( that she would
know the love of God and feel the caring and support of Christ ).

Later, we tried to explain to her that we believed that we should
NOT pray for the dead since we are not given authority over that realm
...yet.

So were we right or wrong ?

^>*<^

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-o-o-
( o )
/   \i hunger

[Presumably by IV you mean Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, a group
that works primarily on college campuses.  You might want to consider
the fact that Christians are told to bring all of their concerns to
God in prayer.  After a loved one dies, it seems perfectly natural to
bring your concern for them to God.  I understand why the Reformers
considered some 16th Cent. Roman Catholic practices in this area to be
in need of change.  Some care is needed to guard against superstitious
practices or those contrary to our understanding of salvation.  But a
flat prohibition against prayer for the dead seems to me to be inhuman
and contrary to clear Biblical instructions.  I cannot conceive of any
Christian group refusing to pray with someone who comes to them,
telling them in effect that they should not bring their concern on
that subject to God.  --clh]