Post by malcolm on Aug 2, 2013 22:45:43 GMT -8
Prayers and Maxims of Ani
Praying in public was at one time seen as a sin. That also included praying in church for it was the priest or priests who were the intermediaries with god, and they retired to the inner sanctum to pass on prayers to god. In fact Akhenaten/Moses made it a law that only he could communicate with god.
In The Maxims of Ani we are told that praying in public is an abomination:
"Let one give self to God. Keep thyself today for God, tomorrow will be like today. In the sanctuary of God much speaking is an abomination. Make thy prayers with a heart of love, all thy petitions offered in secret. He will perform thy affairs, he will hear what thou sayest, he will accept thine offerings. In making offerings to thy God, guard thyself against the abomination. "
This is repeated in the gospels:
Matthew 6:2 Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Matthew 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
Matthew 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:5 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.
Matthew 6:6 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.
Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
As ever there are contradictions in the bible which tell us straight out that God will not hear your prayers.
Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear.
Lamentations 3:8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
This is obviously the case - Ian Ross Vayro, "God Save us from Religion" page 32:
"Statistics show that the majority of prayers in Christian countries are to ask that loved ones receive travelling mercies and that they remain safe, particularly in times of war and upheaval. Major insurance companies insure against calculated risks that is their job.
Some years ago a very extensive study was undertaken to ascertain if, in fact prayer had a bearing on risk; to ascertain if Christians were a better risk than non-Christians were. Imagine the effect it would have on policies if it could be shown that Christians were a better risk and all this prayer was paying off.
The conclusions were, however, that there is absolutely no delineation in statistics of Christians and non-Christians killed in wear or in travelling accidents. In aircraft accidents, train smashes and motor vehicle accidents the statistics did not favour the Christians at all.
This was a very prestigious organisation, undertaking a very extensive study and actually looking for a positive result that simply could not be substantiated. You may draw your own conclusions, but it is hard to overlook the simple truth that those millions of hours of prayer seem to be a total waste of time.
Apart from some small benefit gained from ones own affirmation process and perhaps the polarising of one's thoughts, or focussing one's needs, this was just so much wasted effort.
From all those thousands and thousands of prayers, prayed in earnest over the years, there is simply no evidence whatsoever that a single prayer was even heard and certainly no evidence that anything at all was achieved by it."
Malcolm: I have come across other studies on prayer, and in one case those who did not pray recovered from their health problems whereas those who prayed had little improvement in their sickness.
The mind alone can work wonders, and this is what really happens in those cases where people try to tell themselves that their prayers have worked. Just read Norman Doidge's "The Brain that changes itself" and you will begin to understand what is really happening in what appear to be miracle cures.