Prayer toolbar

[Tiassa]

Prayer toolbar. It almost speaks for itself. But since pictures are worth a whole lot of words, and so I don't accidentally overheat anyone's brain by writing that many words, here you go:

​

Some extra words are necessary. Try Christopher Frizelle's Slog entry, and give a perusal to the comments. Readers of the blog for Seattle's best and most liberal newspaper are taking this one well:

The fact that the purveyors of this add-on believe being able to include a church's logo in the message bar is an actual selling point, pretty much tells me everything I need to know about the current state of organized religion.

(Comte)

And Lawrence Molloy's two-part rant is entertaining. Sort of. But, for now, "Comte" has the argument at hand.

 

[Orleander]

I don't see how this would be any different than calling people and starting a prayer chain.

 

[Baron Max]

Yeah, as a matter of fact, is it really any difference than in a church where someone is calling for prayers for a member or a member's family?

Tiassa, you're a strange one ...you constant make the claim that people should care about other people, yet here, where people are actually caring for other people, you deride them for it.

What's the deal, Tiassa, should people care for others or not? Or is it your contention that "caring" should only be done YOUR way? Are you really that fuckin' self-righteous?

Baron Max

 

[Tiassa]

I don't see how this would be any different than calling people and starting a prayer chain.

Volume?

We used to go through this every morning in high school. Morning announcements, a general prayer, and then specific prayers. Several minutes, some days. There was a box where students could stuff suggestions for things to petition God. And, yes, there were a few students who could not get thorugh the day without stuffing the box with multiple petitions. And it's not so much that I object to them praying for Joe's mom's cancer. That's acutally a fine thing to pray about. Nor do I object to praying for the starving kids in Africa. But for safe commutes, rain in the desert, the conversion of the infidels, the success of smugglers and terrorists (as long as they were Christian smugglers and terrorists) ... after a while, it would get out of hand. Five minutes for the news, fifteen minutes for prayers, and hey, then we get to take the test that was designed to be taken in a fifty-minute class. I understand. Praying for things is important. But we were a school. There were days, quite literally, when we spent more time praying than we did learning anything about whatever class we were in. And on one level, I suppose, that's fine. It's a freakin' Jesuit school, for heaven's sake. But you'd think they would learn to plan for this.

And that's what I think of when I see this toolbar.

URGENT! Pray for Mrs. Sims - she was in a car accident last night.

URGENT! Pray for Mrs. Cameron - that dead fetus she's been carrying around inside her finally got the best of her last night. She may not live through the day. Pray for this hero who believed that God might suddenly give her fetus a brain.

URGENT! Pray for Father Fred - he has a really bad hangover and will be administering your math test.

URGENT! Pray for the football team - they're traveling to South K tonight.

URGENT! Pray for Joe Smith, of Middleberg, Kansas - he banged his wife's sister and needs God's guidance to help him not lose everything in the divorce.

URGENT! Pray for Mary Smith, of Middleberg, Kansas - she found out her husband is banging her sister, and needs God's guidance so that she doesn't file for divorce.

URGENT! Pray for a woman whose name we can't spell, in Pakistan - her husband threw acid in her face, and she needs God's guidance so that she can find Jesus Christ.

URGENT! Pray for Akbar, whose last name we can't spell, in Pakistan - he threw acid in his wife's face after his best friend tried to rape her, and now he needs God's guidance so that he can find Jesus Christ.

URGENT! Pray for, well, we don't even know what his name is - he raped his best friend's wife, causing acid to be thrown in her face, and now he needs God's guidance to give his heart over to Jesus Christ.

URGENT! CLICK HERE TO VIEW PETITIONS 1-100 OF 7 BILLION​

At some point, Orleander, I just think people can be overwhelmed. If God wanted the world to grind to a halt so we all could pray for others while we starved to death, we wouldn't be here discussing the situation. We'd be dead or dying. For the glory of God, of course.

And in that context, the bit about the church's logo seems even more absurd.

And I suppose there's one other fundamental question. Are you religious, Orleander? (That one's rhetorical; the next one is the fundamental question.) Do you really need to be told who and what to pray for, and when?

 

[Baron Max]

Do you really need to be told who and what to pray for, and when?

And do YOU really need to tell others what they should or shouldn't pray for?

Because, Tiassa, whether you admit it or not, that's exactly, precisely, what you're doing .......telling others what to do or what not to do.

Baron Max

 

[Tiassa]

whether you admit it or not, that's exactly, precisely, what you're doing .......telling others what to do or what not to do.

And I'm sure you can make that case. I look forward to reading what you come up with.

 

[Orleander]

....Do you really need to be told who and what to pray for, and when?

Its not an order telling you what to do. Its just letting you know that so-and-so could use your prayers. A person calls in and asks that Jim be added because he just had a heart attack. He's added to the banner adn if you see it, consider adding him in your prayers.

Its about people in your congregation, people you come to consider friends and even family. If your on vacation, you can check it.

Why are you making it worse than what it is? :shrug:

Oh, and I'm atheist

 

[Enmos]

Prayer toolbar. It almost speaks for itself. But since pictures are worth a whole lot of words, and so I don't accidentally overheat anyone's brain by writing that many words, here you go:

​

Some extra words are necessary. Try Christopher Frizelle's Slog entry, and give a perusal to the comments. Readers of the blog for Seattle's best and most liberal newspaper are taking this one well:



And Lawrence Molloy's two-part rant is entertaining. Sort of. But, for now, "Comte" has the argument at hand.

LOL is this somesort of joke ?

 

[Tiassa]

I would consider installing the thing for a while just to make the point, but blessedly, the thing doesn't seem to be made for Mac yet. By the time it is, hopefully I'll have my senses back.

But seriously, after two minutes of formal prayers and ten to fifteen minutes of ridiculous petitions ... it really did start to wear. I do wonder, though, how this little tool will interact with Christian social-networking sites. That might be where things get out of hand. (And no, there is not yet a MyChrist.com.)

• • •​

LOL is this somesort of joke ?

Molloy's rant in the comments at Frizelle's Slog entry is a joke. But the product? I don't know. The picture is clickable. Go see for yourself, I guess. I think they're actually serious.

 

[Baron Max]

But seriously, after two minutes of formal prayers and ten to fifteen minutes of ridiculous petitions ... it really did start to wear.

Are you so perfect and magnificent that you feel you can criticize others as much as you do?

Why do you feel so high-n-mighty and self-righteous that you must tell others what they're doing is wrong or silly or.....?

Do you like it when others criticize you or what you do? Are you tolerant of the comments of others about what you do or say? In fact, are you tolerant of anyone who doesn't believe exactly as you believe?

Baron Max

 

[Tiassa]

Max, go read Franny and Zooey, specifically the "Franny" part. Enjoy it. Please.

 

[shorty_37]

LOL is this somesort of joke ?

I thought the same thing



URGENT!! SEND MONEY- Shorty wants to retire early.

 

[Baron Max]

Max, go read ........

Well, Tiassa, why don't you tell us what's so wrong with prayer for someone or something ...if people want to do it, and they believe in God.

I don't get your posts, Tiassa, I really don't ....other than to see them as you just complaining about what other people want to do or want to believe.

Are you really so intolerant of the thoughts and/or actions of others? Your posts seem to be geared towards condemnation of others ...all of your posts are like that ...righteous indignation because of something that you don't like in others.

Please, please, please, .....explain what you find so wrong in this "prayer bar" thing. ...other than to condemn others for it.

Baron Max

 

[Tiassa]

I think it cheapens prayer, Max.

I don't get your posts, Tiassa, I really don't

We know, Max.

• • •​

Its not an order telling you what to do. Its just letting you know that so-and-so could use your prayers

The ironic thing, though, is a poem that Christians used to circulate via office fax. I'll see if I can find it online. But what, exactly, does one say to God, then? "I knew she needed my prayers, but I just didn't have the time."

Look, I know I'm not the only one who ever received that poem. I used to see it taped to people's refrigerators.

Whatsoever you do or do not do to the least of His brethren ... there are better ways to pray without ceasing. This, as I pointed out to Max, cheapens prayer.

 

[Baron Max]

I think it cheapens prayer, Max.

For you, but it obviously doesn't for those who use the little prayer bar. So what it seems to be is that this entire thread is your unwillingness to accept something that others do ...something that does not harm you in any way.

Besides, you don't believe in God or prayer anyway, Tiassa, so how could it "cheapen" something that you don't even believe in?

See? Tiassa, you're just intolerant, that's all. And apparently, with regard to religion, you're also bigotted.

Baron Max

 

[Orleander]

I think it cheapens prayer....

cheapens prayer?? LMAO
The only thing that would ever cheapen prayer is praying to win the lottery, praying to win a football game, etc.
Selfish prayer cheapens prayer. Getting more people to pray for a sick person, which is called a prayer chain, doesn't.

I just don't understand how someone else prays would bother someone who doesn't pray. What rules of prayer should there be then??