How powerful is a PRAYER?

[JennyMominRI]

Without hell, there can be no heaven.

Just to point out something you probably already know, there is no Hell in Judaism but there is some belief in the World to come.. There is an idea of a better life after we die, but there is no concept of eternal damnation

 

[jimmiej]

This is what I meant by grovelling, although I conceed that grovel is certainly not the best word choice. Instead, I will ask why I should try to please a parent who belittles me so? Who says "my very best is as filthy as rags to Him"? Who makes me jump through hoops when I am making the best choices I can with my own free will? The free will that he supposedly gave me? If my free will doesn't matter and nothing I can do is good enough, why give people that free will at all?

What "hoops?" Simply...believe. You have the freedom to say Yes or No.

Again, I don't make the effort to try to be a good person for the purpose of salvation.

Neither do I. I make the effort to be a good person BECAUSE of salvation. The book of James says "faith w/o works is dead."

 

[rockbottomsound]

Just to point out something you probably already know, there is no Hell in Judaism but there is some belief in the World to come.. There is an idea of a better life after we die, but there is no concept of eternal damnation

Jenny, in line with the other thread on the Ouja board, some posters, including an account I know of personally claim that the entity they were talking to through the board spelled out He!! when it was asked where it was. If there was an entity communicating with people, why would they spell out He!! to answer the question of where they were?

Just curious to hear your opinion on that.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Jenny, in line with the other thread on the Ouja board, some posters, including an account I know of personally claim that the entity they were talking to through the board spelled out He!! when it was asked where it was. If there was an entity communicating with people, why would they spell out He!! to answer the question of where they were?

Just curious to hear your opinion on that.

I would assume that spirits(as Demons in Judaism are spirits of dead people that are not really at rest) will say whatever it is that will frighten people the most... They know what scares you... For example, you don't really hear about Jews being possesed by the Devil, as Jews don't recognize Satan as Christians do,but you often hear about Catholics being involved with possestion.. WHy? Maybe because spirits recognize what scares us and use that to your advantage... There simply is no concept of Hell or of the Christian Satan in Judaism.
I'm not saying I disbelieve your experiences with an ouja board, I simply believe a demon knows what scares you,and uses that.

 

[rockbottomsound]

I would assume that spirits(as Demons in Judaism are spirits of dead people that are not really at rest) will say whatever it is that will frighten people the most... They know what scares you... For example, you don't really hear about Jews being possesed by the Devil, as Jews don't recognize Satan as Christians do,but you often hear about Catholics being involved with possestion.. WHy? Maybe because spirits recognize what scares us and use that to your advantage... There simply is no concept of Hell or of the Christian Satan in Judaism.
I'm not saying I disbelieve your experiences with an ouja board, I simply believe a demon knows what scares you,and uses that.

There are accounts of Satan in the Old Testiment, where are you coming to the conclusion that Satan is not "recognized" by Judaism? I'm not necessarily doubting you, but I just never had that impression of Judaism. I thought it was just no recognition of Jesus, not necessarily Satan and God?

And I won't get back into the whole demon thing, for I don't think any of us will ever really know what its all about.

 

[Buckalew11]

I think the whole Judisam take on Satan is rather interesting. I had never heard it before either until Jenny explained it here. I think Many Jews, but not all, believe there was a man named Jesus who lived, just that He is not the promised Messiah. And of course, Jews definitely believe in God.

 

[JennyMominRI]

There are accounts of Satan in the Old Testiment, where are you coming to the conclusion that Satan is not "recognized" by Judaism? I'm not necessarily doubting you, but I just never had that impression of Judaism. I thought it was just no recognition of Jesus, not necessarily Satan and God?

And I won't get back into the whole demon thing, for I don't think any of us will ever really know what its all about.

In Judaism Satan works for G-d sort of as G-ds rosecuting attorney..He has no free will of his own..He is not a rebellious angel..He is exactly what he was created for by G-d an Angel ..... The OT takes places in the Tanakh where the Hebrew words for Scourge , Accuser and adversary were and replaces them with Devil or Satan. Also Jews do not view the snake in Genesis as Satan at all ..Satan is only mentioned once or twice in Jewish scriture, the main time being when he is used by G-d to *try* Job

 

[SwedishMeatball]

This is what I meant by grovelling, although I conceed that grovel is certainly not the best word choice. Instead, I will ask why I should try to please a parent who belittles me so? Who says "my very best is as filthy as rags to Him"? Who makes me jump through hoops when I am making the best choices I can with my own free will? The free will that he supposedly gave me? If my free will doesn't matter and nothing I can do is good enough, why give people that free will at all? Again, I don't make the effort to try to be a good person for the purpose of salvation.

I think God wants us to come to Him by choice.

 

[rockbottomsound]

In Judaism Satan works for G-d sort of as G-ds rosecuting attorney..He has no free will of his own..He is not a rebellious angel..He is exactly what he was created for by G-d an Angel ..... The OT takes places in the Tanakh where the Hebrew words for Scourge , Accuser and adversary were and replaces them with Devil or Satan. Also Jews do not view the snake in Genesis as Satan at all ..Satan is only mentioned once or twice in Jewish scriture, the main time being when he is used by G-d to *try* Job

The whole Judaism/Christianity debate reminds me of this famous Catholic guy and his Jewish friend discussing politics. Time comes when they are drinking and the Catholic guy makes a toast with their drinks with the Jewish guy. Catholic guy goes, to the birth of Jesus, the Jewish guy goes along with the toast saying you got it, another tough Jew.

 

[Fly me with Balloons]

I cannot imagine anything sadder than to NOT believe.

Penny

I can: misplaced faith in that which is a story used to control people.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

I can: misplaced faith in that which is a story used to control people.

Misplaced according to whom??

 

[Amity 3]

 

[Amity 3]

here's why I don't pray to Jesus:

he's a flippin' ball hog. let the kids have a shot at it, Jesus.

 

[freckles and boo]

here's why I don't pray to Jesus:

he's a flippin' ball hog. let the kids have a shot at it, Jesus.

Thank you so much!!! Now I can leave my computer smiling.

 

[JennyMominRI]

There was a skit on SNL back in the Phil Hartman days about a women who prayed to Jesus about everything..She was in the kitchen and asking him about everything "Jesus, Should I make waffles or Pancakes" "Jesus, please let the batter not be lumpy" Jesus,should I have two or 3 etc.. Phil Hartman appears as Jesus and begs her to please stop asking him about everything...It was pretty funny

 

[JoyG]

This is what I meant by grovelling, although I conceed that grovel is certainly not the best word choice. Instead, I will ask why I should try to please a parent who belittles me so? Who says "my very best is as filthy as rags to Him"? Who makes me jump through hoops when I am making the best choices I can with my own free will? The free will that he supposedly gave me? If my free will doesn't matter and nothing I can do is good enough, why give people that free will at all? Again, I don't make the effort to try to be a good person for the purpose of salvation.

First bold- Becoming a christian often seems like a very belittling experience. We really have to humble ourselves to come to God, and that's really hard concept for many people to accept. God is looking for a broken spirit and a contrite heart. I often feel like God is still working to humble me!

Second bold-
Jimmie mentioned this in a response to you earlier, but Christians would argue the reason you make the effort to be a good person is because God "wrote" that desire on you heart. That's how we were created by Him, with his laws written on our hearts.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

here's why I don't pray to Jesus:

he's a flippin' ball hog. let the kids have a shot at it, Jesus.

OK, I am a Christian, and this has me

 

[Amity 3]

There was a skit on SNL back in the Phil Hartman days about a women who prayed to Jesus about everything..She was in the kitchen and asking him about everything "Jesus, Should I make waffles or Pancakes" "Jesus, please let the batter not be lumpy" Jesus,should I have two or 3 etc.. Phil Hartman appears as Jesus and begs her to please stop asking him about everything...It was pretty funny

Sally Field is the woman in the skit, and it is absolutely hilarious. I miss Phil Hartman.

 

[orljustin]

This is the kind of thing that makes me hate prayer request threads:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1365364

Praying that god's will be done on a house purchase decision? Ok, "god's will" is going to be whatever happens anyways, so why the request? And why bother other people with it? If you need to go meditate on your own to accept the outcome, fine, but this just seems silly. Some people will "pray" at the drop of a hat, and that just makes the whole prayer setup a farce, imo.

 

[freckles and boo]

This is the kind of thing that makes me hate prayer request threads:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1365364

Praying that god's will be done on a house purchase decision? Ok, "god's will" is going to be whatever happens anyways, so why the request? And why bother other people with it? If you need to go meditate on your own to accept the outcome, fine, but this just seems silly. Some people will "pray" at the drop of a hat, and that just makes the whole prayer setup a farce, imo.

Yeah, I saw that, too... People get very wrapped up in their hopes and desires.