Praying for Damnation
Posted by JohnAug 15
The Visitor’s Card is one of my favorite blogs, the author asks intelligent, pointed questions from an agnostic point of view and doesn’t shrink from calling a spade a spade. She writes on her “About Me” page,
In my blog, I’ll describe my experiences at churches I visit, and explain how my experiences of God compare to those of Christians.
Today she asks the question that I feel, many Christians have failed to ask, “Are we, as Christians, allowed to offer inprecatory prayers? That is, prayers that seek the demise or harm of an enemy.
She writes of an incident involving a Baptist minister in California who issued a press release to announce his churches’ support of Republican Presidential Candidate Gov. Mike Huckabee. The imprecatory prayer comes in, because Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (a Christian organization) are the ones aasking the IRS to investigate this church and their tax-exempt status, as they chose to jump into the waters of political activism.
My question for you, dear reader, in light of the words of Dr. Luke “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:26-27) and Paul, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil… Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:17-19) Do we have a right, as children of light, to pray harm upon someone we don’t agree with?
I went to a church for many years that would pray that President Clinton would be removed from power ‘by any means necessary’. Really? I don’t remember Jesus praying that Herod or Caesar would befall harm.
What are your thoughts?
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Pingback by University Update - Mike Huckabee - Praying for Damnation on August 15, 2007 at 10:57 pm
[...] Clark Contact the Webmaster Link to Article mike huckabee Praying for Damnation » Posted at Rejecting Your Reality… on [...]
Comment by Stoney deGeyter on August 16, 2007 at 6:58 am
Prayers like that are blatantly unscriptural… at least by New Testament standards (not so much the OT). Bible say to pray for those who persecute you. Christians should pray FOR those that oppose them. Now you can pray they receive Godly wisdom and only make decisions that are truly to the benefit of the nation, etc. etc. but to pray negatively is just lame.
Personally, I hate when churches get involved in politics. Period. But the Americans United is a bit hypocritical by not going after liberal churches that regularly endorse political candidates. But that’s beside the point.
Comment by Rick on August 16, 2007 at 8:31 am
Yeah, just to echo what Stoney said, the church gets in trouble when we get too involved in politics. Funny how that whole message of compassion and mercy seems to get pushed aside when talking points are on the table.
Pingback by More on the imprecating « The Visitor’s Card on August 16, 2007 at 11:51 am
[...] on the imprecating Published August 16th, 2007 Uncategorized Rejecting Reality was kind enough to link to my post about Wiley Drake’s let-us-pray-agin-em campaign directed [...]
Comment by hdolezalek on August 16, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Thanks for the comments, RR! I was shocked to hear that people would pray for Bill Clinton to be removed from office “by any means necessary.” Assassination? Car wreck? E. coli? Wow.
As for Stoney’s comment: Although I agree that AU goes after more conservative churches than liberal ones, that’s because far fewer liberal churches cross the line. The separation of church and state is a bedrock principle of the liberal movement and they frankly tend to respect it more than more conservative churches.
Comment by Stoney deGeyter on August 17, 2007 at 6:36 am
“that’s because far fewer liberal churches cross the line.”
I’m not defending “conservative churches” that do, but I don’t think that statement has any truth. I don’t know exact numbers and only know what I see in the media, but it seems that black liberal churches are routinely hosting (liberal) candidates to give political speaches, etc.
I think most churches wisely stay out of politics, and there are certainly a lot of conservative “christian” political organizations but I’m not referring to those. And maybe I’m just ignorant having never attended a church that delved into politics on any level, but it does seem that there are a lot more “liberal” churches than “conservative” churches.
It’s unfortunate that we have either. Jesus wasn’t political. The “Christian” way to change the political atmosphere is to change lives… not lobby Washington.
Comment by John on August 17, 2007 at 7:50 am
That comment gets an “Amen, Brother!”
How is it that Senators Obama and Clinton were able to give unabashed political speeches in Selma, AL last spring?