Prayer for others

[Impqueen]

Do you think it is acceptable for a member of one faith to pray to their deity for the member of another faith? What about if the person prayed for is hostile to the faith of the person praying?

Some examples...

Could a Muslim pray for a Jew and vice versa?
Would it be okay for me to pray to the Earth mother for a rabid fundamentalist who thinks my gods are all the devil in disguise?
Can a Catholic pray to a saint for a Protestant?

I feel that as praying for someone is an essentially benevolent act, it's always good to pray for someone, whether they believe in your gods (or saints) or not. Although I would also tend to respect the wishes of the person I was praying for.

[wil]

Acceptable, good question...common place...yeah.

I'd say we pray for others all the time. Making a generalization I'd say we don't always pray for what the others want though, we pray for something we want for someone else.

ie we pray for someone to understand our way of thinking, that they become better members of society or join our belief system (both are belief systems eh?)

Now while I am more in the line of oneness...ie the various G-ds are all faces of G-d...they are all one....but I can imagine the various expressions of G-d all sitting in their cubicles scrolling through their list of prayers...Hey YHWH, one for you, and I got one for Gaia too....where is Krishna today he gonna pick up his list?

As the sun goes around the globe various beliefs have rush hours on the bandwidth...

[InLove]

Hi Impqueen

I had what I thought was a beautiful post all ready for you regarding this subject. Then I lost it to cyberspace. I must have said something I shouldn't say? LOL. I thought I'd let you in on my own computer troubles, since I know you've had a few recently.

So starting over, I have no problem asking for prayers on my behalf (or that of others) from someone with a different faith, philosophy, tradition, etc. or vice versa. The only problem I might have is if someone asked me to pray for something in which I do not believe. In a case like that, I would still lift the person up in prayer, and ask that Love be the guide in whatever situation he/she is facing.

It's interesting to me that I can debate all afternoon with someone here in CR and beyond about the characteristics and aspects of God, and at the end of the day we might just decide to agree to disagree. But if one of us is in need, we can say so, and the rest of us are there saying, "Yes! Of course I'll pray for you." We even go so far sometimes to say silly things like "I love you". There may be the occasional scoffer who would laugh and hurl the cynic's ban, but I can't help but see the beauty in interfaith prayer. And I would add that it is a blessing to be asked to pray for others, no matter what tradition they hold.

InPeace,
InLove

[17th Angel]

I think it is an act of kindness.... Say;

Oh no my child is dying of cancer.....
"oh that is terrible my thoughts and prayers are with you"

That is nice... Cause, you are showing compassion even though you are of different faiths it's like christmas presents, it's the thought that counts... heh.


BUT

If it is all like

my god can beat up your god! my god's better (or a debate maybe on a higher intellectual level.. I couldn’t be arsed to think of an example so we’ll go with that one.)
“Yeah right! My god is better! I am right you are wrong, I am so going to pray for your soul!”

Then I think hmmm that isn't nesscarry. Nesscary? Nescarry? Necessary?… Whatever it is….. Because of free will, that you call a gift, you have choosen what you will and you MUST allow them to choose what they will.. I would think praying to your god would be seen as pointless as it would be a prayer if answered that forces the others free will to be broken.

[Impqueen]

I think you're right... it depends on the prayer. If a Christian prayed for me to be happy that's great, if they prayed for me to convert I think I'd be a little annoyed ... though I can see why they'd do that. I suppose it's the free will issue again.

I like the images of the Gods sitting around in a postroom although nowadays it'd probably be an internet cafe.

[dauer]

although nowadays it'd probably be an internet cafe.

There's YHWH at the counter sipping his iced mocha latte with a shot of espresso and twittering from his blackberry about how he's heading out for a meeting with the guys in R&D.

Krishna's sitting at a table in the corner with his laptop and assorted peripherals spread out in front of him, a coasterless grande capuccino next to a crumbling oversized chocolate macadamia cookie on a napkin marked with the logo of the establishment nestled in a spot between his computer and assorted cables. He's answering e-mails and deleting the garbage his spam filter has missed.

Over by the window Jesus is people-watching and lazily nursing a now-cold tall cup of peruvian blend with cream, no sugar. He has a folded newspaper on the table in front of him where he'd been working through a crossword puzzle, reading the headlines and Zippy and circling classifieds in the help wanted section under "divine intervention."

Outside on the street in worn army fatigues is Ares. He's holding up a sign to passers-by: "Will smite for food." But few people take him seriously anymore. Dionysus makes his way over to Ares in birkenstocks and a tie-dye shirt but Ares only gets annoyed when he tells him "I totally just found three quarters of an uneaten Fishamajig in the dumpster behind the Friendly's, man. It was like, still warm and stuff. You wanna go over to the alley behind footlocker later and smoke a joint with the dudes there?"

Dauer

[Impqueen]

Lol....

[InLove]

I was waiting for the bus outside the cafe and I saw Jesus--He just left Chicago and was headed for New Orleans....they could probably use Him there....

Note: This post won't make any sense unless you are familiar with the music of ZZ Top.