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Opinions, please

Posted: May 26, 2013

Hi all,

What do you think about people who pray for, what I term, silly things? Like what color drapes to buy, what shoes to wear that day, etc.

I find it rather silly because people have to take controls over their own lives. I do not believe in "handing everything over" to the higher power. Our higher power (who I term God) gave us brains and will and power to make decisions.

I don't call this an abuse of prayer, I just don't understand why some people can't think for themselves. I have found that the most profoundly religious of people do this.

I have also seen the same people spend money LIKE CRAZY, because in their minds, "God will take care of us." I don't agree with that. Her husband makes extremely good money, but is scared to death that they'll never be able to retire, because of the way she spends money. Her attitude is truly that God will take care of them. They way overspent on a huge house years ago and she sunk a ton of money into it, not worrying a wit about the end result because of her faith that God wouldn't let anything bad happen to them, they won't end up in the poor house. They have not saved a single dime of all the money he's made over the years.

I'm not writing this as one of those right or wrong answers. I am writing this in hope of gaining insight to some of this line of thinking.

;

why are you so concerned about - someone else's life?

[ In Reply To ..]
This does not sound like a faith in God thing... this sounds like a nose in somebody else's business thing.

It is a philosophical/theological - thing-not nosy-OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I am not nosing around. I just am curious and am one of those people who likes to understand things, particularly when it's at the expense of someone else. Like the religious wife with the money thing. Her husband is about to have a heart attack over her religious belief that God is going to take care of everything.

Some People - Truly Wonder

[ In Reply To ..]
About what goes on in spirtual minds. I have what I feel is a spiritual mind, but I evidently am not on the same wave-length of others. I feel sooo on the outside because I DO NOT believe in tempting fate, I DO NOT believe in living beyond means in "hopes of being saved by God," etc.

Mind you, I believe in God and the Lord. I do not believe what you believe in terms of my having no power over God or the Lord.

It is the very thinking of my above example of observances of "faith" that have caused me to not join a religious organization. I truly want to belong to something of that nature, but these almost mystical beliefs have caused me to stay away. I have a powerful belief in myself, but I know I cannot do it all. I am having severe trouble in believing in your beliefs. I am not one to "give it all to the Lord," because I myself have will.

Valid question - Thinking about this a lot lately

[ In Reply To ..]
I think this is an interesting question, and one that I've been contemplating quite a lot lately.

I believe that there are "morally neutral" choices, including color of drapes, etc., but also one's choice of where to live and which house to buy (assuming you have the resources) and other significant decisions. You want to live by the ocean? In the mountains? Go for it! It's not WHERE we are that counts; it's WHO we are. We have to make lots of decisions every day, such as whether or not to brush our teeth. The consequences of not doing so are obvious, and I wouldn't spend a lot of time meditating about it. There are those who consider every decision to have eternal ramifications. Perhaps they're right.

As far as believing that you'll be taken care of despite poor choices and irresponsible behavior, I would say that this is faith in magic. I don't believe anyone is immune to the consequences of his/her actions. If you jump off a building, you're gonna fall to the ground no matter what you profess to believe. IMO, not even the faithful can defy gravity.

Thank you - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I am just curious how and why people come to conclusions that may hurt their outcome or someone else's outcome. Faith is a wonderful thing. I just get very concerned that some people aren't using their inborn intelligence and will to think clearly.

To Me - Not good to tempt fate

[ In Reply To ..]
I do not believe in tempting fate, such as the example about spending money wildly. Kind of like jumping off a cliff and expecting to be saved. Or running down the street in a bad neighborhood waving a $100 bill in your hand. That's just dumb.

Bible Matthew 6:25 - hjs

[ In Reply To ..]
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Some people really believe this and run with it and end up making bad choices because they think they don't have to be responsible for themselves, and God will just take care it. Well look around people. There are starving people all over the world, and God doesn't seem to help them. Sad.

Yup - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
There are starving children all over the world because people over there keep making children they can't feed. In my opinion, that is child abuse.

People have kids they can't afford here in the U.S., too. We just have a government that will take care of people who choose to exercise no control over their lives.

I feel good about my life. I have faith in God, but I also don't turn the whole shabang over to him, because I believe God wants us to make our own decisions. He gave us strong brains and a lot of means to make things happen or not happen.

I make my own decisions, exercise my own control regarding money, having children, etc.

God does not seem to help them - because they are not seeking HIM

[ In Reply To ..]
your response to your own post is contradictory to what was stated in the quote from the Bible. Things are the way they are (what with starving people) because that is the way they are supposed to be. This is God's plan to bring them closer to Him, to seek Him in all things, to have "faith" in Him. If you believe and have faith, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you, as well.

The way I see it is this... If you choose to seek God about even the smallest of details in your life, such as the color of curtains and such, your mind is ever faithful to include God in your life, no matter how small you think the situation is. You are choosing to keep God in your thoughts, all thoughts, and therefore are faithful to Him and seeking His guidance in your life. With that kind of faith and that kind of inclusion of God in your life, all will be added to you because of your faith. It's not "giving up personal responsibility", as it is said "God's will be done." not your own will. "Everything" to God in prayer does not mean just the big things, or just on Sunday or special holidays...it means just what it says...ALL things, big or small. To have "concern" over how someone else spends their money is just being judgmental, and perhaps even jealous, and is not really "concern" at all. JMO.

I agree with some of what you are saying - BeenThere

[ In Reply To ..]
What you are saying is all true. However, I have family members that I know that do this very thing. Spend $ irresponsibly, etc., and then when they have nothing, think God is going to help them. When that doesn't happen, they always seem to need financial help from the rest of the family. This puts stress on everybody and is not fair.

I'm just saying that people should be mindful of their decisions and not expect God to help that out of every jam.

The above poster is most likely not jealous. I have been in this same boat. I am sure she is just concerned over a friend.

You are correct - Not jealous

[ In Reply To ..]
I am not jealous. I have chosen a different path, and that is to spend my and my husband's hard-earned money wisely, not get caught up in materialistic items. I have chosen that security in my old age and time with my husband is more important than a 6000 sq-foot house. I'm perfectly content in my 2300 sq-ft house (that we wisely saved for and didn't buy until we could afford it) and was happy in my 900 sq-foot apartment before that, until we responsibly could afford the larger home.

Nobody pushing the age of 70 years should be working because his wife needed these items and decided God will magically take care of them. He is working to the point of having a heart attack, has been diagnosed with cancer, and still working 80 hours a week. He obviously understands that God is not going to drop money from the skies.

I think the reason I brought this all up is because people can easily get their head stuck in the sand and become mindless jelly fish, then wonder why things went all wrong for them.

Been there - MGM

[ In Reply To ..]
Maybe these particular family members who end up having to borrow from the rest of the family believe that's God's way of helping them? This is tongue-in-cheek, of course. But who knows what's going on in their minds.

Are you saying - That they are starving...

[ In Reply To ..]
...because they haven't found Him? Gosh, the God I know doesn't punish people because they don't believe, nor does he force a hand to make them believe.

Those people are starving because something has gone wrong in their country socially. Those people are CHOOSING to keep having children, so I don't go along with that God is punishing the children because the parents don't believe in Him.

FYI: My post is not contradictory. Read the poster's last paragraph. She was quoting from the bible, then went on to say that what she quoted isn't what is happening.

Thank you! - hjs

[ In Reply To ..]
for understanding what I meant.

Have to admit - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I almost tuned out with the quoted scripture, so I'm glad I read it all through to the end.

The bible is a literal translation from another language, then from there, interpreted. Gosh darn, lots of room for "error."

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