Thursday, May 01, 2008

If might is right, then love has no place in the world. It may be so, it may be so. But I don't have the strength to live in a world like that.

Tristero gives the National Day of Prayer the sucker punch it deserves over at Digby's place. James Dobson's wife and Ollie North don't sound all that "christiany" to me. North is a traitor, after all. I don't recall him apologizing for that at any point in the last twenty years.

It's odd that they've picked May 1st as their National Day of Prayer. A day which has traditionally come to signify the efforts of the workers of the world. A day that has also come to signify the folly of a President starting a war and then prematurely declared it won with "Mission Accomplished."

Still- I have enough fundamentalist Catholic in my old atheist self to not feel a little left out. With that in mind I would humbly suggest that if we're going to pray today to God, the FSM, Zeus or whomever that we use the prayer below which, as far as I can remember, was actually included in that bible thingy.

If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell. And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing. And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me.

Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride; Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.

Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end. For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true: But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary. When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child. For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me. But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13)

So while Ollie North is like sounding brass in D.C. and while this is not a bible-quoting blog nor I a bible-quoting guy, I still think THAT'S a prayer I can get behind.

18 comments:

Don Snabulus said...

Even though none of this has anything to do with Kenny Loggins, I am still picturing his face. Weird.

Anyhoo,

I wonder if the Republicans are planning an arms sale to Al Qaeda in a twisted plot to unseat the next Democratic President.

Fran said...

Resident practicing Catholic weighing in... National Day of Prayer sucks ass.

The greatest is love and it is surely lacking in most of our country.

In moment of self-indulgent promotion, I did post something at kinda sorta defending atheism.

Feel free to drop by... it is not at my blog.

mwb said...

Say nice blog you have here.

You ever consider putting in a skylight in the foyer?

Hypatia said...

That's Jeremy Irons from "The Mission", a very good movie commenting on the questionable good of colonial christianization...I think Robert De Niro was the other lead...


My observation about prayer has always been this: If you need to have a public forum to do it...then you're doing it for the wrong reasons..

In other words, public relations, and not for "God" or yourself.

Overdroid said...

We should have a day of stupid, too. Oh wait, that's every day.

Randal Graves said...

When you see Ollie on the teevee, don't you wish you could grab the little whipper snapper and send his ass on over to Iraq?

I missed out on the prayer thing. I lost my copy of the Necronomicon.

Jess Wundrun said...

Maybe we could get them to do an entire Novena of the rosary in one session. If they're kneeling and rubbing their beads, at least they're not bugging us for a few hours.

dean, I have tagged you.

Dean Wormer said...

don-

Now all I can see is Kenny. Thanks.

I wonder if the Republicans are planning an arms sale to Al Qaeda in a twisted plot to unseat the next Democratic President.

No need anymore. Modern republicans don't come up with elaborate plots for domestic political victory. They just make shit up and the media reports it. It's much easier these days.

Fran-

I read your essay over there and will comment. Very nice.

MWB-

Thanks!

A skylight in the foyer is a great idea. I have a big one over the pool already.

hypatia-

"The Mission" is a wonderful movie and you're right about De Niro being in it. Besides the acting it had an amazingly moving score.

Agreed that prayer should be a private matter. I don't like it when football players do it at center field after a game, for instance. That's more for them than it is for any God they believe in.

OD-

We should have a day of stupid, too. Oh wait, that's every day.

President's Day.

randal-

Ollie is too much of a pussy to let himself wind up in Iraq and would Section 8 anyways.

Once you find your copy of the Necromonicon I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your distance from my goat. He's not a plaything for your unholy rituals. He's a plaything for my family's unholy rituals.

Jess-

Good idea about the rosary but I get the feeling the people running the national day of prayer in D.C. don't really care much for Catholics when it comes to brass tacks.

Re: tag- Oh Noes!

Anonymous said...

They call themselves "Christians" ..

But what did JESUS HIMSELF say about public prayer and those who pray in public?

Matthew 6:5-7 (King James Version)

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Yes .. HE called them hypocrites.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB0kyhFIkvo

SUNG BY KRYSTAL HARRIS
Songwriters: Leonard, P; Harris, K; Morant, J;
"My Religion"

There's nothing wrong
With tradition
But tell me where it says
Not to follow our hearts
That's why so many
Of us are so confused
And will never live
Up to your rules

[CHORUS:]
My religion doesn't hate
It'll never turn you away
It always understands
My religion won't condemn
Always lends a healing hand
It's love
My religion's love

All it takes is to be willing
To sacrifice for
Someone who is in need
Then we can begin
To heal again
And love will
Sweep the land

[Repeat chorus]

My religion
My religion
Love
My, my religion
My religion
It's love

That's why so many
Of us are so confused
And will never live
Up to your rules

[Repeat chorus twice]

My religion's love

Dean Wormer said...

Thanks any.

THAT'S what I'm talking about.

:-)

Swinebread said...

no comment

I'm taking a break from Christianity

Anonymous said...

Dean: Since it is springtime, why don't we blow up a few toilets on the Faber campus to celebrate National Prayer Day? We could say we worship the porcelain gods in lieu of the state-prescribed one.

Dean Wormer said...

swine-

Fair enough.

Boon-

Either that or fizzies in the alumni pool! Either way I like your thinking.

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