If God willed the suffering in N.O. - why pray to begin with?
I object to Bush's comment, not in the name of Calvin, but on the basis of our Constitution. I object to Bush calling for prayer not because people shouldn't pray or pray for those who suffer because of the hurricane - but because, by virtue of his role and the religious diversity that we see in the U.S. now and will see increasingly in the future - I think it is incautious of any president to call for religious activity.
Even those defending his call for prayer here do so on the basis of his call to pray being open to interpretation - prayer to wind, to Allah, to whatever. Isn't that sycretism? Isn't that an erection of a verbal statue of an unknown god?
You can take it - I'll leave it. Thanks but no thanks.
In this case it's Christian. I didn't say it was to the wind or nature or Allah and neither has George Bush. Bravo for him.
Ok, I retract my statement about it being a prayer to whomever. I know Bush means God (NOT allah) and I am wholeheartedly fine with that, and everyone who is not can choose not to. That's what is so great about this country. President says to pray and you don't want to, DON'T.
As for your first statement, it is one of those little "contradictions" that atheists think they have suddenly found that invalidates the Bible. Why pray for something if, in God's omniscient eyes, it's already happened? Well, because God wants a personal relationship with humans.
What the President said about prayer will not hurt anyone or move this country to a "slippery theocratic slope." There is so much thin skin in this country that it makes me sick.
Its his right as a US citizen. Im confused as to why you think he said it as a federal mandate in some way.
Would you object to a co-employee offering their prayers to you if your dad was having open heart surgery? Did they offer the prayers as an employee of your company or personally? Would you ask them kindly to refrain from the offering as it is not their assigned duties at said company?
Well not me. His prayer isn't open. We know he's a Christian, and I'm not going to pretend I don't understand the source of his strength is Jesus Christ.
Your objection has been noted. You'll find Americans in an overwhelming majority will be as supportive of it as they were removing God from the Pledge. Guess you'll just have to live with it and "pray" we have a President that isn't humble enough to ask for help from someone Greater than Himself and ask Americans to do the same voluntarily as moved.
Why are you so angry about prayer?
Do you need prayer?
Would you like some prayer?
What is the real issue here?
What is it about GWB and his call for prayer that really makes you so mad?