you decide

[codybear]

I dont know how true this is but it makes for interesting reading and hits a few sore spots with many people.

Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people.

When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good" but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and
called it Pluralism.

We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it
freedom of expression.>

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin
and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will, we ask this in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen".

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only =
47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea.

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on "The Rest of the Story" on the radio and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over
our nation and whole heartedly become our desire so that we again can be
called one nation under God.

[chipbgt]

I see nothing wrong with the prayer. If they are going to let prayer into the senate, then they might as well make it a good prayer. I would like to know the names of those who walked out.

[Warthog]

Those guys were running away from the truth. Stupid politicians.

Warthog

[ghostface]

i haven't relly responded to many of these types of topics but IMHO i don't think it's the prayer that offends people, though i personally wouldn't be too happy if i was in a situation and forced to listen to a prayer. some politicians prolly left for political currency to use with their constituents. others perhaps left due to a "holier than thou" tone (but in all fairness, a rev. is suppoed to be holier i guess). personally i agree with many of the points and disagree with others. as a member of a minority in america, i would hope that most christians wouldn't hold multiculturalism as a bad thing. i just hope that while the intent of this prayer is, i hope, good, i would hate to see it become america's doctrine.

[narayan]

Excellent. It was a good prayer. Those are good words regardless of the religion behind them. AMEN!

[U-96]

We have exploited fear and ignorance and called it religion.

The Church calling the Senate corrupt is a bit rich IMHO...

U-96

[krusty the klown]

Good reply!

kettle.....pot.....black!

[CocoPops]

I don't think there are any lines in that prayer that I disagree with. They all rang true, and until people look at themselves propely, things will not improve.....makes ya think tho.

Lee.

[Junky]

quote:
"We have exploited fear and ignorance and called it religion."

IMHO that should read Democrat, not religion. Seems I hear Dems exploiting fear day to day to further their agenda in their hopes that we are all ignorant to believe it. Unfortunately most do.

As for the prayer...go get 'em Rev. Wright! He hit the nail squarely on the head.

[This message has been edited by Junky (edited 06-26-2000).]

[wyvrn]

"Exploited the poor and called it the lottery".

LOL. Do we MAKE them spend their checks on tickets? Nope. Then it CANNOT be exploitation, they have a choice. Ahh I could go on but I will not ...

Some of this I do agree with wholeheartedly, though.

[This message has been edited by wyvrn (edited 06-26-2000).]

[chipbgt]

yeah but its like dangling a bucket of candy in front of a child and telling them if they give you there allowance you'll give them a chance (a 1 in 100 million chance) at getting the candy. It is exploitation in the fact that they think they will actually win something one day.

[alondra]

excelent post,
they walked out. if the guilty cant bluff, don't they usualy run and hide ?. oh yes.
Al

[mgordon99]

Memo:

ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word

A matter of opinion.

We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

People who worship the other "gods" would take offense to that.

We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.

So he is calling gay men and women "perverts"?

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

People who are not poor also play the lottery. Are they too exploited?

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

There are MANY hard working, honest people who need welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have abused power and called it politics.

Surprise! I agree with these statements.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it
freedom of expression.

Well, we live in a free country, what do you expect?

Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will

What? If god has a will and his mind is made up, why pray?

The problem I have with this whole "prayer", is the guy apparently thinks he can speak for the entire nation, and the Kansas Senate. He does this without regard for those who think differently.

[wyvrn]

chipbgt


I would only call it exploitation if the people what played could not do anything about it. It is widely know that the chances of winning a loterry are very very small, and absolutely no one is under any obligation to play. In this case, I would say the only ones being exploited are those who refuse to listen to the facts, and are exploiting themselves in the process.
And I would not equate poor people to children, either. Many poor people are intelligent. Lack of intelligence is not a requirement for being poor, only lack of money.

[Lacy]

Whether one agrees or not I applaud Joe Wright for standing up for what he believes in and not being ashamed of it.