Just recently, an opportunity came up for my fiance's 6 year old little sister(who I consider my sister as well) to get into an incredible school in Colorado.
See, she is adopted from china, and not only is this an amazing school in other ways, but it offers language immersion in mandarin, as well as culture classes, so she would be able to learn about the culture and language of her country of origin, in addition to getting into a far better schooling system than where she currently is.
The plan right now is for my fiance's little sister and her parents to move to Colorado in June or so, so she can attend this school. Now, her oldest sister(my fiance's older sister) is on facebook actively praying that God will mess up the plans, because she doesn't want her father to move away(regardless of the fact that she never visits or even calls him anyway), as well as announcing this to all facebook. My fiance is a little unhappy about it as well, because she won't get to see her mother nearly as much(we live with her parents, now), but she isn't throwing a fit because she knows that this is an incredible opportunity for her sister, and we were intending to move out to Colorado ourselves eventually - we'll just have to wait until we finish college.
So this comes down to the oldest sister actively praying for the misfortune of the younger one. I've had someone do this to me before, and it is incredibly insulting for someone to announce that they are going to pray against your direct wishes. Is this type of behavior ever morally acceptable? what can you NOT pray for?
to Pray contrary to someone's wishes
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FinalEnigma
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to Pray contrary to someone's wishes
Post #1We do not hate others because of the flaws in their souls, we hate them because of the flaws in our own.
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Slopeshoulder
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Post #2
From what I gather from checking out sages, monks, contemplatives, and spiritual directors, , the wisest forms of prayer are 1. listening, 2. thanking, 3. asking that one lives in and forward's god's will (or what is). Asking for things to happen is a little less mature.
So this seems like more of a foolish and immature thing to do than an immoral thing to do. Might also be selfish And that's a sin. So yeah, she's a fool and a sinner, in public. But just a little one. Her punishement is making a fool of herself and showing herself to be selfish, unwise, and simplistic. Someday there will probably be a soap opera I love you bunches apology and hug moment.
So this seems like more of a foolish and immature thing to do than an immoral thing to do. Might also be selfish And that's a sin. So yeah, she's a fool and a sinner, in public. But just a little one. Her punishement is making a fool of herself and showing herself to be selfish, unwise, and simplistic. Someday there will probably be a soap opera I love you bunches apology and hug moment.
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100%atheist
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Re: to Pray contrary to someone's wishes
Post #3Of course, it is completely moral by Christian standards if god told her so.
Re: to Pray contrary to someone's wishes
Post #4Well we can pray for anything. But always with the intent that God's will should be done in each thing we pray about.FinalEnigma wrote:Just recently, an opportunity came up for my fiance's 6 year old little sister(who I consider my sister as well) to get into an incredible school in Colorado.
See, she is adopted from china, and not only is this an amazing school in other ways, but it offers language immersion in mandarin, as well as culture classes, so she would be able to learn about the culture and language of her country of origin, in addition to getting into a far better schooling system than where she currently is.
The plan right now is for my fiance's little sister and her parents to move to Colorado in June or so, so she can attend this school. Now, her oldest sister(my fiance's older sister) is on facebook actively praying that God will mess up the plans, because she doesn't want her father to move away(regardless of the fact that she never visits or even calls him anyway), as well as announcing this to all facebook. My fiance is a little unhappy about it as well, because she won't get to see her mother nearly as much(we live with her parents, now), but she isn't throwing a fit because she knows that this is an incredible opportunity for her sister, and we were intending to move out to Colorado ourselves eventually - we'll just have to wait until we finish college.
So this comes down to the oldest sister actively praying for the misfortune of the younger one. I've had someone do this to me before, and it is incredibly insulting for someone to announce that they are going to pray against your direct wishes. Is this type of behavior ever morally acceptable? what can you NOT pray for?
Also Our Messiah Jesus told us to pray in secret. Not letting anyone else know what we are praying for or that we have even prayed. Now if your fiancé’s sister had actually believed Jesus and made her prayer in secret then no offence would ever have been caused, would it?
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Furrowed Brow
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Post #5
Morally it is pretty much meaningless. Like sticking a pin in a doll. It is however a shoddy selfish behaviour. The fact she has gone public and seems unaware of how shoddy it will look is also sad. Don't feel slighted feel sorry for her. She seems trapped (and on more than one level). I pray (:eyebrow:) she matures to the point she can look at this and cringe.Final Engima wrote:Is this type of behavior ever morally acceptable? ?
Post #6
Well, I would probably be upset if someone close to me was praying for my plans to fail for their own benefit. I don't believe praying does a thing, so in realistic terms I wouldn't say praying in this case (or any) is "wrong".
However, the older sister does believe she is really doing something that will stop the plans (because, I assume, she believes praying works) - therefore her intentions are ill-purposed, and in theory (although not in practice) as bad as if she sabotaged the car so it wouldn't start and they couldn't move.
However, the older sister does believe she is really doing something that will stop the plans (because, I assume, she believes praying works) - therefore her intentions are ill-purposed, and in theory (although not in practice) as bad as if she sabotaged the car so it wouldn't start and they couldn't move.
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TheParticlePerson
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Post #7
This reminds me of Mark Twain's "The War Prayer". Is it immoral to pray for victory for your country in war?
Post #8
Yes i believe it is. Praying for victory of your country is praying for the destruction of another and that is evil i believe.TheParticlePerson wrote:This reminds me of Mark Twain's "The War Prayer". Is it immoral to pray for victory for your country in war?
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Post #9
I view this situation as having several approaches. Some too lengthy to mention now. Basically, as I see this is not a "right" prayer. Please see reason below.
The sister that prayed the specific prayer that was posted on Facebook is praying, as I believe, in a way that implies that has decided what is best for this situation. In this situation, as many if not all, we as humans do not really have the capacity to think on a level large enough to know what the effects of any given action might unfold. If we were, there would be people that would be perfect, knowing what all their actions would cause before doing them. Therefore, as mentioned in other posts, it is more appropriate to petition authorities (God in this case) with the request for "the best to happen". Not only is this more respectful to the authority but it give a message of submission to what may come trusting that the outcome is for the good.
The sister that prayed the specific prayer that was posted on Facebook is praying, as I believe, in a way that implies that has decided what is best for this situation. In this situation, as many if not all, we as humans do not really have the capacity to think on a level large enough to know what the effects of any given action might unfold. If we were, there would be people that would be perfect, knowing what all their actions would cause before doing them. Therefore, as mentioned in other posts, it is more appropriate to petition authorities (God in this case) with the request for "the best to happen". Not only is this more respectful to the authority but it give a message of submission to what may come trusting that the outcome is for the good.
Post #10
I view this situation as having several approaches. Some too lengthy to mention now. Basically, as I see this is not a "right" prayer. Please see reason below.
The sister that prayed the specific prayer that was posted on Facebook is praying, as I believe, in a way that implies that has decided what is best for this situation. In this situation, as many if not all, we as humans do not really have the capacity to think on a level large enough to know what the effects of any given action might unfold. If we were, there would be people that would be perfect, knowing what all their actions would cause before doing them. Therefore, as mentioned in other posts, it is more appropriate to petition authorities (God in this case) with the request for "the best to happen". Not only is this more respectful to the authority but it give a message of submission to what may come trusting that the outcome is for the good.
The sister that prayed the specific prayer that was posted on Facebook is praying, as I believe, in a way that implies that has decided what is best for this situation. In this situation, as many if not all, we as humans do not really have the capacity to think on a level large enough to know what the effects of any given action might unfold. If we were, there would be people that would be perfect, knowing what all their actions would cause before doing them. Therefore, as mentioned in other posts, it is more appropriate to petition authorities (God in this case) with the request for "the best to happen". Not only is this more respectful to the authority but it give a message of submission to what may come trusting that the outcome is for the good.
