Is prayer as a formal religious practice dead?

[Louis XIV]

I get the impression that across many faiths in modern societies, there is a widening gap between the practice of prayer and the daily observance of one's preferred religious philosophies.

While I hear religious practitioners and supporters increasingly endorsing and promoting their own faith-based doctrines and associated lifestyles, I see fewer and fewer individuals actually attending formal religious celebrations or engaging in the apparently useless practice of 'prayer'.

Have people finally realized that there is a huge difference between observing and cultivating religion-specific social values, and wasting time and energy directing praise and adulation to an entity that is entirely non-responsive?

Personally, I think people are finally smartening up, and that the convergence of faith and politics means the end of traditional religious practices as we know them.

Thoughts?

 

[Madman]

I pray everyday for a cup of cold coffee and prunes but the smerf Gods do not listen because of Lucifer aka Papa who is the anti smerf.......

Excuse my rant but I do agree religion is falling by the waist side but mostly because of more people having been educated. The more educated individual's in a society the less need for reliance on religion but having said this I don't know what happened to Harper and his education because he doesn't fit the model I just laid out.

 

[Louis XIV]

Excuse my rant but I do agree religion is falling by the waist side but mostly because of more people having been educated. The more educated individual's in a society the less need for reliance on religion but having said this I don't know what happened to Harper and his education because he doesn't fit the model I just laid out.

With politicians, it's all nothing but a big show of insincerity in order to pander to the 'audience du jour'. Nothing more. Harper is no more a religious fundamentalist than Marilyn Manson is.

 

[Al Bumin]

Isn't it because of religion we have all these wars going on :search2:

 

[User-E]

I think you'll find that prayer, and believing in a higher power, will become a more common practice as time goes on.

I pray every day.

 

[Cardinal Fang]

I stopped praying after my first conclave.

 

[Bull]

Isn't it because of religion we have all these wars going on :search2:

And no one ever wins.

 

[Prick]

Luis, praying won't make you win the Hockey playoffs pool.

 

[God]

How dare you :slap: :slap:

[h=2]Is prayer as a formal religious practice dead?[/h]

 

[Louis XIV]

I'd actually like to differentiate between 'faith' and 'prayer'. I believe there are wars because so many global communities believe their faith and their associated religious belief system must trump all others. I have yet to hear about a conflict that arose because of individuals disputing the correct manner in which it is appropriate to pray.

 

[Louis XIV]

Luis, praying won't make you win the Hockey playoffs pool.

It's a sure thing my friend. No need to solicit a higher power to intervene on my behalf. It's not a matter of 'if', but 'when'! :-Cool/"

 

[Louis XIV]

I think you'll find that prayer, and believing in a higher power, will become a more common practice as time goes on.

I pray every day.

I would agree that we will continue to see people adopt faith-based behaviours, but I'm beginning to question what role actual prayer will play in the bigger scheme. With faster paced, and more action packed modern lifestyles becoming the norm, we are already seeing a significant, almost drastic decrease in attendance at formalized congregations for prayer.

I suspect that 'living the religious philosophy' will become the newer and more common expression of personal faith, and will replace the procedural 'prayer routine' in daily life. i.e. people will begin to more overtly 'walk the walk' of their own faith, instead of covertly 'talking the talk' among cloistered communities of interest.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

I would agree that we will continue to see people adopt faith-based behaviours, but I'm beginning to question what role actual prayer will play in the bigger scheme. With faster paced, and more action packed modern lifestyles becoming the norm, we are already seeing a significant, almost drastic decrease in attendance at formalized congregations for prayer.

I suspect that 'living the religious philosophy' will become the newer and more common expression of personal faith, and will replace the procedural 'prayer routine' in daily life. i.e. people will begin to more overtly 'walk the walk' of their own faith, instead of covertly 'talking the talk' among cloistered communities of interest.

I believe you are only talking about Christianity/Catholic cause the Jewish and other religions teach and force their children to pray daily without fail.

 

[Willy]

I was brought in an environment that you do not have to pray or go to church.

Just believe in you, that's it.

Working for me

 

[DonCorleo]

Just so you will know. No one ever wins in a religion discussion.

 

[User-E]

Just so you will know. No one ever wins in a religion discussion.

Being at peace with other people is more important than being right. We can agree to disagree. EACE:

 

[Louis XIV]

Just so you will know. No one ever wins in a religion discussion.

Wasn't looking for a definitive answer, only to solicit opinions and insight, and prompt a little intellectual discourse....you know, just for shits and giggles...and maybe some bacon thrown in somewhere.

Baz! HEY BAZ! Where the hell are you, you judgmental, conservatively anal retentive mouth breather you!? This thread is right in your wheel house, and you're off spanking your monkey somewhere. What the hell is the world coming to!?

 

[Boing]

Hey Baz :search: