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A Pastor With Guts

ness

Member
Sorry if I post this in the wrong section... not sure where it really should go.
I recieved this little story in an email and thought I would share and get everyone's take on it :D

This Pastor has guts!!


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 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 selfesteem.


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. 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 his radio program, "The Rest
of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any
other he has ever aired.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
[PART QUOTE=ness]Sorry if I post this in the wrong section... not sure where it really should go.
I recieved this little story in an email and thought I would share and get everyone's take on it :D

This Pastor has guts!!

I think the pastor had guts, I think he was entirely correct, and I think it is a lovely prayer. My only concern is the marriage between Religion and politics.

At least he had a captive audience who might well have never heard the prayer had he not said it at what some might find an innapropriate time. The legislators who walked out in protest during the prayer were the ones who probably most needed to hear the prayer.:)
 

CaptainXeroid

Following Christ
Awesome prayer with a lot of truths! I concur that the people who walked out are the ones who probably needed to hear the message the most. Guess they couldn't handle those truths.;)

I don't have a list in front of me, but I'm certain the Kansas legislature isn't the only one to have a prayer of some kind.
 

ness

Member
I think it is a prayer every state should hear ;)

Wether or not I agree with it... and mostly I do, it has some great stuff pointed out thats for sure :D
 

Scuba Pete

Le plongeur avec attitude...
That was not a prayer, but a thinly disguised sermon.

We do not further Christianity by bending the rules in order to "score points". In fact more harm is done by those who in the name of "Free Speach" and "Love" feel they have a license to publicly criticise without any temperance. They fool only themselves, and the hollowness of their words is lost in the deep seated resentments of those they profess to be reaching out to.

It is incumbent on Christians everywhere to vociferously decry such abuses of power. I never spoke so loudly in an election until I saw the utter hypocrisy of this last one. The "religious right" did more harm to the cause of Christ than they could ever realise. Like sheep in wolves clothing they decieved their way into the White House, declaring their intentions were for God. It is apparent that their intentions were far more heinous than we could ever imagine.
 

robtex

Veteran Member
ness said:
Sorry if I post this in the wrong section... not sure where it really should go.
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the
prayer in protest.
That was the only good thing that came of that. Support for a secular goverment. God has no business in a senate hearing in a congressional hearing or in the white house. Praying to a God who is not present at such meetings is a waste of tax payers money, a waste of time and a slap in the face of the secular laws in place by the senate and the house. What an arrogant blatant disregard for seperation of church and state. I think Thomas Jefferson just rolled over in his grave.
 

ness

Member
robtex said:
That was the only good thing that came of that. Support for a secular goverment. God has no business in a senate hearing in a congressional hearing or in the white house. Praying to a God who is not present at such meetings is a waste of tax payers money, a waste of time and a slap in the face of the secular laws in place by the senate and the house. What an arrogant blatant disregard for seperation of church and state. I think Thomas Jefferson just rolled over in his grave.
Thanks for your input Rob... Like I said I wanted everyones thoughts on it.
Not necassarily my own views just an email sent to me by a friend ::eek:
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Well, apart from anything else, I admire the pastor for speaking his opinion.
 

ness

Member
NetDoc said:
That was not a prayer, but a thinly disguised sermon.

We do not further Christianity by bending the rules in order to "score points". In fact more harm is done by those who in the name of "Free Speach" and "Love" feel they have a license to publicly criticise without any temperance. They fool only themselves, and the hollowness of their words is lost in the deep seated resentments of those they profess to be reaching out to.

It is incumbent on Christians everywhere to vociferously decry such abuses of power. I never spoke so loudly in an election until I saw the utter hypocrisy of this last one. The "religious right" did more harm to the cause of Christ than they could ever realise. Like sheep in wolves clothing they decieved their way into the White House, declaring their intentions were for God. It is apparent that their intentions were far more heinous than we could ever imagine.

Hmmm I didnt see this post until just now NetDoc... I'm thinkin the board isnt liking you today lol none of your posts are showing up on time.
Thank you for you opinion as always :D
 

ness

Member
Sorry I should have stated that I wanted opinions on the Prayer itself ....not that there is anything wrong with opinions on Where it was said :bonk:
 

Lycan

Preternatural
What would impress me is a actual politician taking some of those stances in a non-religious form (and sticking to them) with the courage to stand alone in front of congress.
 

ness

Member
Lycan said:
What would impress me is a actual politician taking some of those stances in a non-religious form (and sticking to them) with the courage to stand alone in front of congress.

I doubt that will ever happen... It is a nice thought though
 
A

angellous_evangellous

Guest
It would have been much more constructive if he would have prayed for the Lord to grant wisdom to the legislators instead of pushing a conservative agenda. I suspect that few would protest begging for divine wisdom for the folks who affect our lives. If the divine doesn't exist, there's no harm done; and the legislators can get on with their job. Instead, this pastor took advantage of his position and pushed his own values under the guise of a prayer, which is not a wise thing to do if you believe in God.

I would have walked out too.
 

Melody

Well-Known Member
Ok, I'll be the dissenter. I liked it and didn't have a problem with it. If all of the senate is in agreement that they want a pastor, rabbi, buddhist or whatever saying a prayer, then what right does anyone outside the senate have to complain? When you get elected to the senate, you can object and at that point, the prayers should be eliminated.

Why does life have to be so full of so much bickering and negativity?
 
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