"Praying against enemies" - What do people think about this?

[LeftCoast]

I recently heard about this practice by some rw Christians. I just find it pretty shocking that people can justify this as 'good' and 'Christian'.

Praying against enemies
From XFamily - Children of God

A significant number of internal Family publications deal with denouncing, praying against, cursing and lying about their enemies. Occasionally, country- or region-wide, synchronized prayer sessions are coordinated for supposed extra effect, usually during times of perceived persecution.

It doesn't take much to be qualified as an enemy. Telling the truth about a less than exemplar childhood is usually enough to do it.

-snip-

How Do We Pray Against Former Loved Ones Who Are Fighting Us?

39. (Peter: ) Amen! As Mama said, and as you'll see in the prophecies that we'll read, the Lord talks a lot about the need for us to pray against these attacks, to pray against those who are seeking to hurt or destroy the Family. But often it's hard to know how to pray against certain people, because sometimes these people are your friends or your children or your parents, and it's really difficult for you to think, “Well, I've got to pray that the Lord will curse them” and that sort of thing. That's been a bother for some people, and understandably so. It's a dilemma to know how to pray the most effective prayers in situations when you're having to pray against people who were once Family members and who are now detractors or apostates who are out to do us serious damage.

The full text can be read here

[blonndee]

1. That is CREEPY! I used to attend a "fundigelical" church

and things got pretty wacky, but it was never anything like this--it was never negative like this, at least not when it came to praying! WTF?

[LeftCoast]

3. That's what I thought, but here they go justifying it with biblical quotes

It just seems really really wrong to me. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

[blonndee]

5. Isn't that group a cult? When I read the excerpt the first thing that

occured to me is that it sounded like a really good way to reinforce groupthink and alienate people from loved ones. Then I linked to what you provided and then ended up here

http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/The_Family_International

[Freedom_from_Chains]

14. Yeah but as far as that goes all of Christianity could be considered

a cult. Albeit a very large cult.

[blonndee]

6. Those aren't biblical quotes. They're claiming to speak with Jesus

via "prophecies." The "Peter" is actually one of the leaders, Steven Kelly.

[LeftCoast]

10. Woah

I did not realize that.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

15. Stopping taking your meds suddenly can do some strange things.

[Renew Deal]

2. I'm no religious scholar, but I think that's a no-no.

This guy is. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2205570

[lvx35]

18. yeah...I seem to rememeber something about praying FOR enemies...nt

[Renew Deal]

19. I just searched for anything in the Bible re: revenge. Looky here:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
—Romans 12:17-21, NIV

http://www.kencollins.com/disc-29.htm

And here's more info: http://en.bibleinfo.com/topics/topic.html?id=251

[MadMaddie]

4. They are venturing into the Jim Jones mentality....

These people are terrorist in America....because the next step is to attack people that don't look like them or agree with them....

[magellan]

7. Another lovely evangelical twist to the Good Book

It used to be "pray FOR your enemies", not pray against them.

If I believed in God I'd pray that these loony toons don't wind up in hell for their heresy. As it is I don't care where they wind up, and prefer they pray against me than any of the more direct actions they could take.

[TahitiNut]

8. For me, all prayers are to express gratitude.

I don't regard Santa Claus to be the Omnipotent and I don't regard prayer to be blowing out candles.

[Selatius]

9. Asking God to curse your enemies is like asking God to wipe your ass

Honestly, why the fuck would Providence take your side over the life of any other person who is no better and no worse than you if we are to assume all are created equal? Why should the Creator help one person and not any other? If anything, the problems of man are going to be resolved by man, not by some higher force. By passing off the buck to a higher being, one is merely attempting to make excuses for one's one stupid mistakes.

Grow up and learn to deal with people you have problems with instead of dictating to God what He should or should not do to others.

[rockymountaindem]

11. Say what you will about religion, but I learned this at Hebrew School

I don't know about everyone else, but Judaism is full of little folk tales and morals. I distinctly remember one I was taught in my Hebrew school class at a young age. I think it is also in the prayer book we use on Yom Kippur (the day of atonement).

Once a wise Rabbi, who was known far and wide as a righteous person, became the target of a gang of malicious youths in his village. He tried to convince the children that their pranks against him were wrong, but to no avail. He talked to the kids' parents, but they wouldn't listen. In exasperation, after being hassled in the street day after day by these delinquents, the Rabbi finally prayed to God, asking for the boys to simply drop dead or be killed.

His wife heard him, and said, "as God does not desire the destruction of sinners, but that they turn from their ways and live good lives, neither should you pray for these boys to die, but instead that they abandon delinquency and become good kids". The Rabbi felt ashamed, and changed his prayer. Eventually the youths in the street outgrew their childish ways, and the Rabbi was at peace with himself.

That little story made quite an impact on me at the time. Since then, I've tried to avoid praying for bad things to befall people. If I, in my meager wisdom and holiness can stop myself, even in anger, then surely the moral giants at FoF can refrain as well.

[LeftCoast]

13. I like that story

Thanks for sharing it! :hi:

[Freedom_from_Chains]

12. Kind of takes the idea of Compassion for Others, which tend

to be the major theme in most religions, out the back door. Maybe it was to give it a spanking.

[LostInAnomie]

16. "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Ahhh... the "Lord's Prayer" doesn't mean shit anymore. What kind of idiot would have came up with something as stupid as that in the first place?

[NMMNG]

17. It just goes to prove how hateful they really are

But their prayers against people will have the same effect as their prayers for people.

[htuttle]

20. According to the Threefold Law of Return, they are doomed