Does God pray?

Does "God" pray?

No. God is not a person who behaves in human ways.
Do humans pray? Yes, but they have no idea what the thing toward which they "pray" is.
And even if they did, no human words can describe it.

Are we all connected to The Divine? Yes.
Is "prayer" at specific times and places and in specific postures and gestures necessary? No.

Each of us is a fractal of the Divine. Some cling to "Biblical" stories and myths --- but most do not.

The science of revelation, according to Ghazali, is the real, personal, and intuitive knowledge (ma'rifa) of the essence of God. His attributes, His acts, all mysteries of prophecy, creation, the next world,...

This knowledge (old Greek "Gnosis'') is disclosed by the grace of God when the heart is completely cleansed and purified from evil qualities and detached from everything but God. Practical knowledge, however, is how you accomplish this feat and is the science of religous practices.

Ghazali wrote 40 books on the subject of religous sciences, before Kabbalah, before the Zohar (1058-1111), called Ihya ulum al-din

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
Does "God" pray?

No. God is not a person who behaves in human ways.

You are not, then, talking about the God of Abraham of Bible?

Do humans pray? Yes, but they have no idea what the thing toward which they "pray" is.
And even if they did, no human words can describe it.

Knowing is enough to explain at least something about the thing you know to describe it. Not knowing is the reason for no possibility of description, knowing would change that.

Are we all connected to The Divine? Yes.
Is "prayer" at specific times and places and in specific postures and gestures necessary? No.

Good guess. I think it is more for our benefit though so more is good, in private though.

Each of us is a fractal of the Divine. Some cling to "Biblical" stories and myths --- but most do not.

Define most. And where is this the case?

Even the non Church going Westerners are still nominally Christian, celebrate CHRISTmass and Easter, even if they are not Christian and in general.

That is like subconsciously clinging to the myth of the manger, wise men, star of Bethlehem, all b.s. fiction and will never not be clung to. That is how engrained it is.

originally posted by: WUNK22
Praying is a form of meditation, so why not. Relaxing looking over all of his creations.

I actually respectfully disagree. Praying is a deep focus on your thoughts with the desire to cause action or results through them. Meditation is an attempt to be completely devoid of your thoughts while being mindful of your being in every moment.

a reply to: irenialilivenka

You are not, then, talking about the God of Abraham of Bible?

Correct. I am not.

I do not believe in the Abrahamic "personified" anthropomorphic "God" of the "Bible."

That is myth. God is beyond explanation. God is not a "person." Yet we all humans are a part of "the Divine."

"Jesus" is no more a "God" than I am. Jesus was a sage, and an ascended soul....
he was no more nor less "God" than you are or I am.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

That is fine, though the people I really want to ask this to are Christians, but I will accept any answer, not that I have a choice, but you know what I mean.

IF Jesus is God, prays, God prays. So who does God the Father pray to?

And who...The Spirit pray to?

I think it is a good riddle.

a reply to: irenialilivenka
I wrote:

Each of us is a fractal of the Divine. Some cling to "Biblical" stories and myths --- but most do not.

And you replied:

Define most. And where is this the case?

It is the case in every place that embraces education. "Most" is the majority of humans. Only 1/3 of humans claim to be "Christians".

World Religions statistics & pie charts

Christians:
2,100,000,000 adherents - tending to decline in terms of global percentage

Muslims:
1,500,000,000 persons - tending to increase in terms of global percentage

Of no religion:
1,100,000,000 Human Beings - tending to decline in terms of global percentage

Hindus:
900,000,000 adherents - stable in terms of global percentage

Chinese folk religionists:
400,000,000 persons

Primal religionists:
400,000,000 Human Beings

Buddhists:
375,000,000 adherents - stable in terms of global percentage

Sikhs:
24,000,000 persons

Jews:
14,500,000 Human Beings

Baha'is:
7,400,000 adherents

Jains:
4,300,000 persons

Shintoists:
4,000,000Human Beings

Taoism:
2,700,000 adherents



This listing of figures hopefully gives a good approximation of the world's populations self-professed adherence to major world religions, other religions, or their self-professed state of not being religious.

Sorry --- but "no." Those who identify as "Biblical" Christians are not the majority of humans.

a reply to: irenialilivenka

Jesus is not God. Nor is The Pope. Praying is fine, inasfar as psychic energy that summons up healing and peace is effective. But the stories of "Jesus" as taught in "Sunday School"? No. Not real.
Myth.

a reply to: irenialilivenka

the people I really want to ask this to are Christians

Why?

a reply to: irenialilivenka

What, am I a clown? I'm here to amuse YOU?

Well yeah, this is ATS not some class in graduate school or comparative religion dissertation BS where your ass is on the line.

What do you expect?

a reply to: olaru12

Wo!!!

Chill. Did you make the Pesci remark?

Because I was quoting Goodfellas.

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
a reply to: irenialilivenka

the people I really want to ask this to are Christians

Why?

Because it is their beliefs. Why else?

Are you just naturally adversarial in benign situations?

originally posted by: irenialilivenka
a reply to: olaru12

Wo!!!

Chill. Did you make the Pesci remark?

Because I was quoting Goodfellas.

So what, ATS is a free for all and you don't make the rules.

Carry on with your intellectual masturbation and ego stroking if it gets you off.

a reply to: irenialilivenka

Let me elaborate. Jesus said I and the Father are one. He prayed, he wept. He ate, he drank, he walked, he did all those things.He is also the Father. So he was praying to a part of Himself.

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
a reply to: irenialilivenka
I wrote:

Each of us is a fractal of the Divine. Some cling to "Biblical" stories and myths --- but most do not.

And you replied:

Define most. And where is this the case?

It is the case in every place that embraces education. "Most" is the majority of humans. Only 1/3 of humans claim to be "Christians".

World Religions statistics & pie charts

Christians:
2,100,000,000 adherents - tending to decline in terms of global percentage

Muslims:
1,500,000,000 persons - tending to increase in terms of global percentage

Of no religion:
1,100,000,000 Human Beings - tending to decline in terms of global percentage

Hindus:
900,000,000 adherents - stable in terms of global percentage

Chinese folk religionists:
400,000,000 persons

Primal religionists:
400,000,000 Human Beings

Buddhists:
375,000,000 adherents - stable in terms of global percentage

Sikhs:
24,000,000 persons

Jews:
14,500,000 Human Beings

Baha'is:
7,400,000 adherents

Jains:
4,300,000 persons

Shintoists:
4,000,000Human Beings

Taoism:
2,700,000 adherents



This listing of figures hopefully gives a good approximation of the world's populations self-professed adherence to major world religions, other religions, or their self-professed state of not being religious.

Sorry --- but "no." Those who identify as "Biblical" Christians are not the majority of humans.

Who are you apologizing to, and for what?

I never said "Biblical Christians are the majority" and very clearly did I NOT say that.

So...

a reply to: irenialilivenka

No. I am just naturally averse to spreading mythology as reality. Why do you see my posts as "adversarial"?

Here is a brief video of how I see modern "Evangelical Christianity" ----
and it is no better than ISIS:

originally posted by: visitedbythem
a reply to: irenialilivenka

Let me elaborate. Jesus said I and the Father are one. He prayed, he wept. He ate, he drank, he walked, he did all those things.He is also the Father. So he was praying to a part of Himself.

I see...


So who does God the Father pray to since God the (equal) Son prays to the Father?

That is what is needed elaboration upon.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Adversarial is a bit harsh, gnat like would be more accurate.

a reply to: irenialilivenka

Okay --- so -- -- perhaps you can clarify your stance. "gnat"?

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Seriously though, who were you apologizing to for because Biblical identifying Christians aren't the majority?

And why?

I mean, the comment was to me but certainly I did not say it. I find that a bit adversarial being not at all true.