Isn't praying for death flirting with black magic and the occult?

[Union Yes]

I left religion 20 years ago so I kinda forgot the rules.

Another Du'er pointed this out in another thread about these wingnuts praying for death of the President. So I had to ask to see what others thought.

Personally, I call it a mental illness but in religous circles, usually when people pray for death of another it's a very dark act from a dark heart.

[Lucy Goosey]

1. To me, yes. To them, no.

They have a bible verse to back up what they are praying for, so obviously it's A-OK. :eyes:

[kestrel91316]

2. It's a BIG no-no in Wicca because of the Law of Threefold Return

(and because it's just morally WRONG). The vengeful desert god of Abraham, however, is a bloodthirsty dude and so he likes people to pray for the death of others.

[Fire1]

5. I think having a son kinda chilled him out. n/t

[kestrel91316]

10. Not if you listen to fundies. They salivate at the prospect of their enemies

being burned in that supposed lake of fire.

[roguevalley]

17. that god exists in genesis as two separate beings. I think the god of

the old testament is not the same as the one of the new.

[Fire1]

20. Same God but different circumstances. n/t

[phasma ex machina]

25. Perhaps the creator took pity for the plight of humans after walking as one among us.

Most interesting how Jesus did not spring fully formed like Athena from the brow of Zeus.

G-d had to obey G-d's very own laws of biology to create Jesus. Similar to a maintenance programmer getting boxed in by the predecessant rules of their own software.

None of the above applies to the simple minded popular notion of god as a omniscient omnipotent white bewhiskered Santa Clausian sky guy. Jesus could indeed spring forth fully formed from the brow of such a Santa Claus god.

:rofl:

[Double T]

3. It is mental illness masked with religion.

Anybody got some pins for my rush limbaugh and sean hannity voodoo dolls?

[mike_c]

4. let's see....

Prayer = superstitious nonsense? Check!

Black magic = superstitious nonsense? Check!

"the occult" = yet more superstitious nonsense? Check!

Ergo....

"Isn't (superstitious nonsense) flirting with (superstitious nonsense) and (superstitious nonsense)?"

I think that's affirmative, Sparky! :rofl:

[femrap]

6. What do your posts have to do

with anything? It's like listening to teenage boyz at a sleepover.

[Lilith Velkor]

7. It's more like a blowjob.

[Richard D]

8. Not flirting . . .

. . . jumping right into group sex.

[Cirque du So-What]

9. Karma is not amused either

When you wish ill will upon another, you earn paap karma, which can result in being reincarnated as a dung beetle.

[PDJane]

11. and the wiccan rede says

"Do what thy wilt shall be the whole of the law, an' it harm none."

Of course, there's the rule about ill-wishing bringing the ill back on the wisher, threefold.

It doesn't sound like any religion that values harmony.....

[Zhade]

12. Not here in reality.

Besides, double-blind studies have proven prayer has no effect whatsoever.

[Turbineguy]

13. I seem to recall

something against it in the Bible. But that probably would have been in the Christian part.

[phasma ex machina]

16. +1 The New Testament frowns upon praying for the death of an enemy.

The Old Testament's warrior poet David arguably offers the best bet for a supplication to end your enemy's life.

But it always must be G-d's will.

Only a true prophet such as Samuel or Nathan can divine G-d's will.

Mere mortals must guard against false prophets.

[JVS]

14. No, but it is not a very generous interpretation of the exhortation to pray for one's enemies.

[agent46]

15. It's the usual

It's the usual low intensity thinking that God needs help with divine justice. Lame God. Pathetic sheep. Directing hostile prayer at enemies may be harmless enough to the target but there's always that one deluded dumbass who gets overstimulated and feels called to DO something about it. God's special warriors specialize in stupidity.

:thumbsdown:

[struggle4progress]

18. It's just the usual jackasses covering their hateful butts with pious pretense

[gleaner]

19. It is,,,,

It is exactly like the devil worship they so abhor. The consolation is, you can't bring evil on a person who does not believe in what you do. Power of suggestion doesn't work that way. Same principle as faith healing. If you don't believe in it, nothing happens, and if it does then you have healed yourself.

I'm sure Obama is not a believer in the power of a bunch of windbags to talk him to death. He probably finds the whole thing as disgusting as we do.

[agent46]

27. Beautiful signature line. n/t

[gleaner]

28. Thanks ...

Welcome to DU;)

[frustrated_lefty]

21. Black magic usually requires someone praying to a deity

other than the one you worship (Wiccans aside).

[LibertyLover]

22. I am a Wiccan and for me that type of activity

is definitely negative magic. My old high priestess would slapped a binding spell on me quicker than you could blink and have thrown me out of the coven, and made damned sure no other group in the area took me in, if I had done something like it and she heard about it (and believe me, she would have found out - that lady was amazing). I was frankly appalled the first time I read about Christians praying for the death of someone they disliked or disagreed with. Sadly, it has become relatively common these days in certain Christian circles, mostly those that go in for "spiritual warfare", that I hardly blink an eye upon hearing it is happening. I would say that it's not occult, which simply means hidden, because most of these Christian groups are very open about what they are doing. And if you were to point out that they are practicing negative or black magic, they would angrily refute you saying that such imprecatory prayers (as I recall, that's the technical term for what they are doing) are found in the Bible and so are ok with God. Yeah, ok, whatever. My deities would whap me upside the head for doing something like that.

[piratefish08]

23. Just wait til they attack with Ouija Boards!!

ooga booga!

I vote mental illness all the way for superstitious wishes in any form...............

[lapislzi]

24. Most organized religions prohibit imprecatory prayer

Some go so far as to condemn a sentiment to the tune of "I hope those fire engines are racing towards someone else's house, not mine."

As most religions incorporate an element of karma, divine retribution, call it what you will, it seems particularly ironic to pray for the misfortune of another.

However, as I have no religion and accept no deity, it's perfectly OK for me to say "I hope those scumbags die in a fire," because I know my words will have absolutely no effect. Sorry, I don't believe in karma, either. I wish it was true, but I've seen too much to know that the world doesn't work that way.

[Iggo]

26. Woo!

It's amazing, ain't it?

[Mari333]

29. Yep!

[LeftinOH]

30. For some, its sufficient to slap the label "Chrisitan" onto their actions, regardless

of how depraved it is.