Pray it away . . REALLY??
Sometimes on the weekends when I'm doing other things, my TV will end up on programs that I don't really watch. This past weekend was no different. On this particular day, it was a religious program. For many reasons, this is not something I would normally watch (that's a topic for another post). Anyway, I heard something during this program that almost made me drop my cup of coffee. Remember, I wasn't really watching or paying attention so I can't elaborate on the context, but there was just a statement that floored me.
This person said something along the lines of "Sexual desire can be prayed away". Now I don't know about you, but that sounds absolutely ridiculous to me. Sexual desires are human nature, they are biological. So how in the world can you expect to pray them away? The ability to do that would mean we can also pray away the need to eat, sleep or breath. I can't even understand or wrap my mind around anyone believing that.
I'm not trying to step on the toes of anyone who is very religious. Maybe you guys/gays can stop by and shed some light on this for me. In my opinion, a statement like that is what leads to the idea that you can "pray away the gay". Again, that's a topic for another day.
Hit the comment box with your thoughts on this topic.
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This person said something along the lines of "Sexual desire can be prayed away". Now I don't know about you, but that sounds absolutely ridiculous to me. Sexual desires are human nature, they are biological. So how in the world can you expect to pray them away? The ability to do that would mean we can also pray away the need to eat, sleep or breath. I can't even understand or wrap my mind around anyone believing that.
I'm not trying to step on the toes of anyone who is very religious. Maybe you guys/gays can stop by and shed some light on this for me. In my opinion, a statement like that is what leads to the idea that you can "pray away the gay". Again, that's a topic for another day.
Hit the comment box with your thoughts on this topic.
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Okay i didn't see the show you were watching but I believe that you can pray anything away. The Bible says ask and you shall receive it. That doesn't mean ask for the ridiculous things in life but the things that God said he will give us. The sexual thing to me maybe be from someone who is trying to serve God and do his will and are having a hard time bringing flesh under submission, so they ask God through pray to remove it. I would of had to see the program to give you a better answer.
ReplyDeleteI think that's philosophically inconsistent. Sexual desire isn't socialized behavior, it's a naturally occurring part of our biology. How can I say that "God made me who I am" and then add: "BUT..." So shall we "be fruitful and multiply" as long as we don't enjoy the act of doing so?
ReplyDeleteOrganized religion has historically been more interested in controlling people than spreading the gospel...statements like that speak more to the social engineering aspect of religion rather than anything insightful about faith. It's only puritanical prudishness...
Here's my thought process...you can pray about acting on those desires...but not acting on them doesn't make them go away. They are a part of out basic physiological needs. I'm in Jo way trying to discount the power of prayer, but I just don't think a basic need can be prayed away. Deciding not to act on it, on the other hand can be assisted with prayer though.
ReplyDeleteI am a proud member of "organized religion" (as Jesus was since he organized one afterall on His apostles). My organized religion has never taught that sexual desires are in-and-of-themselves evil. As a matter of fact, the Church has taught me that they are good. They are gifts for the transmission of love and life. When we take this gift and use it for recreation we deface the intended purpose of the gift and in the process diminish our humanity. So we pray for the integrity to place our sexual desires to the service of love. If we are going through a period of particularly high temptation we may pray that God will help to ease the intensity of the desires, but asking God to remove our sexuality would be to ask Him to remove a part of our very humanity.
ReplyDeleteI do want to emphasize the fact that I was not paying total attention to the program, so I don't know the context of the point that was being made. It could be that the speaker was truly trying to say you could pray away the intention to act on your sexual desires.
ReplyDeleteI just heard that statement and went WHAT??? So this is in no way intended to attack anyone's religious beliefs.
I just find statements like that dangerous. In my humble opinion, they are what lead people to try to pray away other things. . .things that aren't possible to change. . .
Ok, I just felt like I need to come back and clarify where this was coming from.
Thanks for your comments :D