The World of Grandpa Don

In our prayers we should ask for enlightenment and truth for in truth is the road to God and heaven. The Islamic faith proclaims Jesus as a great prophet but denies His Divinity. Yet, He Himself told us He was the Son of God and told us of the Holy Spirit. A prophet brings God's truth so we believe what he told us  ... or admit he was neither prophet nor Devine, but an outright fraud. As Christians, we proclaim His Divinity and accept the mystery of it. I will not quote scripture passages either of the Quran or of the New Testament. To do so would reduce this crusade to just another argument and this crusade is intended to be one of prayer for enlightenment. There have been too many attacks from both Christians and Moslems. The tip of the sword of our crusader is embedded in the soil and his head is bowed in humble submission to the will of God. We strive not to prove our right, but to ask God to bring wisdom, love and peace to all mankind.

Should there be any doubt of the Divinity of Jesus we have this:  Glimpses of God. Yes, It is recorded in the Bible and the men who witnessed it were willing, and did, die for what they knew to be the truth. That fact brings us to our next prayer.

Prayer for the wisdom of knowing the meaning of Martyrdom.

All powerful and Loving Creator of all of us, the One and the Only ... hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, You were the first Christian Martyr and showed us what a Martyr truly is. In your humanity, You asked that "... this cup be taken away". You did not seek martyrdom. But you proclaimed, "... not my will, but, Thy will be done" and you accepted Martyrdom. It was inflicted upon you by the Roman governor who acquiesced to those who wrongly  believed you a blasphemer for admitting to be the Son of God and our King in Heaven and on Earth.

Help our Islamic brothers to know that Martyrdom is not sought and never self-inflicted.  It is never a tool of hate, destruction and murder.  A martyr is one who accepts death, inflicted by others, and accepted only in defense of his faith. It is not a tool used punish others for differences in belief but when inflicted, serves as an example to others giving them, or strengthening, their faith.

Amen.

Many early converts to Christianity were attracted to "the way" by the faith demonstrated by the martyrs. Many of us today are strengthened in our faith by their demonstration of faith. True martyrdom has historically built and strengthened the Christian faith.

Suicide is actually self murder and all murder is condemned by God. "Thou shall not kill" is a simple commandment containing no exceptions. All life is a sacred gift of God. But if we Christians wish to convince others we must endeavor to embrace it ourselves in its entirety.

Prayer for the freedom to chose our faith

All powerful and Loving creator of all of us, the One and the Only ... hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, When you sent your disciples out two by two to spread the good news, you told them that if the people of a town did not listen they should shake the dust of the town off their feet and leave them. You invite us to God but never force  submission.

Help our Islamic brothers to know that God himself granted free will to mankind. He could have created Eden with no forbidden tree but if there is no possibility of evil, how can we choose good. The tree itself was good but the choice to disobey was a bad one.

Help us all to realize that morality can not be taught nor instilled through civil law but must be accepted by the individual though guidance and example. Help us to know that beliefs are not dictated but they are accepted and internalized.

Amen.

"... men must have the right to refuse to believe before they can truly believe." We can, and sometimes do, profess a belief simply because we have been told to but where is the strength of conviction? And of what merit is there for us? That may be all well and good for a child who has not matured to the point of thinking for themselves. But how many adults, true, mature, adults, will respond with true belief to, "... because I told you so!" A faith system that is secure in its beliefs and precepts does not fear and become paranoid about the faith of others, forbidding their people from  exposure to other beliefs and excluding those of other faiths from the mere mention of it in their presence. Many other faiths have tried that approach and found that it doesn't work ... Christianity included. I find the practice of executing those who have left the Islamic faith to be counterproductive. It precludes them from ever coming back. It makes them a martyr of their new faith as well. If they have offended God by their leaving Islam, I would think that God would deal with it in His time. Jesus taught us, "Do not judge, for the measure you use will be measured back to you."

Many people "leave Christianity".  We pray for them. Jesus has special love for the people who are weak in their faith and tries to help them find their way. I site the story of the Prodigal Son. I also site the following from Loyola Press - 3 Minute Retreat, 14 Aug, 2010:

"We approach an act of faith much like farmers who plant seeds. ... God undertakes a wondrous work that we can only watch with hopeful prayer. We lead one another to grow in knowledge of God, who created a good world for us and who embraces us with love and mercy. We continue to serve God's kingdom with love, prayer, and care for others."

A prayer for common sense in the treatment of women.

All powerful and Loving creator of all of us, the One and the Only ... hear our prayer.

Blessed Mary, we plead for your intersession. The Islamic people revere you as the Virgin Mother of Jesus. Ask God, our creator, to show them that your face is not hidden but is a testament to the creation of beauty.

Your son spoke to women and his feet were washed by the tears of a woman and dried with her hair. Ask our Lord to make them realize that women are not the chattels of men but are equal in dignity and worth.

Amen.

What does it say of me to demand that all women must completely cover themselves because I can not, or will not, control my desires? Jesus taught that men and women are equal and He did it by treating women equally with men. Many radical Moslem men deem women as not worthy of education. This is subjugation in its most grievous form. Christian slave holders tried to use this and we have since rejected it as evil. We ask God, through the intersession of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to bring enlightenment to our Islamic brothers in this regard. 

A Prayer for the Tolerance of other Religions

All powerful and Loving creator of all of us, the One and the Only ... hear our prayer.

The Islamic People have in the past been tolerant of all the people "Of The Book", those who believe in you, the One, The Only, God and creator. Help us all to conduct ourselves as your children, recognizing that we differ in the way we worship and to be tolerant of differences in culture and customs.

Help us to avoid judging others as wrong just because we differ. Let us rather see in others the same sincerity of seeking the One True God.

Amen.

In my recent reading I have found an interesting concept. We tend to view other religious beliefs to be wrong because they differ from those we follow. The "others" view us in the same way. The fact is that it is men who have established religious organizations to aid us in our faith in God and to bring us to Him. Errors have been made and there are instances of outright efforts to establish false religions by men who seek the aggrandizement of their own power. But does God condemn followers of any these 'religions' by those individual members who sincerely seek a way to worship Him and follow His ways? I think not.

If we as individuals, sincerely seek God, desiring to please him, and to live as He intended, God, I believe, will welcome him. It is not our place to condemn or prevent the the practice of another's faith as long as it does not infringe on the rights and wellbeing of mankind. Members of the Islamic faith although they have been very tolerant of others at times, have also condemned others for not believing as they do. We have done the same. Let us pray that we all leave judgment of faith to God.  This applies, I think, not only to the three religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam but to all who recognize a supreme being of any kind, or a force beyond nature and maybe, just maybe, those who deny any religious belief at all. God will judge ... we need not assume His job. What we do need to do is to conduct ourselves as we believe God would want us. In that way we are the light that will guide others.

We offer a prayer that the fanatics of Islam are recognized as evil.

All powerful and Loving creator of all of us, the One and the Only ... hear our prayer.  

Islamic purports to be a religion of peace and mercy and indeed there are writings of the Quran that support this goal. Other of its writings have been distorted for the evil purposes of some within its ranks.

We ask Your aid, Lord God, in giving those of Islam who strive for peace and justice the wisdom to recognize the evil of those in their midst who would use God and distort His words to further their evil ambitions for power and false glory.

We ask Your aid, Lord God , to mend the hearts of those who follow these errant men that they may recognize the evil in their ways and turn to your peace and love towards those of other faiths. 

Amen.

We are not engaged in a Holy War, one of religion against religion, but in a war perpetrated by ego driven men who seek personal power and who are using the name of God in their religious affiliation to further their own greedy ends. It may be an intentional deception on their part or, worse still, they may actually have convinced themselves that they are fulfilling God's will. These misguided men would like their fellow believers to think it is a holy war but, all war is unholy. They resort to acts of terror because they do not have the support of all Islamic believers and cannot raise support an actual war. We ask God, our common, and only God, to do whatever He can in correcting these men, the radicals and the fanatics of Islam. They are not likely to listen to reason from those outside of Islam but maybe our prayers can reach the sane members of that faith and they can work from within to purge their faith of the evil doing members.  And maybe our prayers can reach some of those who have been deceived by evil leaders, those who, in poverty or desperation, are following the wrong path, to realize the error in their ways and turn to the real ways of God, in peace and justice.