Here’s the Freethought Society press release, replete with relevant footnoted Biblical quotation.

I only saw one passage from Matthew in that link. The verse they referred to was spoken by Christ and directed toward the religious leaders of the day who were looking for public recognition of their superiority over them. Christ’s statement does not mean, “don’t ever pray in public.” In fact in that same passage Christ then tells His disciples that when they do pray do it in your closet, in secret, so that your heavenly Father will hear you in secret and reward you openly. Thus the force of Christ’s admonition, is not concerned with the outward modality of prayer, but the inward condition of the prayer’s heart. Otherwise, the only place Christians could pray would be in their closets. The Bible is full of examples of public prayers. The Freethought society is misinterpreting, and thereby misapplying, this passage.

Weight of Glory on November 13, 2007 at 2:52 PM

Just read that C.S. Lewis speech for the first time last week. Was very impressive
JiangxiDad on November 13, 2007 at 2:58 PM

I can’t even begin to tell you how excited that makes me. Lewis has a lot more to offer than simply large wardrobes and fawns. A man who was raised Anglican, converted to Atheism, fought in WWI, rose in the British academic ranks, and then converted back to Christianity, has a lot to offer.

Weight of Glory on November 13, 2007 at 3:09 PM

No matter what happens you’ll find a rationalization.
Allahpundit on November 13, 2007 at 3:15 PM

Everyone does that, AP. Everyone will try to explain what happens around them in terms of their worldview. That will be the case until there are so many problems with the worldview, that the person will have to change worldviews. But even after that change, he will then seek to rationalize the events around him with this new worldview. It is something humans are incapable of not doing. Why cock your head when Christians do it?

Weight of Glory on November 13, 2007 at 3:22 PM

Not true at all. If Perdue holds 100 rain vigils and it immediately starts raining every time, I’d have to look at that and say, “Geez, there may be some causation going on here.” But if he held 100 vigils and it didn’t rain even once, would that cause anyone here to question their faith? Of course not. So why credit God if it rains when you won’t hold it against him if it doesn’t? You’ve already made up your minds.

Allahpundit on November 13, 2007 at 3:26 PM

Your scenario leaves out an important aspect, and theological concept, namely the fact that God is not a machine where if you plunk in certain tokens (prayers for rain for example) you will always get the same result. God is a personal agent, who wills things. That will moves towards an end or purpose. Thus in interpreting outward events, your analysis has to take into account the concept of divine will. You may find this “convenient” for the Christian, but it is not illogical, nor is it strange in terms of human experience. On a side note, your example is almost the perfect example for Wolfhart Pannenberg’s view of Revelation as History. He too, like you, depended heavily upon the hypothetico-deductive method in determining truth from historical events.

Weight of Glory on November 13, 2007 at 3:46 PM

“Geez, there may be some causation going on here.”

I read too quickly and missed it. The Christian cannot look at his prayer as causative for God’s action. Otherwise our actions cause an act of God. That is not a traditional view of prayer. There are many passages in the OT and NT that seem to make that point, but they have been looked at as more anthropomorphisms than anything else. The participatory element of prayer in conjunction with God’s divine will has always been a very difficult theological discipline. But what prayer is not, is a final cause to God’s actions.

Weight of Glory on November 13, 2007 at 3:52 PM