The influence of paganism, heathenism, humanism,
and traditional formal
Christian false religion
-upon prayer (part one)
Dr.
John Harbaugh
October, 2007
Paganism
~ Heathenism:
A person who was not raised inside
the Roman Catholic Church is probably not as sensitive to its pagonistic influence, as someone who was raised inside the
Roman Catholic Church. That is not a
“good thing”. This sensitivity makes
one more aware of the influences of paganism in seemingly innocent things –like prayer.
We are all aware of the
infamous practices of Mariology and of praying to saints, for example.
The Hail Mary,
Ave Maria or Angelic Salutation (from Latin
Salutatio Angelica, meaning "The
Angel's Greeting") is a traditional Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox prayer
calling for the intercession of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is also used in other
denominations, especially of Catholic tradition, notably Anglo-Catholic
members of the Anglican Communion, some Lutherans,
and some Methodists.
I
will not list them here, but the list of Saints, is merely a replacement for
the Roman and Greek gods.
In
the Catholic
Church, a “novena” is a devotion consisting of prayer said (most typically) on nine successive days, asking to
obtain special graces. These may consist
of small prayer books, recitation of the Rosary, or small prayers
through the day. ….. Though the novena is primarily a devotion
used by members of the Catholic Church, it has spread to the Orthodox, Anglican, and even some Lutheran churches.
A “Common Book of Prayers” is
a direct influence of the Roman Catholic Church. In the Church of England, a specific book was
written to inhibit the influence of the Pope upon the British subject, but the
motivation of the effort was political not spiritual and the prayer was now
more formal and violently forced upon the member by law. Deviants were tortured and burned at the
stake.
(Matthew
6:7-8 KJV) "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for
they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. {8} Be not ye therefore like unto
them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask
him."
The pagan/heathen prays with
vain and repetitious prayers, and with false humility. Much of the common Christian prayer emulates
this practice.
Openly, the pagan and heathen
pray to other gods (other than Jehovah God, whom we call Jesus). These gods include (amongst many others)
Lucifer, Krishna, Bhrama, Shiva, Mary,
Allah, and the gods of Greek and Roman
mythology.
Until recently, prayers to Lucifer, Krishna, Bhrama, and Shiva have not really impacted
the prayer of the modern Christian church, but the deification of -and prayer
to Mary, Allah, and the gods of Greek and
Roman mythology have.
Formalism
The “formalism” of the Roman
Catholic Mass and public prayer appeals to many other denominations. This has resulted in the carryover of the
necessity for the minister to lead the church in formal, choreographed prayer
such as prayers printed and distributed and read together by the congregation.
I have seen many Baptist churches
read “responsive prayer” from their bulletins.
I had some church ladies that had
a desire for “responsive prayer” in our services. They were reminiscing their youth and how
they felt so close to God, during the reading of such prayers. They also felt that it gave them an
opportunity to participate in the service.
If you are not familiar with
“responsive prayer”, it is a script, normally printed in the bulliten and performed during the service by the preacher
reading the words of the Lord aloud, and the congregation reading aloud, the
words of the people.
I placated them, with this
prayer, in my next Sunday’s Bulletin:
Responsive
Prayer (Malachi 3:8-15 KJV)
The
Lord says: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have
robbed me.”
The
people say: “ Wherein have we
robbed thee? “
The
Lord says: "In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole
nation. Bring ye all the tithes
into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of
heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough
to receive it. And I will rebuke
the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your
ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field,
saith the LORD of hosts. And all
nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the
LORD of hosts.
The
people say: “Amen”
The
Lord says: "Your words have been stout against me,
saith the LORD.”
The
people say: “ What have we spoken
so much against thee?”
The
Lord says: "Ye have said, It
is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his
ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? {15}
And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that
work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even
delivered."
The
people say: “Amen”
That was the
end of the request for “responsive prayer” and my “ladies” became
Fundamentalist.
