I missed this on Sunday - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was being interviewed on Fox News Sunday and was asked about her comment that she was praying for President Bush to change his heart on SCHIP legislation. Here is the transcript:
WALLACE: You said the other day that you were praying for President Bush to change his mind about vetoing SCHIP. Do you pray for our soldiers to win in Iraq?PELOSI: Of course I do.
WALLACE: To win?
PELOSI: Of course I do. Of course. What a question. First of all, I pray for President Bush all the time, and I--prayed especially hard that he would sign the...children's health bill, because it's so important to America's children.
WALLACE: When you pray for President Bush, what do you pray for?
PELOSI: I pray that, that--well, at the same time as I pray for him, I pray for America's children, and that there can be some compatibility in their thinking. But I pray for his health; his well-being. I pray that he makes the right decisions for the American people, but, when I was--
WALLACE: --Do you ever pray for him to change his policies?
PELOSI: All the time! But--let me draw a line: When I was growing up in politics, we were always told that we shouldn't pray for a political outcome -- that we just pray that God's will would be done. We pray for the children, we pray for the poor people, we pray for people who need help; and we always, always, always pray for our men and women in uniform, who make our freedom to pray possible.
I wonder if someone could be elected to office in our current climate if they said they never prayed for anyone or anything.
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Probably not. It's sad, but it's come to the fact that religiousity is a marketing tool. Just like sex, it sells.
But one thing did impress me. The way Pelosi took pains to point out that she was taught NOT to pray for a specific outcome, but to pray for God's will to be done. As my grandmother once said "When I turn a problem over to God, it never turns out the say I think it should. But later, I realize that His way is oh, so much better!"
"Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you." - Mathew 6:5-6
This is distasteful in members of both parties.
Ah, but she DID pray for a specific outcome!
Which may be bad theology, even by her own teaching -- but also tends to indicate, to my mind at least, that Speaker Pelosi actually WAS praying. (As opposed to simply telling Chris Wallace she was praying when she really wasn't, which is what David seemed to imply.)
Now, technically, would it count as a political outcome I pray for congress, both parties bicamerally, to be eaten by wolves? it's not like I want just the Democrats or the Republicans et.
As it says in Paul's letter to the Phillippians, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. "
I think I need a fast from politics, but I'm no wolf.
I say what's the matter with politicians? Why can't they leave praying to where it belongs - the nation's end zones and batter's boxes?
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