Prayers for the well-being of those affected makes more sense to me.

Are the automakers planning to “drive” to the proverbial Pearly Gates and ask for assistance? Has anyone seen any of them in church asking for divine assistance or guidance? Not likely.
Pray for the people effected, directly and indirectly. Pray for all of us who continue to struggle as so many key sectors of our economy crumble. And pray for the innovators and inventors, the entrepreneurs who will not sell out to financial powerhouses, and the people who would finance or purchase their products.

Is organized prayer by groups more effective than one sincere prayer by a humble person? I don’t think so. God gave us intelligence and faith and because of this and our own personal prayers we are to manage in our lives with success. People cause their own failures, and their countries failures.

I have trouble, first of all, with the whole notion of The Economy, which strikes me as a kind of idol. The economy is actually the sum total of human decisions made by all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons. It makes sense to pray that those decisions should be made with wisdom and compassion.
And as is frequently the case with Big Issues (like weather, for instance) we can’t always know what specific outcome would be best for all of us. A bailout of the auto industry might or might not be the best decision.
So let’s pray–individually and collectively–that people (important and less important people) make their economic decisions with wisdom and compassion, that the result be as good as possible for all concerned, and that those affected bear the result with strength and good sense.

The church supporting industry. If this isn’t fascism, what is?

Marian, what a wonderful, insightful response! The Economy, yes.

This week, Cardinal Adam Maida sent out a pastoral letter to all the parishes in the Detroit Archdiocese, about 300 parishes. It is entitled, “Christ our Hope”. For Catholics,and some main stream Protestant traditions, the Church celebrates the season of Advent. This is a time when we take a moment to prepare individually,Liturgically, and as a people as a whole for the coming of Christ entering into humanity, and also at the end of time. The document is a nice reflection of Advent in this season when hope should be at the center of our lives, but often can seem a struggle in economically tough times.
Ultimatley, the Cardinal say’s’ “the economy is not just about money; it is about people- about us- fellow human beings made in the image of God. Our spiritual well being does not depend on the flucuations of the stock market. No matter what happens to industry or big bussiness, we belong to God and have rights as well as responsibilities for one another.” There should be an over-all vision of the common good. So yes, to pray for the health of the economy, especially here in Detroit is a responsibility to ‘Love our neighbor” so too speak. This dosn’t mean the auto companies don’t have responsibilites as well. It simply means, no matter how this all play’s out, as social people, we have a responsibilty to our neighbor. We are a ‘people of hope’. Shalom

This week in Detroit, the Cardinal bishop of the Archdiocese held a prayer service with local religious leaders in the area, which included Jewish as well as Muslims. They prayed for the ‘common good’.

December 9, 2008 12:50 PM
If Jews were Christians, then praying to G-d to fix the economy and give GM a bailout would make sense. Since we are Jews, however, this problem is not one for G-d to handle. This is a man to man situation and the responsibility to fix the situation rests with man and not with G-d.
Similarly on Rosh Hashannah, Ben Bernacke better not ask G-d for forgiveness for his gross incompetence. His allowing credit default swaps to exist was not a “crime” against G-d, but an evil Ben allowed to befall his fellow man. Ben should be asking us and he should be asking GM for forgiveness. This problem has nothing to do with G-d and that’s why Jews should not be praying to G-d to fix it.

On the assumption that Henry Paulson is Xian, is Ruvain suggesting that Paulson and Bush should pray to G-d for forgiveness, or is that not necessary as they are already Saved thereby making everything they do OK?