The Christian Discussion thread IX: Pelagius Rising.

[Northern Davincia]

But are they good?

The 796 that remain? I dunno.

Their resilience is impressive.

[Pope Joan]

I've got a Methodist friend who tells me Methodism was started by a group of teenagers in England. I don't know if it's true, but it would explain the progressive theology.

The Methodist Church was started by Charles Wesley, a prominent British Anglican theologian.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wesley
Here’s an article on Mr. Westley, who also wrote a lot of hymns.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methodism
Here’s an article on Methodism.

Sadly, the Methodist Church has become very, very liberal in the last few years.

The very article on Charles Wesley which you link says that he was a prominent hymn writer who was the BROTHER of the founder of Methodism, John.
John Wesley based his teaching on a "quadrilateral" of reason, scripture, tradition and personal religious experience. Most Reformers held to "sola scriptura" as their standard but Wesley was closer to the Church of England in incorporating tradition (creeds, sacraments and more) and reason (he borrowed from great thinkers of antiquity, and called it "plundering the Egyptians", as Moses did at the Exodus). The main innovation was including personal experience. The establishment despised this tendency as encouraging too much "enthusiasm". It did however provide energy and gave a new group of believers a chance to make a new start without having been born into the church.

[Geneviev]

If I may politely ask, what do you believe about prayer?

[Tarsonis]

If I may politely ask, what do you believe about prayer?

I'm not sure I understand the question.

[Geneviev]

If I may politely ask, what do you believe about prayer?

I'm not sure I understand the question.

How do you believe one must pray, according to Christianity?

[Lord Dominator]

I'm not sure I understand the question.

How do you believe one must pray, according to Christianity?

As I've been taught in my heretic ( ) Lutheran ways, there isn't really a 'correct' way to pray so long as you do it with all of your attention on God (that is humanely possible at least), and well, pray

[Tarsonis]

I'm not sure I understand the question.

How do you believe one must pray, according to Christianity?

Earnestly, would be the biggest precept.

There's not particularly a wrong method to praying, only wrong reasons.

[Geneviev]

How do you believe one must pray, according to Christianity?

As I've been taught in my heretic ( ) Lutheran ways, there isn't really a 'correct' way to pray so long as you do it with all of your attention on God (that is humanely possible at least), and well, pray

How do you believe one must pray, according to Christianity?

Earnestly, would be the biggest precept.

There's not particularly a wrong method to praying, only wrong reasons.

That is all?

[Dylar]

As I've been taught in my heretic ( ) Lutheran ways, there isn't really a 'correct' way to pray so long as you do it with all of your attention on God (that is humanely possible at least), and well, pray

Earnestly, would be the biggest precept.

There's not particularly a wrong method to praying, only wrong reasons.

That is all?

Yep. Heck, sometimes all I do in prayer in Adoration is just tell God about my day and then ask if he can help me with some sins I'm struggling with.

[Geneviev]

That is all?

Yep. Heck, sometimes all I do in prayer in Adoration is just tell God about my day and then ask if he can help me with some sins I'm struggling with.

I find it difficult to believe that it is that simple. Is it really?

[Tarsonis]

As I've been taught in my heretic ( ) Lutheran ways, there isn't really a 'correct' way to pray so long as you do it with all of your attention on God (that is humanely possible at least), and well, pray

Earnestly, would be the biggest precept.

There's not particularly a wrong method to praying, only wrong reasons.

That is all?

Well sure. I mean we have liturgical prayers, (liturgy is itself a prayer) we have meditative prayers, we have prayers of petition, etc etc. Those are all ways to pray, but they're not the only ways.

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; " Colossians 4:2

[Tarsonis]

Yep. Heck, sometimes all I do in prayer in Adoration is just tell God about my day and then ask if he can help me with some sins I'm struggling with.

I find it difficult to believe that it is that simple. Is it really?

"Lord, have mercy."

Simple as that really.

[Dylar]

Yep. Heck, sometimes all I do in prayer in Adoration is just tell God about my day and then ask if he can help me with some sins I'm struggling with.

I find it difficult to believe that it is that simple. Is it really?

Yep. You can even just say an Our Father, or a Hail Mary for the Blessed Mother's intercession if you're not into "praying from the heart"

[Tarsonis]

Remember God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. What ever you might pray, He knows it already.

Prayer is probably the simplest thing in the world. You don't even need to say it alloud, God knows your thoughts. You don't even need language, even if you didn't have a language to express yourself, God would know what you mean.

[Geneviev]

I find it difficult to believe that it is that simple. Is it really?

Yep. You can even just say an Our Father, or a Hail Mary for the Blessed Mother's intercession if you're not into "praying from the heart"

Well, see, that's more like what I expected.

Remember God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. What ever you might pray, He knows it already.

Prayer is probably the simplest thing in the world. You don't even need to say it allowed, God knows your thoughts. You don't even need language, even if you didn't have a language to express yourself, God would know what you mean.

Really?

[Tarsonis]

Yep. You can even just say an Our Father, or a Hail Mary for the Blessed Mother's intercession if you're not into "praying from the heart"

Well, see, that's more like what I expected.

Remember God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. What ever you might pray, He knows it already.

Prayer is probably the simplest thing in the world. You don't even need to say it allowed, God knows your thoughts. You don't even need language, even if you didn't have a language to express yourself, God would know what you mean.

Really?

"....your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Mathew 6:8.

[Geneviev]

Well, see, that's more like what I expected.


Really?

"....your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Mathew 6:8.

So technically, people don't even have to pray?

[Lord Dominator]

Remember God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent. What ever you might pray, He knows it already.

Prayer is probably the simplest thing in the world. You don't even need to say it alloud, God knows your thoughts. You don't even need language, even if you didn't have a language to express yourself, God would know what you mean.

Personally all of my personal prayers are entirely in my head

[Lord Dominator]

"....your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Mathew 6:8.

So technically, people don't even have to pray?

It's still a good habit to be in, knowing what you repent of and/or life organization. Also, it can be fairly comforting

[Geneviev]

So technically, people don't even have to pray?

It's still a good habit to be in, knowing what you repent of and/or life organization. Also, it can be fairly comforting

How so?

[Lord Dominator]

It's still a good habit to be in, knowing what you repent of and/or life organization. Also, it can be fairly comforting

How so?

Assuming you mean the comfort thing, but (to be blunt) just telling people about your life/problems can be comforting, even if you don't necessarily get a response, at least to me

[Geneviev]

How so?

Assuming you mean the comfort thing, but (to be blunt) just telling people about your life/problems can be comforting, even if you don't necessarily get a response, at least to me

But then why do you not talk to friends or something? Why pray?

[Lord Dominator]

Assuming you mean the comfort thing, but (to be blunt) just telling people about your life/problems can be comforting, even if you don't necessarily get a response, at least to me

But then why do you not talk to friends or something? Why pray?

Just to note, I'm going entirely off of personal experience here, but friends aren't always available, and unless I'm mistaken, people frequently don't want to be embarrassed when the tell people about their problems.
But again, this is my personal experience can not be sure it holds true for everyone

[Tarsonis]

"....your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Mathew 6:8.

So technically, people don't even have to pray?

Functionally, as in being used to tell God about something, no. However, one should pray for a litany of reasons.

1. Just because God does know what you're going to pray for doesn't get you out of actually praying. An approximate example pff the top of my head would be like gambling. Sure the dealer might know the bet I'm going to make, but I still have to make it.

2. Prayer is infinitely more for our benefit than for God's. Prayer is meditative, and cathartic. For instance, the decades of the Rosary Prayer aren't about chewing God's ear off, they're about calming the spirit through meditative action and reflection.

[Geneviev]

But then why do you not talk to friends or something? Why pray?

Just to note, I'm going entirely off of personal experience here, but friends aren't always available, and unless I'm mistaken, people frequently don't want to be embarrassed when the tell people about their problems.
But again, this is my personal experience can not be sure it holds true for everyone

Ah, no, that probably applies to most people. It makes sense that you would pray sometimes, then.