"Rappin' With Jesus" Is Better Than The New World Translation! (page 2)

minimus

Maybe they'll make an Old Testament Bible called "Rappin With Jehovah". Couldn't you just Moses and Jehovah goin' at it? Or Jonah and Jehovah getting perturbed with each other???

Here's another passage from "the word according to Luke"-----"After Jesus had said all this, He went up into the mountains to pray 'cuz it was only a matter of time before He would be wasted."....."Two brothers came to the church to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collecter. The Pharisee brother prayed like this. ' Almighty, I'm so glad I'm such a cool brother and don't act like those common, sinful folks---you know, the skirt chasers, thieves, pimps or even like that tax collector. You know I'm fasting twice a week now and I give you at least ten percent of my cash. So, anyway, thanks that I'm so wonderful.' "

jayhawk1

I just had to Ebonify a Watchtower article. I want to give a shout out to Brooklin, maybe you should give this a try.

How Should We Pray?

"Teach Us How ta Pray"

"LORD, teach us how ta pray." That request wuz made by one o' da disciples o' Jesus Christ. (Luke 11:1) The unnamed disciple wuz obviously uh nig wiff deep appreciation fo' prayer. True worshipers taday similarly recognize its importance. After all, prayer iz da means by which we's gain audience wiff da Highest Personage in da universe! And just th'o't! The "Hearer o' prayer" gives personal attention ta our concerns an' anxieties. (Psalm 65:2) More important, by means o' prayer, we's render thanks an' praise ta God.?Philippians 4:6.

Nevertheless, da werdz "teach us how ta pray" raise some serious questions. Throughout da world many methods o' approaching God iz used by different religions. But iz dere uh right an' uh wrong way ta pray? In answer, let us first take uh peep at some o' da popular religious customs dat involve prayer. We will focus on those practiced in Latin America.

Images an' "Patron Saints"
Generally, Latin-American countries iz deeply religious. For example, throughout Mexico one can observe da popular practice o' praying ta "patron saints." Indeed, it iz customary fo' Mexican towns ta gots "patron saints" fo' whom festivals iz held on certain days. Mexican Catholics also pray ta uh great variety o' images. Which "saint" iz invoked, however, depends upon what type o' request da worshiper desires ta make. If someone iz looking fo' uh person ta marry, he might light uh candle ta "Saint" Anthony. Someone about ta embark on an `64 trip might commend himself ta "Saint" Christopher, patron o' travelers, particularly o' motorists.

Where, though, did such customs originate? History shows dat when da Spaniards arrived in Mexico, dey found uh populace devoted ta da worship o' pagan gods. In his book Los Aztecas, Hombre y Tribu (Aztecs, da Man an' da Tribe), Victor Wolfgang von Hagen says: "There wuz personal gods, each plant had its god, each function its god or goddess, even suicides had one. Yacatecuhtli wuz da businessmen'sdeity. In dis here polytheistic world, all da gods had clearly defined tendencies an' functions."

The resemblance o' deez gods ta Catholic "saints" wuz so striking dat when da Spanish conquerors tried ta "Christianize" da natives, deez simply switched allegiance from they idols ta church "saints." An article in The Wall Street Journal acknowledged da heathen roots o' da Catholicism practiced in some parts o' Mexico. It noted dat in one area, most o' da 64 "saints" venerated by da populace corresponded ta "specific Mayan gods."

The New Catholic Encyclopedia argues dat "between saint an' those on earth dere iz established uh bond o' confident intimacy, . . . uh bond dat, far from detracting from da relationship wiff Christ an' wiff God, enriches an' deepens it." But how could uh bond dat iz clearly uh vestige o' paganism deepen one'srelationship wiff da true God? Could prayers dat iz offered ta such "saints" really please God?

The Origin o' da Rosary

Another popular custom involves da use o' da rosary. Diccionario Enciclopédico Hispano-Americano (Hispanic-American Encyclopedic Dictionary) describes da rosary as uh "string o' fiddy or one hundred an' fiddy beads separated into tens by others o' larger size an' joined at da ends by uh crucifix, presently preceded by three beads."

Explaining how da rosary iz used, one Catholic publication says: "The Holy Rosary iz uh form o' vocal an' mental prayer about da Mysteries o' our redemption. It iz made up o' fifteen decades. Each decade consists o' reciting da Lord'sPrayer, ten Hail Marys, an' uh Gloria Patri. A mystery iz meditated upon during each decade." The mysteries iz doctrines, or teachings, dat Catholics should know, in dis here case referring ta da life, suffering, an' death o' Christ Jesus.

The World Book Encyclopedia says: "Early forms o' praying wiff uh rosary began in Christianity during da Middle Ages, but became widespread only in da 1400'san' 1500 's." Is da use o' da rosary exclusive ta Catholicism? No. Diccionario Enciclopédico Hispano-Americano states: "Similar beads iz in use in Islamic, Lamaist an' Buddhist worship." Indeed, da Encyclopedia o' Religion an' Religions notes: "It has been suggested dat da Mohammedans derived da Rosary from da Buddhists, an' da Christians from da Mohammedans at da tyme o' da Crusades."

Some argue dat da rosary merely serves as uh memory aid when da repetition o' uh number o' prayers iz required. But iz God pleased wiff its use?

We do not need ta speculate about or debate da appropriateness or validity o' such customs. Jesus gave an authoritative response ta da request ta teach his followers how ta pray. What he said will enlighten an' perhaps surprise some readers.

Appeared in Watchtower July 15, 1996

you know das right!

"Rappin' With Jesus" Is Better Than The New World Translation!

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jayhawk1

Gopher

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