Ponzi Prayers
Brian Smith
The email below was recently posted on this news group, and you probably see
many other similar emails flying around the Internet. I call them "Ponzi
prayers" because, like Ponzi schemes you benefit by signing up many other
people to do a certain thing for you. I have no problem with asking others
to pray for yourself or others; the Bible encourages us to do so. The
problem with these types of emails lies in the belief that sending the email
to X number of people will make your wish come true or answer your prayers.
Believing that saying a prayer and then sending the email to a certain
number of people has power to make something happen amounts to idolatry. To
believe this, we would be ascribing power to this email (an inanimate
object), which is no different than pagan religions praying to a wooden
idol. As Christians, we must be very careful to stay away from these
types of schemes. At first glance, they appear to be honoring God, but when
you think about it, they really dishonor God. In fact, most of these types
of emails say very little about God (as in the one below) and hardly ever
mention Jesus (whose Name is noticeably absent from the email below). For
example, the email below says "May you be content knowing you are a child of
God....", but says nothing about needing to have accepted Christ in order to
become a child of God.
I'm sure most of these are passed on with good intentions, but we must
always be mindful that in all we do we give honor and glory to God, and to
God alone!
In Christ,
Brian
_______________________________________________________
St Theresa Novena
St. Theresa Novena - cannot be deleted REMEMBER to make a wish
before you read the poem. That's all you have to do. There is nothing
attached.
This is a powerful novena. Just send this to four people and let me
know what happens on the fourth day....
Do not break this, please.
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot
of reward. Let's continue praying for one. Make a wish before you read
this poem....
(Did you make a wish?)
(if you don't make a wish, it won't come true)
(Last Chance to Make a Wish)
May today there be peace within
May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where
you are meant to be....
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith....
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on
the love that has been given to you....
May you be content knowing you are a child of God....
Let this presence settle into our bones, and allow your soul
the freedom to sing, dance, and to bask in the sun....
It is there for each and every one of you....
Send this to 7 People within the next 5 min. and your wish
will come true
Peter Lockhart
I'd go along with that. When I pray its from the heart, its personal and
relevant. I view the letters in the same light as I view chain mail. An
odd things about chain mail. People will do as it says and pass it on for
fear of getting the bad luck its talks about. They normally also say that
good things will come if the receiver does as it asks. Yet while the people
that send them think they may get bad luck not one actually believe that
they will get good luck. I bin them. They are being sent via e-mail now as
well. They have no power. How can a bit of paper and some ink that is
arraigned to make worse have power. Even the bible on its own has no power.
Its power comes from the way people use its teachings.
Peter
"Brian Smith" <ssmi...@satx.rr.com> wrote in message
news:C8eZ6.86595$tb6.21...@typhoon.austin.rr.com...