How to pray?

[Istiak]

I don't know how many Abrahamic Religions are right there. I have found 4 now. 

1. Judaism
2. Christianity
3. Islam
4. the Bahá'í Faith

I have studied Islam, Christianity and Judaism. So, I am just talking about them and ignoring another one. 

>Old Testament:<br/>
"You shall have no other gods besides Me" (Exodus 20:3)<br/>
New Testament:<br/>
"You shall worship the Lord your God. and Him only you shall serve" (Luke 4:8)<br/>
The Quran: "You shall know that: "There is no other god beside God" 47:19<br/>
Jesus preached love and submission to God. He proclaimed that he has not come to change the law (of the Torah) but to confirm it (Mathew 5:17-18)<br/>**Prophet Muhammad did not bring any religion by the name of Islam**. It is written in the Qur'an that Islam (Submission to God), is as old as Abraham (22:78)<br/>"Abraham was neither a Jew, nor a Christian; but he was a monotheist submitter. He was not one of the those who set up partners with God." 3:67 ~ [Quora](https://qr.ae/pGactx)

Currently I believe in Abrahamic Religion. 

In Quran (Hadith maybe) : You can pray in any Language but, you will get less [virtue](https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-opposite-of/sin.html) than you pray in Arabic

Since, I haven't read Bible or Tanakh completely so I don't know if there's similar thing like this. Above I mentioned that I believe in Abrahamic Religion but I didn't mention any Religion name cause, according to my research God exists but, I don't know if he gave a specific Religion. Allah (mentioning Muslim God) allows people to pray in any language. Even, Christians also can pray in any language (according to my study). But, I don't have any idea of Judaism. Even, history of those religions are little bit related so I can simply believe those histories either (I have some other opinion about Christianity but I am not saying anything about that since those words are likely to show disrespect to Christians) 

Christians say God sent a person to heaven called Adam later when he said to God that he is alone; he needs someone else. Then God sent a woman to him called Eve. There was a tree of Satan; God told Adam to not take "apple" from that tree but, Eve had gone there and took an apple she shared apple with Adam. Later, God sent them to Earth not to listen to him. 

The same thing goes here : https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8167/jewish/Chapter-3.htm

In Quran also, all the differences was available in Islam that is name. The man was called Mohammad Adam (a:) but, the woman was called Hawa (a:). 

All above Religions claim that they were prophet. So, there's no difference. So, I can simply believe those Religions altogether. 

 

<hr/>

 

written above things [here](https://judaism.codidact.com/posts/283924). I think there's lot of religious people in the community. And, I think I can discuss with every people of above stated religion. My question is : Since I am believing in Islam, Judaism and Christianity (adding it since I had talked about it above. I have some problem in the religion but, I don't want to discuss with anyone here or there) altogether than how can I pray? I meant Muslim pray this way  and, jews this way. But, they are praying different way so, I don't want to disrespect any method of praying. I just believe that God exists. He didn't give any Religion. But, he said us lot of things by prophets. I am confused how should I pray. Should I believe a religion or it is OK to believe all religions? I think I should pray the way I want but, I want my seniors suggestion. 

[Phi for All]

1 hour ago, Istiak said:

I just believe that God exists. He didn't give any Religion.

This would seem to suggest that specific religions and procedures for pleasing this god are left up to the person praying. Since there are tens of thousands of Abrahamic religious sects, each with their own ways and rituals for this god, doing what feels "right" and "proper" could be a personal path or a more organized one. It seems to be up to you, though I'm sure many sects would disagree.

[Peterkin]

2 hours ago, Istiak said:

All above Religions claim that they were prophet. So, there's no difference. So, I can simply believe those Religions altogether. 

Of course you can. They're all closely related. Judaism is a construct, that took many generations of nomadic pastoral life to construct from the ancient Middle Eastern  mythologies, and then another 1500-1800 years to develop as a national belief system. Christianity was born of Judaism under the Roman occupation, and was later elaborated into its european form by Roman empire. Muhammad, as a young man, knew both Judaism and Christianity. His ideal was for "the people of the book"  to respect one another, and their slightly different relationships to the same Creator.

How you pray in public is cultural: a set of rituals were laid down and became traditional. How you pray in private is personal: it's entirely a matter between you and your deity.

BTW, if you want the stories behind Judaism and christianity, here is a pretty good bible https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Genesis-Chapter-1/

[beecee]

4 hours ago, Istiak said:

 I am confused how should I pray. Should I believe a religion or it is OK to believe all religions? I think I should pray the way I want but, I want my seniors suggestion. 

Don't be. If you are genuine, and your God is real, then I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be worried about how you pray, rather he/she would be concerned in the sincerity of your prayers. My wife prays for me everyday!😉

[Sensei]

4 hours ago, Istiak said:

I am confused how should I pray. 

It really doesn't matter. What matters are your good deeds (or at least lack of evil deeds)...

(the problem is that different people interpret these words differently.. mostly misinterpreting them..)

4 hours ago, Istiak said:

In Quran (Hadith maybe) : You can pray in any Language but, you will get less (..) than [if] you pray in Arabic

This is nonsense. The most of Muslims don't even speak Arabic language.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_by_country

 

[iNow]

Praying isn’t much different from meditating. The main difference is instead of listening to your own mind, you’re pretending your mind is that if god and it’s listening to you. 

[potrzebie]

I grew up with a (still) completely self centered mother. A power hungry misantrope with no dick, that respect nothing else but power. Interested in me and my sister only for the purpose of showing us up in front of others. Always around (she prides herself that she didn't work like other people because she wanted to be home taking care of her children). Interfering and taking over at the first sign that we started to connect with another adult, and still is doing. Or each other; she's said too me plenty of times that "It's wtitten that Satan turns your children against you". She sent a letter to one of my friends, that happened to be female, asking her to take care of me. She visited rehab homes that I was at, but never asked me "how's it going", instead she ran around hitting on the older inmates. Use your imagination to make the list twice as long, or think Carrie after removing Stephen Kings unfortunate alcoholic blanket over the books text.

I separated and started with the bad stuff, so that your answers won't hurt too much. Now to the good stuff. I'm sure that all children go through this in one way or another. Maybe they didn't have a parent that continued to touch them after trying to tell her twenty times that you don't appreciate it, yelled at her twenty times, tried to be allowed a key to your own room twenty times, or choose your own clothes for that matter, and eventually resorted to just trying to walk to another room, and she (kind of comical, actually) simply followed me. A parent that failed for 40 years to see that your eyes turned dark every time. A parent that didn't remind you of returning library books until she saw you proudly coming down the stairs with them, then she mentioned it. And has told you many times how excited she was when the local church ran out of bread and it seemed to multiply.

link to YouTube channel removed by moderator

Oh, the positive suff... I hid in computer programming, books, electronics and numbers, where I could be left alone because she didn't understand it. I was sent to various christian institutions, and what better way to try to revolt than studying the bible. No, I don't believe I thought that way at all, it wasn't an attempt at revenge, neither hope of something, it was just me swallowing educational books of high quality at an enourmous rate, obviously (though I'm no psychiatrist) because my mother wasn't teaching me anything, but rather tried to prevent me from learning anything unless she considered it to be christian and gave her approval. Hence: The Bible.

That leaves me where I am now, finding an enormous amount of contradictions in the bible, analyzing what christians want to be true and how long they are prepared to hurt others to keep the illusion, realizing that the bible wants to be everything from drama and poetry to fact, eventually giving up when losing to an 80's porn movie and then declaring it the word of God himself, with a threat of hell on top. And at the same time I'm what Paul unflatteringly describes in one of my favourite quotes from the bible, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 Corinthians 13&version=NIV. Another favourite is https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+17&version=NIV.

Dawkins, Harris and Peterson aren't popular because they're scientific. People listen to them because they care, which churches generally don't. My natural reaction to watching a good soccer player, even though it's a stupid game and ice hockey is better, should be to enjoy it, maybe incorporate it in my life somehow if the opportunity shows up, which it probably doesn't but I don't really care that much and I have the memory. A civilized christians reaction (extreme christians simply label soccer as a sin) is to ask the player if he's been saved, tell him that he should give Jesus all glory and honor for his talents, pray for him, etc. When they manage to get a catch - most of the time it's drug users that don't have a choice anyway - the person will be in their newspage and sent up on stage every meeting to tell about what a wonderful change he's been through.

Which I'm sure that he has, and I don't want to take any of that from him. I want to take it from the church. Besides, everyone can get happy by throwing their brain, with their responsibilities in it, in the lake.

link to YouTube channel removed by moderator

That's where I'm coming from, my standpoint. It's from where I judge other christians, 'cause you can't discuss with them. If I had to carefully give a scientific opinion, it would be that they're nothing more, or less, than ordinary people. They go to their meetings to see friends that also had an encounter with Jesus sometime, whatever that is. It's no different than a motorcycle club. Besides the problem that pushing Jesus down others throat is easier than other abuse, for cowarldy people, I'd like to add that punching someone one time in the face can be more love than verbally abusing him or her for five years.

Inshallah.

Edited September 5, 2021 by Phi for All
commercial link removed by moderator

[John Cuthber]

16 hours ago, Istiak said:

In Quran (Hadith maybe) : You can pray in any Language but, you will get less [virtue](https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-opposite-of/sin.html) than you pray in Arabic

Amen to that.
It seems all the Abrahamic religions pray in Hebrew.

 

[potrzebie]

On topic:

We join groups to be a part of, on different levels, preferably with an enemy, sometimes we're so desperate that we make up an enemy to strengthen the group and feel conected. Man and women marriage, countries waging war on each other, potheads vs skinheads and everything in between. Eventually we get tired of it, get a divorce and look for another partner or group.

Freechurch christians are extreme in that they believe that following Jesus is the only, and ultimate, answer. That's what we were created for, that's what were looking for in the end. While we're scatterd like lost sheep, by someone that uses all means possible, the good sheperd goes out to find every last one. Salvation is free if you just ask him. However much this could be true, it obviously doesn't work, because only a few people will be saved, and the bible even says that nobody (zero) seeks God, he seeks us. So what do you do in the meantime?

Muslims believe that we need to make a better effort to keep pretending, by being disciplined. Turning to Mecka, washing our hands at certain times, clothing women in full armor to avoid thoughts of infidelity, and so on. To please God. I see no reason why this is wrong, but christians don't approve of it, with the argument that Jesus is freedom, not demands, backed up with some nice quotes in the bible, but contradicted by many more.

In christianity, love creates good deeds. It works as long as love is supplied by God, and he wants blind faith in return. In Islam, good deeds create love. Whether it works or not depends on how you define love. Christians define it as something we can never produce ourselves, claim that we're all sinners from birth, every last one of us, that one sin is enough to make us total sinners, and that Jesus was the complete opposite, free of all sins. No grey scales...

So what can you do as a human with such demands and the bar set at impossible. Nothing, of course, that's the point. You can only trust Jesus with all of your questions, worries and your whole life. You're actually already doing it every day, but you're restrained for some reason. When some people realize this, it manifests itself by doing crazy stuff like talking jibberish or shoving each other to the floor in meetings, hoping to meet Jesus even more one day so that they can dance on the streets. It's just another way of missing the target.

Christians say to others that the sin is still there, you're only covering it up, because you have a need to cling on to it. Well, of course. Try to take the bone from a starving dog, and most of them will bite you, some of them really hard. Give the dog a bigger bone and some of them will happily let go of the other one and start to trust you more, some smarter ones keep both. Keep promising the dog a better one, still assuming that you don't know it (blind faith), and after being confused for a while, the appropriate response is to kill you. Which we did with Jesus.

[dimreepr]

25 minutes ago, potrzebie said:

On topic:

We join groups to be a part of, on different levels, preferably with an enemy, sometimes we're so desperate that we make up an enemy to strengthen the group and feel conected. Man and women marriage, countries waging war on each other, potheads vs skinheads and everything in between. Eventually we get tired of it, get a divorce and look for another partner or group.

Freechurch christians are extreme in that they believe that following Jesus is the only, and ultimate, answer. That's what we were created for, that's what were looking for in the end. While we're scatterd like lost sheep, by someone that uses all means possible, the good sheperd goes out to find every last one. Salvation is free if you just ask him. However much this could be true, it obviously doesn't work, because only a few people will be saved, and the bible even says that nobody (zero) seeks God, he seeks us. So what do you do in the meantime?

Muslims believe that we need to make a better effort to keep pretending, by being disciplined. Turning to Mecka, washing our hands at certain times, clothing women in full armor to avoid thoughts of infidelity, and so on. To please God. I see no reason why this is wrong, but christians don't approve of it, with the argument that Jesus is freedom, not demands, backed up with some nice quotes in the bible, but contradicted by many more.

In christianity, love creates good deeds. It works as long as love is supplied by God, and he wants blind faith in return. In Islam, good deeds create love. Whether it works or not depends on how you define love. Christians define it as something we can never produce ourselves, claim that we're all sinners from birth, every last one of us, that one sin is enough to make us total sinners, and that Jesus was the complete opposite, free of all sins. No grey scales...

So what can you do as a human with such demands and the bar set at impossible. Nothing, of course, that's the point. You can only trust Jesus with all of your questions, worries and your whole life. You're actually already doing it every day, but you're restrained for some reason. When some people realize this, it manifests itself by doing crazy stuff like talking jibberish or shoving each other to the floor in meetings, hoping to meet Jesus even more one day so that they can dance on the streets. It's just another way of missing the target.

Christians say to others that the sin is still there, you're only covering it up, because you have a need to cling on to it. Well, of course. Try to take the bone from a starving dog, and most of them will bite you, some of them really hard. Give the dog a bigger bone and some of them will happily let go of the other one and start to trust you more, some smarter ones keep both. Keep promising the dog a better one, still assuming that you don't know it (blind faith), and after being confused for a while, the appropriate response is to kill you. Which we did with Jesus.

What if the bible is just trying to teach us to chill out and live a little?

The sermon on the mount seems to fit with that.

[potrzebie]

9 hours ago, iNow said:

Praying isn’t much different from meditating. The main difference is instead of listening to your own mind, you’re pretending your mind is that if god and it’s listening to you. 

When I'm too afraid to communicate with God, which is all of my life because once you start anything can happen, and most importantly life is over so you've got nothing to work for anymlore, that's what I use. It's probably God that made me slightly schizofrenic in young age, and subsequently caused my psychological problems. I had to put away a part of my brain to deal with him, a complicated procedure. Because he wanted to have a relation with me. There goes free will.

[dimreepr]

5 minutes ago, potrzebie said:

When I'm too afraid to communicate with God, which is all of my life because once you start anything can happen, and most importantly life is over so you've got nothing to work for anymlore, that's what I use. It's probably God that made me slightly schizofrenic in young age, and subsequently caused my psychological problems. I had to put away a part of my brain to deal with him, a complicated procedure. Because he wanted to have a relation with me. There goes free will.

I think all the profits had problem's in life before they understood how to live; Mohamed for instance, was probably an alcoholic before he understood; why else would he ban alcohol entirely?

[iNow]

3 hours ago, potrzebie said:

It's probably God that made me slightly schizofrenic in young age, and subsequently caused my psychological problems

Which god(s)?

[Peterkin]

 

3 hours ago, dimreepr said:

I think all the profits had problem's in life before they understood how to live; Mohamed for instance, was probably an alcoholic before he understood; why else would he ban alcohol entirely?

No, Muhammad himself had very few problems. Though an orphan, he had a good upbringing and varied work experience - including camel driver and a stretch with a Bedouin tribe, which gave him insight into how Arabs were living, thinking and feeling. He was a successful businessman and married a rich (?widow) much older than himself - because she trusted him to run her considerable enterprise. In his travels and dealings, he learned about the Hebrew and christian belief systems, and realized that religion can be a powerful uniting force. It's exactly what his own people needed. If he forbade alcohol, it was to save them from a potentially serious threat. Not just alcohol - all intoxicants.

Edited September 5, 2021 by Peterkin
to add a fact

[dimreepr]

4 minutes ago, Peterkin said:

No, Muhammad himself had very few problems. Though an orphan, he had a good upbringing and varied work experience - including camel driver and a stretch with a Bedouin tribe, which gave him insight into how Arabs were living, thinking and feeling. He was a successful businessman and married a rich (?widow) much older than himself - because she trusted him to run her considerable enterprise. In his travels and dealings, he learned about the Hebrew and christian belief systems, and realized that religion can be a powerful uniting force. It's exactly what his own people needed. If he forbade alcohol, it was to save them from a potentially serious threat.

Then why did Jesus need to turn water into wine?

[iNow]

8 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

Then why did Jesus need to turn water into wine?

Marketing. It makes a better narrative. 

[Peterkin]

3 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

Then why did Jesus need to turn water into wine?

He didn't need to; it wasn't part of his ministry: he was just doing the host of the wedding feast a favour.  (It was the popes who later turned wine into his blood, because he had one time used that as symbol of commitment to his disciples.)

Jesus had nothing to to do with Muhammad: he was not even in the same society that Muhammad later wanted to reform. Jesus was looking a whole different set of problems, from a different point of view, in a different nation, in a different time. 

[dimreepr]

4 minutes ago, Peterkin said:

He didn't need to; it wasn't part of his ministry: he was just doing the host of the wedding feast a favour.  (It was the popes who later turned wine into his blood, because he had one time used that as symbol of commitment to his disciples.)

Jesus had nothing to to do with Muhammad: he was not even in the same society that Muhammad later wanted to reform. Jesus was looking a whole different set of problems, from a different point of view, in a different nation, in a different time. 

But still a prophet, Newton had nothing to do with Einstein, but both are correct... 

[Peterkin]

18 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

But still a prophet, Newton had nothing to do with Einstein, but both are correct... 

Actually, that's not a bad analogy. In a linear history, events and ideas draw from and add to preceding events and ideas. Einstein had the writings of Newton and many other earlier scientists to learn from and build on. Jesus had some education in scripture - whatever was written about and by the prophets of Israel before him - and drew from that tradition, then added his own advice to his people in his own time.  Muhammad followed about 600 years later, bringing the example of Jesus, plus the Roman and Egyptian versions of Christianity as they developed after Jesus, and adding his own advice for his own people. 

Caveat: Whether a prophet is "correct" is considerably harder to test and judge than whether a scientist is correct.

[Istiak]

12 hours ago, John Cuthber said:

It seems all the Abrahamic religions pray in Hebrew.

Haha! So funny. I didn't mean that anyway. I meant if you pray in Arabic than you will get more virtue. But, Islam allows you to pray in other languages either. 

6 hours ago, dimreepr said:

But still a prophet, Newton had nothing to do with Einstein, but both are correct... 

Are you talking about Gravity? If yes! than I disagree..

Leaving the thread... Since I found my answer..  Thanks to all.

[potrzebie]

4 hours ago, dimreepr said:

I think all the profits had problem's in life before they understood how to live; Mohamed for instance, was probably an alcoholic before he understood; why else would he ban alcohol entirely?

 

4 hours ago, dimreepr said:

What if the bible is just trying to teach us to chill out and live a little?

The sermon on the mount seems to fit with that.

Absolutely, you can read it that way and you're probably supposed to. Jesus as a rebel came to complement the law, not disqualify it, it was a temporary solution needed until his arrival. The perfect lamb that makes it possible for anyone to have contact with God directly without going through priests or rituals. That's what the ripping of the curtain when he died symbolizes. From now on you go through him and him only... No need to paint your door with the blood of a lamb anymore.

Personally, I like rituals. It symbolizes respect, and I prefer closing in on others, and they closing in on me, carefully. I'd rather take a woman out to dinner, than finding the closest bush and jumping each other.

He always welcomed the priests that had taken the old laws too literally (how were they supposed to be interpreted) to ask questions, and eventually let those that still wasn't convinced, crucify him. And we still do.

Paul said that "everything is allowed, but not everything is good (or builds up)". But that's a stupid catch-all that anybody can say to someone with for example a gambling problem. Without follow-up, it's worse than useless words, and I can't find a single quote in the bible with good practical advice. It's just "ask Jesus". So Paul writes "I've been everything for you... etc", and if we believe the bible, gets crucified too.

A karate student in a USA prison said to his teacher: - Master, I can beat ... - I know, but I wanted you to find out for yourself. What would Jesus have said? Maybe "One thing is missing for you. Sell all your belongings and give the money to the poor (don't start a shoe factory and employ them), then come follow me.

Well, good luck with that. From the tree, you will know the fruit.

[dimreepr]

45 minutes ago, Peterkin said:

Actually, that's not a bad analogy. In a linear history, events and ideas draw from and add to preceding events and ideas. Einstein had the writings of Newton and many other earlier scientists to learn from and build on. Jesus had some education in scripture - whatever was written about and by the prophets of Israel before him - and drew from that tradition, then added his own advice to his people in his own time.  Muhammad followed about 600 years later, bringing the example of Jesus, plus the Roman and Egyptian versions of Christianity as they developed after Jesus, and adding his own advice for his own people. 

Caveat: Whether a prophet is "correct" is considerably harder to test and judge than whether a scientist is correct.

If both are correct then why do we need a caveat?

[noquacks]

How to Pray? Well, I was taught how by the nuns at the Catholic school I attended. So, I guess I was following directions as best a child could. And i continued to pray that way for.......another 45 years or so. Thats how I pray, not sure how you pray. Maybe there are different methods. But my experience is that praying does not work. Mathew, 7.7, "ask and it shall be given to you". I asked, begged, knelt, bowed, dutifully, in subservience but never received what I requested. So, disappointed, I quit praying for favors. Does it work for you? It has been shown that praying does not work. There is no evidence that it does so. Despite this, I kept praying for 50 years or so til I read one book too many. 

 

[Conscious Energy]

On 9/4/2021 at 6:41 PM, Istiak said:

I am confused how should I pray. Should I believe a religion or it is OK to believe all religions?

You should believe in Nature, and that Science is our best religion to explain it's functions

My God is Nature itself. 

I pray to Nature to help me with intelligence, freedom, responsibility, dignity, diligence, good will, faith, strength, love.

The only place those metaphysical values can originate is Nature. 

Praying for me is my own positive brainwash, against the storm of negative information, pours from 99% of the media outlets. 

[Peterkin]

On 9/5/2021 at 12:23 PM, dimreepr said:

If both are correct then why do we need a caveat?

 

I didn't say both were correct. I said the analogy of Newton-Einstein and Jesus-Muhammad was good: in both cases, the person who lived later had the other's ideas to draw on.

However,

With science, we can test hypotheses and measure the degree of accuracy of any prediction. 

With prophets, we have no way of measuring or testing the "correctness" of their pronouncements and denouncments. We have no standard of comparison for any two prophets' degree of accuracy; we don't even know how to interpret the meaning of their prophecies. 

Edited September 6, 2021 by Peterkin