Better get used to hearing "Praise God" everywhere

[MaryH]

It seems to be the latest trend of the Evangelicals here in the Midwest. All of a sudden everyone is saying "Praise God" for just about everything. Its like they have all been told to work it into their everyday speech as a form of giving testamony or something.

I had an appraiser say "Praise God" when she got the legal description right on the appraisal. I heard "Praise God" by a grocery store manager when one of his employees turned up this morning. I hear "Praise God" all of the time from our Evangelicals employees when a loan gets approved or a problem gets worked out. It is getting to be a little more than irritating.

And this seems to be new, too. God is responsible for every single thing that happens in your life. Something bad happens - there is a reason. God needs you to learn from it. I don't remember that from the Bible - but who am I?

I'm certainly not an Evangelical! Praise God!

[Dem Agog]

1. Sounds much like the Muslim extremists...

They're saying "Praise Allah" all the time.

Me, I don't trust anyone who praises imaginary figures constantly.

[elehhhhna]

47. yup. competeing w/ that "inshallah" business, not to be outdone...

[giant_robot]

53. I don't think that's a very fair comparison.

It's not just extremists who speak like that. Phrases like Allahu Akbar and Insha'allah are so ingrained in the arabic language they're like colloquialisms. Many moons ago I was an arabic linguist in the military, and I used those phrases when I spoke arabic, even though I'm neither an arab nor a muslim.

[onecent]

2. I'm likely to turn around to them and say,"God helps those who

help themselves". I get so sick of this shit.

[splat]

4. You could all move!

We never hear that on the coasts

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. They obviously never read the part

about free will.

[greyfox]

37. Mostly though...

that is a misnomer, because God rather helps those who cannot help themselves... thus salvation by grace through faith.

Praise the Lord! Glory! Well, that's what I say... and I stand firm with you to believe and say what YOU want to say... whatever makes your (our) boat float, right?

Let's just get along and be cyber pals. (and somehow defeat Bush!)

[ilovenicepeople]

57. I like to say: Braise the lard,God bet's America,Cod Bless

OH NO now I'm going to HELL(what's that,this is Hell)I guess I,m going to Toronto instead.

[greyfox]

58. Hell

will be 4 more under Shrub! LOL...

[Snotcicles]

49. Or maybe, "God is not only listening he is WATCHING! " n/t

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. Praise "Bob", I'm not in the Midwest.

I HAVE had about five different people tell me to "have a blessed day" in the past week, though.

[Vickers]

10. Hahahaha, I'm gonna say that if somebody "Praise God!"s me

"Who is Bob?"

"No, not Bob, God."

"Oh, OK. Praise Bob!"

etc. etc.

[Spider Jerusalem]

13. This is "Bob"...

(and don't forget the Sacred Quote Marks™).

http://www.subgenius.com/pam1/pamphlet_p1.html

[Vickers]

20. Wow, that looks like the guy on the cover of the 1st Devo album

[Spider Jerusalem]

21. That's probably not a coincidence.

Mark Mothersbaugh is an ordained minister of the Church of the Subgenius.

[immoderate]

46. He's my Unkle!

--IMM

[giant_robot]

55. LOL

I just re-read "Mostly Harmless" recently. Remember, it was the will of Bob that the sandwich maker, Arthur Dent, was brought to the planet Lamuella to make roast Perfectly Normal Beast sandwiches for its Bob-fearing people.

[MaryH]

14. That doesn't bother me much

I hear that a lot from black Evangelicals. I think they are just being nice - not trying to be presumptous.

[Spider Jerusalem]

15. Yes...

I've heard it from African-Americans, too (not from any of the redneck Baptists and Pentecostals around here), but it still seems a bit odd to me. Less obnoxious by far than "Praise God!" though...if I heard someone SAY that I'd have to resist the impulse to do my televangelist impersonation and say "Hallelujah, brothers and sisters! Can I get an AMEN?"

[Blue Gardener]

59. It is presumptous

To assume everyone believes as you do.

[BuddhaGirl]

52. a sales rep says "have a blessed day"

every time upon ending a phone conversation.

I'm trying to think of a reply :evilgrin:

[ikojo]

5. Orthodox Jews (and I guess all Jews) are supposed to recite 100

blessings each day. However, blessings aren't just to be said for things that go right...Jews are mandated to say a blessing for things that don't quite work out as well. An observant Jew believes all things emanate from the almighty.

http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/143/Q1/


Mel Etra wrote:
Dear Rabbi,

What is the origin of the halacha (custom?) that one must recite at least 100 blessings during the course of each day? Thank you.

Dear Mel Etra,

In the time of Kind David 100 people were dying every day due to a terrible plague. The Sages at that time perceived the plague's spiritual essence and instituted 100 blessings a day. The plague stopped.

Even after the plague, the 100 blessing requirement still applies. Many halachic works make an accounting of exactly 100 blessings which are said in the course of every normal weekday.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. Well, as an explanation I can only offer this.

I know it might seem silly or preachy, and it might just seem fake from some folks, but I do this too. But usually it's just with my family because I want my kids to learn to count their blessings and focus on what is going right in their lives, not because I want to smash others over their heads with my faith.

[tom_paine]

7. If only the Muslim and Xtian Fundamnetalists would kill each other

and leave us alone.

Unfortunately, the Fundamentaluists Busheviks needs us to steal from, to enslave, and to do their dirty work they don;t want to do themselves.

The Muslim Fundamentalists hate us (Free Thinking Rationalists) for the same reason the Xtian Fundamentalists do, so we are the ones they kill.

[MaryH]

9. I don't think the Evangelicals will be going anywhere soon

They will just keep growing and spreading out - watch out east coast!

We have people here who go in the office and shut the door and have prayer sessions. But at least they close the door.

The churches are getting so huge its hard to believe. Thousands and thousands - the one big one by me even has a Taco Bell in it. It just seems like the stangest phenomenon to me.

This all so reminds me of when I live in Salt Lake City. Then about 90% of the people were Mormon. And they shunned the rest of us. It was hard to find an apartment or a job if you weren't Mormon. Books were banned. Church schools sat across the parking lot from every public school. Those church schools taught Mormon religion and were tied into the school bell system. All the kid's social life was in the church - Mormon churches even have basketball courts in them.

You can live that way if you are different. You just have to find other people like yourselves. And you have to learn to laugh.

[natrat]

32. suburbia-people not conected to one another

church becomes social outlet followed by the big brainwash-totally sucks

[chaz4jazz]

51. Christian Evangelicals for Kerry - no shit

http://www.publicchristian.com/borrowed/cbarker.shtml


I'm such a Newby - I can't post this in a general - lead thread. Someone want to kick this as a lead story? Please?

[pippin]

8. Irritates the hell out of me . . that

and people who assume everyone present is a christian and they insist on saying grace before a meal evoking god and Jesus.


Th presumptiousness of fundies that everyone thinks like them is amazing.!!

[MaryH]

12. Its not presumption

They don't care if other people are there. They are just going to do it their way no matter what.

I don't get it a lot of the time. I can't find their religion in the Bible. I don't see Christ like that at all. I see him in Dafur helping the helpless. Or deep in the inner city talking to the people lost on drugs.

[fugue]

27. An article that may be of interest

I wasn't going to post the link to DU, but it seems appropriate for this thread.

http://claritas.blogdrive.com/archive/2.html

[Maiden England]

42. That is a great article

I am so frustrated that those that wear their faith on their sleeve most prominently are the ones which use faith as an excuse for rude and ignorant and selfish behavior.
My saying of the month has been 'if Jesus hadn't been ressurected, he'd be turning in his grave right now'.

[marew]

36. You are soooo right! n/t

[Danmel]

28. Grace before meals

A good friend of ours had a aunt who was a nun- unforunately she has passed away. She was quite liberal- she thought clergy should be able to marry and women should be able to be priests. She was a nun at a local University before she became too ill to work.

We were invited to their home on Christmas a few years ago and since we are Jewish, she said a grace that was lovely and nondenominational. When people take the time to show respect for other people's beliefs and traditions, life is so much more pleasant. The problem with many of the evangelicals is that cannot accept any view but their own. They are always right, why should they pay anyone else's beliefs any mind?
Kind of like *

[ktowntennesseedem]

16. Same thing in the Bible-Belt

As a Christian who does NOT consider himself an Evangelical, I know that the Bible does tell us to always praise God and to thank God in all circumstances. I have no problem with that in itself; where the problem and source or irritation comes is the way Evangelicals and fundamentalist Christians try to take everything literally. The words of the Bible are the literal words of God to them, no room for figurative or symbolic interpretations in their belief system. And if you ever try to carry on a meaningful debate with them, they'll consider you a heretic, shut off the discussion and start yelling louder.

I'm surrounded by it around here, and it is a challenge to always define myself outside of the Evangelical stereotype. It's not easy being a Baptist and a liberal Democrat (liberal by local standards, anyway), especially in an area where most believe you're not a good Christian unless you are a Republican. But I'll gladly risk the heretic-label to explain that I choose to be a Democrat for the very same reasons that they are Republicans. The God I worship and the Christ I try to follow didn't say very much about abortion and homosexuality, but instead focused on lifting up the fallen, helping the needy, treating everyone as equals and with respect and dignity, and stiving to live together in peace. Sounds like Democratic values to me!

[MaryH]

17. A Baptist and a liberal Democrat!

Wow, you must have a bad time of it.

Really though, I don't see the Evangelicals as a Christian Church - but a cult that has really caught on. I just don't see Christian values there. These people are completely "self-centered." And their whole thing is getting into heaven while everyone else gets burned alive when Armageddon happens.

[hippywife]

19. I feel your pain!

I'm independent in both my politics and my beliefs. I believe in God and I believe in the teachings of Christ. I am surrounded everywhere by people who are blindly faithful in their church, their current president, and Fox News (not necessarily in that order.)

I am so tired of asking someone how they are and hearing in return,
"I'm blessed."

[marew]

18. Evangelical BS

I have an "Evangelical" friend who actually believes W was appointed by God, not the Supreme Court, to be pres. They can see no parallels between their own crazy fundamentalist agenda and that of the Muslim fundamentalist agenda. They have their own brand of religion they want to force down our throats and I'm sick of it. They need to keep their f------ religion away from me. W is a wacko who substituted one addiction (alcoholism) for another (fundamental evangelical Christianity). W is a megalomaniac dry drunk. God speaks to him....he just "knows", he has "instincts". He's a loon and every time he mentions anything about God, the evangelicals swoon. He cares about nothing and no one excerpt for his ultra far right political agenda. Imagine if John Kennedy had wanted to put Catholicism down everyone's throat. He would have been booed out of the country. Our whole democratic system is up for grabs with this lunatic and his cronies. W is a spoiled lying brat who never had a real job. I'm new posting here but I've been reading for a while. And, I'm going to the Kerry rally in Tampa tonight. If Bush wins we are in a world of s---.

[Lady Effingbroke]

23. Hi susiq, welcome to DU!

Glad to hear you're going to the rally. Please let us know how it goes!!!

:hi: :toast:

[marew]

35. Thanks for the welcome and...

I could make a zillion points about W but has it occurred to any of the right wing idiots that they criticized Kerry for telling the truth about the Vietnam war and the Bushie fascist regime okayed torture in Iraq. I guess war crimes are just fine with them as long as no one knows. I could not be more ashamed for what Bush has done. Of course the rest of the world now hates us. I hate what we've become! Bush has disgraced us in the world. Bush has been the best recruiting tool Bin Laden ever had. Bush and his henchmen are criminals, nothing more.

[Blue Gardener]

60. Welcome to DU susiq!

I'm not sure the world hates us as a people, but they certainly hate *Bush and his henchmen.

[MaryH]

24. Did you know there are a billion Catholics in the World?

That is a lot of people.

I'm not sure how many Evangelicals there are - about 50 million or something. But quite a few. But anywhere near the number of Catholics. I think one main difference is that Catholics are all different. There are lots of differences in the churches.

But Evangelicals all seem to be the same. Live your life on Faith - no matter how stupid the idea may be.

[BiggJawn]

22. Say "Praise POOH!"

"Uh, excuse me?"

"I said Praise Pooh. You know, Winnie-the-Pooh, from whom all blessings flow?"

"Why, that's blasphemy!"

"Yeah, whatever. 2000 years ago, YOU would have been the blasphemer..."

[kayell]

25. I think I'll start responding "Praise the Goddess" in a reverent tone,

while casting my eyes worshipfully heavenward.

[fugue]

26. Well, technically, yeah

I forget where, but somewhere in the bible, it says that "God" marks down the fall of every sparrow.

My biggest problem with the "Praise God" trend is it denies human agency big time. The appraiser getting a difficult task accomplished had nothing to do with her experience and effort in her field? The employee getting into work had nothing to do with the employee's efforts to meet the employer's expectations? Nothing good has anything to do with humans having intelligence, reliability, compassion, or anything else desirable? Hard work means nothing?

Fundamentalists want to make all good things their god's doing and all bad things humans' doing. I don't know about the rest of you, but that makes me really angry because I work really hard at being a good person, in every way I can find to be one. I do it entirely without any deity's help.

Even when a fundamentalist is willing to recognize my part in good things I do, they immediately undercut it by asking their deity to compensate me ("God bless you!") rather than thanking me themselves. A simple "Thank you!" (with its understood subject of "I") expresses more gratitude in my opinion. It does not try to introduce third parties into the situation, and it does not expect the introduced third party to recognize my efforts rather than the person for whom I went to the effort. The only time I accepted a "God bless you!" was from a woman who could not have known my objections to the phrase--I was living in a different country (although she and I were both Americans) and I had not had the discussion with anyone there. She immediately caught herself, however, and said, "Oh, I know you're not a Christian; maybe you don't like that. I meant it well!" Given that she was willing to recognize that it isn't obvious that it should be taken well if you're not a Christian, I just said, "I know you did. But thanks for remembering that I'm looking at it from a different direction."

[greyfox]

29. Well, praise the Lord!

Bout time we returned to giving praise where it is due. huh? LOL

Why can't we say it? Is it a bad thing? Does it harm anyone? Ya see, we Christians are told to always pray and always go with a song and praise on our lips... so... shucks, mayam, we just gotta do it.

[leesa]

40. Why can't they say it to themselves instead of always making a GD show out

of it? And why can't they LIVE the words of Christ instead of being friggin' warmongering bigots??

It's resented because it is usually shallow and meaningless.

[Walt Starr]

41. The Bible tells us why

Matthew 6
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

[greyfox]

44. Warmongers?

Oh my, where did that come from? Bush is the warmonger, not Christian people per se. I am totally against war that is us attacking a country that never attacked us! (and that is what we have).

And so far as keeping it silent...well, ya see, our Bible tells us that if we do so, the rocks will cry out and praise Him... so, er... better us than some dumb rock, huh? LOL Glory!

Hey, we all live in a skin shell... let's enjoy one another.

[natrat]

30. THERE IS NO GOD-morans

[JPJones]

31. Why does that sound familiar?

As Jon Stewert said, "Religion is a great comfort for the woes of the world, caused by religion."

I did not want to take that much of your time. We praise Allah, we praise Allah. We came from Kabul. We were very pleased to visit. May Allah bless you both at home and the camp. We asked the driver to take us, it was a night with a full moon, thanks be to Allah. Believe me it is not in the country side. The elderly...everybody praises what you did, the great action you did, which was first and foremost by the grace of Allah. This is the guidance of Allah and the blessed fruit of jihad.

[CrispyQ]

33. Being vegetarian, one of my favorite phrases is . . .

Praise Seitan

Think they'd get it?

[Walt Starr]

34. If I hear it, I'll use "Hail Satan"

Fuck that googly moogly shit.

[Selwynn]

38. Umm, this is certainly not new..... (and psssssssstt by the way.....)

....I do praise god. hehe! :hi:

[DuaneBidoux]

39. Return with "Praise Goddess because ...

we've had too much testosterone in our blessings lately.

[greyfox]

45. Heheheh

well, that is as good an answer as any if ya have to give one at all. Make a joke like that... lighten the moment even more (cause when they (we) are praising, we are soooooooooooooooooooo having FUN!)

[immoderate]

50. To some, Praise the Goddess is not a joke.

--IMM

[DuaneBidoux]

56. I meant it symbolically anyway. There are definitions of God

as feminine, and in every society where such definitions have been allowed to take root there is less violence, easier and relaxed sexuality, and in general a more civil society. So when I say "Goddess Bless America: We've had too much testosterone in our blessings" I'm joking, but I'm not, if you know what I mean.

[junker]

43. Praise God, and pass the virgins!

or my favorite reply....snap to attention, jut out the right arm in nazi fashion and 'Big Smiles! Big Smiles!'

[leftofthedial]

48. thank you for the heads up, praise god

this was a big thing with jeebuz freaks in the 70's. I just hung a shit, praise god. Here are my car keys, praise god.

fucking religious looney-tunes, wack-jobs are driving me nuts.

How about we all praise Muffy the Mystery Cat instead. Just as valid and even more powerful than god.

[donco6]

54. Used to hear it all the time in Nebraska.

Not here in Colorado. I think we're like the lowest church-going per capita in the country - or close.