Non-prayer, purgatory and you

[HardRockGTR]

Here’s a hypothetical situation:

Assume I, a non-Christian, have many Christian friends and family to whom their creed is very important. One day, the friends in question decide to organize a gathering at the local chapel to pray for the souls in purgatory in order to help deliver them to heaven. If I join in out of solidarity and NOT out of faith, because I know it matters to them, do my “prayers” actually help out the souls in purgatory?

In other words, I know that religion is important to my friends, and so, because I care about my friends, I go with them to pray. In my mind, however, I’m not praying to anything, I’m just saying words, but my intention is to feel like I’m doing some good for my friends. Does this solidarity, coupled with my “non-prayer”, in the end, help the souls in purgatory anyway, or am I just taking up space? Does faith matter more than the work itself in this case?

 

[svid2]

Pax Christi.

My guess is that your “non-prayers” don’t do much, but your presence and support helped your friends (the believers) help the souls in Purgatory. So you helped indirectly. Teamwork is a good thing, and helps everyone.

And who knows? Maybe Heaven gives you partial credit (so to speak) on the actual prayers.

God bless. (Whether you bleieve you’re blessed or not!)

 

[KendraDZ1902]

I would think that would be vain repetitions, which is something Christians aren’t supposed to do.

 

[svid2]

I would think that would be vain repetitions, which is something Christians aren’t supposed to do.

Pax Christi.

“Vain” means self-centered or selfish, as in , “a vain person”. Vanity is not good, as in, “Oh look how pious I am!”

This was not done for selfish reasons.

God bless.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Pax Christi.

“Vain” means self-centered or selfish, as in , “a vain person”. Vanity is not good, as in, “Oh look how pious I am!”

This was not done for selfish reasons.

God bless.

Vain can also mean producing no result or useless. As in repeating a prayer that someone is saying and not meaning or believing in what was being said.

 

[svid2]

Vain can also mean producing no result or useless. As in repeating a prayer that someone is saying and not meaning or believing in what was being said.

Pax Christi!

I think that’s a more modern meaning. Originally it meant “selfish’selfishly”, and is the source of the word “vanity”.

I think…

We’ll find out in Heaven. I hope!

God bless.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Pax Christi!

I think that’s a more modern meaning. Originally it meant “selfish’selfishly”, and is the source of the word “vanity”.

I think…

We’ll find out in Heaven. I hope!

God bless.

The example of vain meaning producing no result or useless that the dictionary gave was, “a vain attempt to tidy up the room.” It is the second definition, but still a definition. Either way, praying selfishly or without real purpose, one shouldn’t pray that way.

 

[Ed_Silvia]

Here’s a hypothetical situation:

Assume I, a non-Christian, have many Christian friends and family to whom their creed is very important. One day, the friends in question decide to organize a gathering at the local chapel to pray for the souls in purgatory in order to help deliver them to heaven. If I join in out of solidarity and NOT out of faith, because I know it matters to them, do my “prayers” actually help out the souls in purgatory?

In other words, I know that religion is important to my friends, and so, because I care about my friends, I go with them to pray. In my mind, however, I’m not praying to anything, I’m just saying words, but my intention is to feel like I’m doing some good for my friends. Does this solidarity, coupled with my “non-prayer”, in the end, help the souls in purgatory anyway, or am I just taking up space? Does faith matter more than the work itself in this case?

I think we can only safely say it didn’t hurt the poor souls, your friends or you.

 

[Qoeleth]

Pax Christi!

I think that’s a more modern meaning. Originally it meant “selfish’selfishly”, and is the source of the word “vanity”.

I think…

We’ll find out in Heaven. I hope!

God bless.

It’s actually the other way around. The words “vain” and “vanity” originally pertained to futility or ineffectiveness (from the Latin ‘vanus’- empty). The appropriation of the word for ‘selfishness’, or ‘concern for appearance’ is a later development.