6 Responses to Prayer in the Bible

1. Doulos says:

   15. January, 2009 at 1:07 am

   We Orthodox Christians have been praying with bows and prostrations for nearly 2,000 years. They are nothing new (or old, as in we don’t do them anymore) in Christianity!

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   • Paul Salahuddin Armstrong says:

     15. January, 2009 at 12:54 pm

     Very true! Unfortunately, many people in the West have no experience with this kind of prayer, seeing it as something peculiar to Islam. But I agree with you, bowing and prostrating has been an integral part of both Jewish and Christian worship in the East for a very long time!

     Reply
2. Doulos says:

   16. January, 2009 at 12:22 am

   Yes, it’s only recently that the Western world is being introduced to the more Eastern ‘flavored’ way of worship. It’s amazing the differences really. I can’t speak for Islam, but in with Christianity western worship is more legalistic, more ‘by the book’ while eastern worship is more experiential, more ‘mystical’ if you will.

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   • Paul Salahuddin Armstrong says:

     16. January, 2009 at 12:41 am

     In some ways, I suppose it is. But then, if they were really going by the Book, surely bowing and prostrating would be more commonplace? Eastern Christianity is definitely more mystical though! Unlike Western churches, those in the East never lost touch with their Gnostic roots. Rather they celebrate them! Throughout history, Islam has had far better relations with Orthodox churches. There has been more understanding between these faiths, with both respectfully coexisting – even as far back as the time of the Crusades!

     After the Western Crusaders left, Saladin handed back the keys of the churches in the Holy Land to the Orthodox patriarchs. Unfortunately, Western Christianity seems to have for the most part lost its connection with it’s Semitic origins. Hence why it’s often had very poor relations with both Jews and Muslims. Whereas in the East, the connections are more generally accepted and celebrated!

     Reply
3. Doulos says:

   17. January, 2009 at 1:07 am

   “Throughout history, Islam has had far better relations with Orthodox churches”

   I don’t know about that now… we could mention the Muslim Turk invasion of Cyprus, and the supposed secular Turkish govenment’s extreme restrictions on the Patriarch of Constantinople for just starters. Overall it’s been the Eastern Church which has suffered the most under Muslims, mainly because of the close proximity.

   Reply
   • Paul Salahuddin Armstrong says:

     17. January, 2009 at 2:27 am

     Modern Turkey is, as you rightly refer, a secular state. Actually, they are not merely secular, they’re fiercely anti-religious. The modern government of Turkey has little to do with Islam, even Muslims suffer under it’s oppressive ideology of irreligious Turkish nationalism! Islam has a long history starting in the 7th Century AD, whereas the Republic of Turkey was only founded in 1923.

     Reply

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