Christians unclear on the concept

[xiphias]

We saw a bumper sticker today.

It said, in big letters, "MY CAR IS MY PRAYER CLOSET."

I'm not a Christian. But, well, being in this culture, one does pick up SOME basic familiarity with Christian scripture. And this is pretty clearly referring to Matthew 6:5-6. Which states that prayer is private, not public. And that you are not to show off that you're praying.

Now, prayer can be private, public, or communal, which is something kinda in-between private and public. And, as a Jew, I believe that, while there IS private prayer, and it can be important, the most important prayer is communal. And most Christian sects of which I'm aware do tend to include communal prayer. But the reference to the "prayer closet" is a reference to private prayer.

And if you are publically announcing that you're doing private prayer, well, that pretty much destroys the concept right there.

Comments

[brooksmoses]

Amen.

[griffen.livejournal.com]

This oughta be spray-painted on every fundie's car, IMHO.

Good work. Well said.

[king-tirian.livejournal.com]

I think that's a challenging image of Christ's views on prayer. I don't suspect that he was asking that his followers make a secret of their discipline; there's no lack of not hiding lanterns under bushels and being divided against your parents to make me think that people had to live their choice as publicly as possible. I've always tended to believe that the sort of behavior that we're being warned against here is the prayer breakfast/political convention invocation sort of prayer were someone goes off for a while under the pretext of talking to God while clearly intending the message to be heard by the fellow humans. In other words, if you're going to be in communion with God then do that, but don't try to multitask by communing with God while impressing your neighbor with how pious your prayer is.

This, of course, is not a model that the Church has embraced whole-heartedly. I try not to judge my brethren's actions, but I've heard people speaking in tongues and I have thought it to be quite the opposite of the Word of God. Of course, the greater silliness comes in the next few verses of Matthew 6 when Christ teaches us the Lord's Prayer to illustrate that we shouldn't just babble out some rote prayer without thinking about the meaning of the words.

Mostly, when I think of that bumper sticker, I think that someone who is as devoted to prayer as I would expect a prayer closet occupant to be would not have both eyes on the road.

[cafemusique.livejournal.com]

I think there's also an element of not wanting people to make a show of their piety in that verse. I think it's not so much the content of the prayer that's at issue, but the whole. "Look at me! I'm so pious! Go me!" reason for advertising one's prayer.

After all, that bumper sticker tells nothing about God. It only talks about the person in the car. The message is kind of self-centred, I think. (Which doesn't exclude the possibility that the person driving that car may not see it that way.)

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I think that's what I'm reacting to. "MY CAR IS MY PRAYER CLOSET" reads as, "LOOK AT ME! I'M SO PIOUS THAT I PRAY IN MY CAR!" Which, I'm pretty certain, no matter how you slice it, kind of defeats the "prayer closet" purpose.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

I agree. I think this kind of bumper sticker is exactly the kind of thing Jesus was warning against.

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

George Carlin, too.

[king-tirian.livejournal.com]

I'll say a few things in this anoymous Christian's defense, none of which may be deserved. Might be that she's a self-inflated asshole with the "Go me!" attitude, but I try to keep to the "Judge not" side of the scale when I can.

1) She may need the crutch of being reminded that commute time can be spent on spiritual discipline every time she approaches her car. I will not argue that a clear-backed sticker on the windshield would be more productive in that endeavor, but for whatever reason people don't seem to sell windshield stickers as much as bumper stickers.

2) It may well be that the Spirit is able to act through the bumper sticker, reminding Christians in other cars that they too can turn off their radios and cell phones and center themselves. And I should think that non-Christians may sense the opportunity to meditate in whatever fashion they prefer. Until I saw all the teeth-grinding in this thread, I'd have thought that a message like this could only decrease the amount of stress in the world.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

There's a big difference between "A Car Can Be A Prayer Closet" and "My Car Is My Prayer Closet."

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time, there was a Christian in a car stopped at the lights, and on the car in front there was a sticker saying "Honk if you love Jesus." Now the Christian thought about this, and he thought he loved Jesus, but honking seemed a bit, well, loud and obvious, and like praying to get attention rather than to speak to God, but on the other hand he really ,i>did love Jesus, and not honking in the circumstances seemed a bit like denying that the way Peter denied Jesus three times.

So after this internal struggle, he pushed his horn and honked... and the guy in the car in front turned around and said: "The light hasn't changed yet, asshole!"

(And yes, I do remember who told me this story.)

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

As for myself, I wonder how this reconciles with the "God is my co-pilot" bumper stickers, which I think are the height of spiritual self-centeredness. I mean, I'm in the car with tha omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibenevolent Creator of All... and I'm gonna drive?!?!?!?!

[redbird]

"God is my driver ed teacher"?

[mattblum.livejournal.com]

What, God should drive Himself? He shouldn't get a chance to put the seat back, stretch his legs out, maybe have a nosh, and only get involved in the driving if something really bad happens, like a tractor-trailer jackknifes right in front of the car when it's going 70mph?

I mean, does God have to do everything Himself? You work your fingers to the bone for six days to make a whole big planet and put plants and animals on it, and then you create a new sentient life form and give them the planet, and they can't even be bothered to give you a ride now and then? Kids these days!

Prayer Closet to go?

[(Anonymous)]

Indeed, in my opinion, the Gospel message was about avoiding false piety, and Ian's point is well-taken. What's next, a giant, neon, billboard claiming "J Doe prays privately!"? Biblenet, about which each may draw hir own conclusions, says this about one's "prayer closet":
"The place you find should be free of any distractions that would lead you away from your time with God. This place is called your "prayer closet" and while you are not required to only pray here, it is your "special" place."

"Free of any distractions"?? Like, maybe, an 18-wheeler pulling up behind you, or a van carrying a family braking suddenly? Sheesh. If you're going to advertise your religious beliefs, maybe it would be a good idea to be a bit more clear on the concept.

Re: Prayer Closet to go?

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry. I was so busy being self-righteous I forgot to sign the previous message. - felis sidus

Re: Prayer Closet to go?

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry... I was too busy being self-righteous to remember to sign the previous post, then our server went down.... - felis sidus

Re: Prayer Closet to go?

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, then maybe it didn't go down. This obviously is not going to be my most intelligent day... - felis sidus

a joke maybe

[(Anonymous)]

Are you sure the sticker wasn't a joke that references road rage? People swear a lot in their cars -especially while the windows are up. Maybe the preson was making fun of themselves by saying that when they say "God damn it" or something to that effect that they are praying, which of course is ridiculous. The fact that they probably do it more with the windows up makes it their own personal closet in which they can hide.

[dancing-kiralee.livejournal.com]

I think that traffic is one of the most dangerous places one can be in, and therefore a natural place to pray if one is inclined towards that sort of thing.

I'm not certain that this bumper sticker would be the best way to do it, but if I felt this way (which I kind of do) and drove (which I don't) I might want to put a message on my car telling the people around me that's how I feel.

'Cause, you know, it never hurts to try and communicate... especially when the people around you are in a dangerous / stressed / agressive mood. Which most drivers are.

Kiralee