By fostering a 'group think' activity like prayer with relatively easily generated confirmation bias the church hierarchy is essentially purchasing 'street cred' for other, less benign activities they might wish to pursue.
Church announcements this week:
"Yeppers, we all prayed for a speedy recovery for Eunice and her hysterectomy and she's already back at services this week !! YEA !!"
"And keep little Timmy in your prayers this week, he's headed to the state tournament!"
"Pray for the victims in that bus wreck in La Paz too"
"Also, we are defending vigorously the lawsuit from our former church secretary, so we would like your support on that too"
And now let's all sing "Hosanna, Hosanna!" . . . .
Church announcements this week:
"Yeppers, we all prayed for a speedy recovery for Eunice and her hysterectomy and she's already back at services this week !! YEA !!"
"And keep little Timmy in your prayers this week, he's headed to the state tournament!"
"Pray for the victims in that bus wreck in La Paz too"
"Also, we are defending vigorously the lawsuit from our former church secretary, so we would like your support on that too"
And now let's all sing "Hosanna, Hosanna!" . . . .
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
