(December 6, 2016 at 12:28 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:(December 6, 2016 at 12:23 pm)Emjay Wrote: The way I see it is that prayer stops people from focusing on themselves... by constantly either thanking or asking for help from an external source, people neglect their own inner resources and/or don't give them enough credit. It seems to me that it could lead to a very shallow and empty existence, that lacks self-awareness and psychological growth because of constantly 'blaming' (in a positive or negative sense) the external world rather than trying to understand and master the inner world.
That really just depends on how a person prays. Praying is very much like meditation. You can pray in such a way that brings negativity and entitlement, or you can do so in a way that allows you to self reflect and have a more positive, optimistic outlook. The latter is what we are called to aim for.
Can you give an example - even if it's made up - of what you mean by a meditative prayer? And also, aren't most Catholic prayers basically scripted... all these affirmations you have to do... which seem basically like constant oaths of allegiance?
