Matthew 6: Jesus condemns public prayer

[Jacob(smooth)]

The pharisees would pray in public so everyone could see how "holy and rightous" they were. Christ often criticized them for pretending to be holy on the outside while being evil on the inside. They loved to be seen by the people doing all these supposedly pious things and then being idolized by them. Jesus told his disciples not to be like the pharisees and pray to be seen, but to pray earnestly to God who hears you even if you're not praying audibly. He wasn't giving a prohibition against group prayer.

What about school sponsored prayer at a graduation ceremony? Is that earnest prayer, even though the praying is triggered by conformity rather than an earnest desire to pray

I
How could you even ask


You know what it's like. You're outside the Whitehouse with a bunch of your political friends and feel a sudden, Ernest and sincere desire to pray. So you all fall to your knees (happily you all had your matching kneeler pads just in case) and crank on. Then, annoyingly, a bunch of press arrive and start taking pictures. Obviously you don't WANT voters to see you praying, that's totally not the point. But you know, whatcha gonna do?

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I will say this for Great Britain. If a bunch of politicians tried that here they'd be a laughing stock.