Prayer and the Fiery Furance
May 30, 2011 at 1:25 am
(This post was last modified: May 30, 2011 at 1:28 am by FadingW.)
"and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, 'Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?... if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to known, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:14
Now why did these three decide to not go with the flow even in the face of reprisal upon rejection?
Didn't they decline because to do so would mean compromising the principle of liberty and their integrity? A thing so precious that they would gladly submit to trial by fire to honor.
Recently some students in America have been standing up for constitutional protections. Specifically in response to their school's illegal plan for government endorsed prayer at graduation.
http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/05/20/th...-get-sued/
http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/05/21/wh...raduation/
Perhaps many of the people there believe this action is another example of 'persecution', wielding the oppressive force of government to rob the people of their freedom to religious expression.
They will say why not let those who wish prayer to pray and those who do not can simply not join in.
Yet ignoring the unconstitutionality of it, how many of these would accept a Muslim prayer, a Hare Krishna prayer, a Mormon prayer, a Pagan prayer as fitting and proper for such an occasion? How many would say that the speaker did not overstep his bounds muchless support him in doing so? How many would feel that there is no favoritism, no implicit government endorsement in such an act were it to come from a foreign religion?
As Damon Fowler's community shows it's true colors, I hope it is remembered that there are some things worth facing a burning furnace.
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to known, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:14
Now why did these three decide to not go with the flow even in the face of reprisal upon rejection?
Didn't they decline because to do so would mean compromising the principle of liberty and their integrity? A thing so precious that they would gladly submit to trial by fire to honor.
Recently some students in America have been standing up for constitutional protections. Specifically in response to their school's illegal plan for government endorsed prayer at graduation.
http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/05/20/th...-get-sued/
http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/05/21/wh...raduation/
Perhaps many of the people there believe this action is another example of 'persecution', wielding the oppressive force of government to rob the people of their freedom to religious expression.
They will say why not let those who wish prayer to pray and those who do not can simply not join in.
Yet ignoring the unconstitutionality of it, how many of these would accept a Muslim prayer, a Hare Krishna prayer, a Mormon prayer, a Pagan prayer as fitting and proper for such an occasion? How many would say that the speaker did not overstep his bounds muchless support him in doing so? How many would feel that there is no favoritism, no implicit government endorsement in such an act were it to come from a foreign religion?
As Damon Fowler's community shows it's true colors, I hope it is remembered that there are some things worth facing a burning furnace.
"People need heroes. They don't need to know how he died clawing his eyes out, screaming for mercy. The real story would just hurt sales, and dampen the spirits of our customers." - Mythology for Profit
