Christ Haunted Land.....................

[nhboy]

Southern religion in 'Christ haunted land'

"When the good folks at Wilson's Barton College invited me to be the speaker for its annual Allan Sharp lecture, I hesitated. I had never entertained the idea of speaking on the designated topic, "Southern Religion As Seen Through the Eyes of a Journalist."

It was a challenging assignment. In retrospect, I don't think I did very well addressing such an elusive mystique as Southern religion."

.....
"Southern culture, characterized by lower incomes, lack of educational opportunity and concentration of wealth among land-and-slave owners, was fertile territory for the pietistic, 'simple' Gospel, with its promise of rewards and justice in the great out yonder.

"It is undeniable, I think, that Southern Religion was used, intentionally and/or in ignorance, to help keep the South poor by its anti-union stance, and racially divided by its perpetuation of anti-black attitudes following the Civil War.

newsobserver.com | Southern religion in 'Christ haunted land'

 

[Starman3000m]

Southern religion in 'Christ haunted land'

"When the good folks at Wilson's Barton College invited me to be the speaker for its annual Allan Sharp lecture, I hesitated. I had never entertained the idea of speaking on the designated topic, "Southern Religion As Seen Through the Eyes of a Journalist."

It was a challenging assignment. In retrospect, I don't think I did very well addressing such an elusive mystique as Southern religion."

.....
"Southern culture, characterized by lower incomes, lack of educational opportunity and concentration of wealth among land-and-slave owners, was fertile territory for the pietistic, 'simple' Gospel, with its promise of rewards and justice in the great out yonder.

"It is undeniable, I think, that Southern Religion was used, intentionally and/or in ignorance, to help keep the South poor by its anti-union stance, and racially divided by its perpetuation of anti-black attitudes following the Civil War.

newsobserver.com | Southern religion in 'Christ haunted land'

Excerpt from the article:
"One of my favorite stories from UNC coach Dean Smith has its roots in those early years, when the Dean was recruiting players from "up Nawth."

A certain player, a tiger on defense and master of the slam dunk, nevertheless was a disaster at the free throw line, although he unfailingly crossed himself before every shot.

Finally, the priest at the local Catholic church approached Coach Smith in a restaurant and said, "Coach, would you please do me a favor and ask Tommy not to cross himself before he takes those charity shots. With his dismal record, he's giving the Catholic Church a bad name."

This no longer really applies to the South. There are many televangelists who mislead congregation in the proper use of prayer and have turned prayer into the "Name it and claim it" and "Prosperity" doctrines.

Example:
"Order these prayer feathers and your house dust will turn to gold dust after many days! Send my ministry $29.95 right now, all charge cards accepted!"
LOL - You get the point.

However, Speaking of prayer, there are various kinds of prayer that should be considered here.

1. The sincere heart-felt prayer of an individual seeking personal spiritual guidance, wisdom and Comfort from the Almighty;

2. The sincere heart-felt prayer of an individual and/or group of believers calling for God's spiritual guidance, wisdom and Comfort to get through tragic times;

3. The sincere heart-felt worshipful prayer of an individual and/or group of believers who just want to praise and thank God for His Mercy, Forgiveness and provision of Salvation;

4. The sincere heart-felt prayer of an individual and/or group of believers who intercede on behalf of a family member, a friend, or a stranger in need of help that may be going through difficult times that are beyond remedy by any human assistance.

The point is, sincere prayer teaches an individual to trust, have faith and accept God's answer even if the outcome is not what we want to hear. Yeshua (Jesus)gives a great example of sincere prayer in Matthew, Chapter 6 and also in Luke Chapter 11.

However, the key to any prayer is the ending statement after all petitions have been brought before the Lord and it is this, in the words of Yeshua:

"...nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Matthew 26:39)