Tag Archives: petitionary prayer

Doubt and belief

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Heather Mac Donald

From the Wall Street Journal’s Houses of Worship column, by the author of When God Talks Back: in more experientially oriented evangelical Christian communities . . . people expect to have a personal relationship with God. They go for walks with … Continue reading →

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Prayer doesn’t bring rain

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Heather Mac Donald

If any believers want to hazard a guess as to why God decided to ignore Texans’ official three-day prayer session for rain, it would be illuminating.  Perhaps prayers are sent without any serious expectation that they will be answered (and … Continue reading →

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America’s unique advantage: religious faith?

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Heather Mac Donald

On a recent shuttle van ride from the Los Angeles International Airport, I directed the African driver to pause before turning left into a blind intersection.  Instead, he barreled across without looking.  Not to worry, he said, I’m a professional … Continue reading →

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Blow Ye The Trumpet in Houston

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Andrew Stuttaford

A message from Texas governor, and possible GOP presidential hopeful, Rick Perry: Fellow Americans, Right now, America is in crisis: we have been besieged by financial debt, terrorism, and a multitude of natural disasters. As a nation, we must come … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Magical Thinking Watch: God’s private messages

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Heather Mac Donald

A conservative Republican Congressman from North Carolina’s military and Bible belt, Walter B. Jones, opposed the war in Iraq and is now calling for a pull-out from Afghanistan.  For such a courageous stance against party conformity, he should be congratulated.  … Continue reading →

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The solipsism of faith

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Heather Mac Donald

Human engineering prowess has long sought to protect people from the sorts of natural disasters that have struck the nation’s midsection over the last several weeks.  Some survivors of these recent storms, however, see God’s hand–rather than successful building design … Continue reading →

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The Archbishop and the Governor

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Heather Mac Donald

New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan is greatly relieved that the pesky matter of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s unCatholic (at least for now) lifestyle is finally behind us.  The divorced Catholic governor has been very publicly living with his girlfriend … Continue reading →

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When liberals pray

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Heather Mac Donald

Opponents of Arizona’s new immigration law have been praying for its reversal in court.  The Wall Street Journal today has a photo of parishioners sitting outdoors on folding chairs at a prayer session for the demise of the law, which … Continue reading →

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Syncopation and Thanksgiving

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Heather Mac Donald

The New England colonists balanced Thanksgiving feasts with petitionary fasting, known as days of “public humiliation and prayer:” Pleas for rain during spells of drought were the most common reason for fasting. But Puritans also fasted whenever a comet, an … Continue reading →

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In hand-sanitizers we trust

Posted on October 19, 2009 by Heather Mac Donald

A letter in the Wall Street Journal today makes a good point: In response to Lauren Winner’s Houses of Worship article “Swine Flu Spells the End of the Common Cup” (Oct. 9): If we as Christian believers hold to the … Continue reading →

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