Phenomenology of Prayer Blog 2



The book, "The Phenomenology of Prayer", states, "According to Girard, our socialization involved our imitating other. It thus leads us to desire what the desire and hence to compete with them, often in violent ways, for possession of a desired object." I think that this can be simplified to a single phrase-- peer pressure. It is interesting how peer pressure can be related back to religion, and that people feel desires to be like and have what everyone else has so deep that they feel the need to ask God for it, instead of working to get what they want themselves. I think this also goes to the point that in today's day in age, people are very greedy and narcissistic while not being grateful for what they have. This quote illustrates the problem that these characteristics pose. Prayer, in my mind at least, is supposed to be meaningful and selfless, and not just asking for what others have. In the Christian religion, it is preached to serve others, though when just praying with desire, this completely contradicts what the Christian religion is preaching.

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