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The Similarities Between A Universal Remote Device With Which You Can Control Your Universe and Prayer

Donald B Ardell - May 29, 2006 - 5:49pm
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"Click" is a newly released movie about a family man who struggles to balance a busy career as an architect with the needs and demands of his family. Like most men (women, too, for that matter), he finds there is not nearly enough time in the day to do what his wife and children need and expect. Things go downhill with his family life, until a "deux ex machina" solution is introduced that makes the movie interesting - and different (nobody has enough time for work and family).

One day, puzzled over which of many remotes will operate the television, he goes in search of a remote that will do it all. Well, he finds one that does more than he bargained for. In fact, he finds a remote control device so special it recalls the tag line of the movie trailer: "What If You Had A Universal Remote...That Controlled Your Universe?" The architect's one-of-a-kind remote, it turns out, has magical powers. (Don't ask how this can happen - it's a movie, not a religious service.) With each click, our hero finds he can control his career and personal life. This he finds really cool, for a while but, as you might expect, all good things of a magical nature seem to invite unintended consequences. In this case, the remote starts to overrule his choices.

Deep in our genes, there seems some kind of eternal yearning for the quick fix, the instant solution and never mind if said solution defies logic, common sense, gravity or what we understand about time, space and dimension. This might explain the origin of the Latin phrase "deus ex machina," as in "god machine!" Such solutions, common in Greek and Roman drama, are not expected to meet earthy standards of reason. The way they work is "a god is lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation" or, in our own time, an "unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event is introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve a situation or untangle a plot." (Source: The American Heritage Online Dictionary - http://www.answers.com/topic/deus-ex-machina)

Isn't the idea of praying to a supernatural entity a form of magical thinking, an attempt to secure deux ex machine resolution for human affairs of one kind or another? Prayers are commonly offered seeking personal benefits (e.g., cure for an ailment, help with an extra point after a touchdown, etc.), or behalf of someone else or, on a wider scale, for vague interventions, as seen in bumper stickers that importune the Deity to bless the troops or the USA. Another ritual example is seen in the way Popes whip up the faithful with brief prayers for peace on Earth. Unfortunately, such prayers have a long history of being ignored by any agent or agents that might exist with the power or interest in playing the deux ex machina role. But, it remains a useful stage device.

Most adults would be embarrassed to be seen rubbing a bottle to summon a genie or doing a rain dance to assist with watering the lawn. Yet, they don't hesitate to light a candle, perform ritual gestures or take themselves off to magical places to summon spirits from the misty deep. Sure, they use words that, due to cultural implanting, disguise the magical nature of the process, but isn't prayer a form of reliance on the supernatural to grant a click on their behalf? Consider Ambrose Bierce's famous definition of prayer, as expressed in, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911: "Pray, v. To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy."

Speaking of "Click," I found the classification or "genre" assigned to this movie of particular interest. The studio publicists listed it as "comedy, drama and fantasy." Maybe, but I nominate it for a more consequential genre - satire and social commentary. "Click" is a spoof of religious symbolism. Consider the magical nature of so much of the ritual folderol of sanctimonious smoke and mirrors -symbols galore (craven images?) from crosses (great jewelry for accessorizing by the faithful), gestures (signs of the cross), movements (genuflections), incantations, beaded rituals and on and on. The parallels to magic are rich and obvious, but utterly invisible to those who, to quote Brent Yaciw, imbue "a pompous sanctification to their talismans!"

By the way, being able to click a desired reality would be pretty neat - provided others did not have clickers, too. Alas, that's a bit of a rub with magical solutions - they're so much more magical if others can't access such wonders.

None of these remarks are intended to deny the pleasures of make believe in magic or the comforts, stress release or other practical benefits some attribute to prayer. Provided the illusions of magic are kept in perspective (i.e., entertainment) and not relied upon in lieu of personal initiatives to effect needed change, I see little harm in it and some value. Ditto prayer. However, as that eloquent observer "Anonymous" observed, caution is advised: "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion, and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."

Oh well, look on the bright side.

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Universal*Remote

Rainbow Brain - May 31, 2006 - 5:09pm

The magic and mystery of the very truth that each one is supplied with the same universal remote device of soul and spirit, and in the case of human mortality, a body, brain and heart to filter such desires of choice through, is the Divine*Reality of the process of thought and or prayer you seek to discredit so adamantly. This is very amusing and entertaining indeed, that one would attempt to discredit the very reality of existence that is the basis of their entire system of being.

L.O.V.E.

Teach one to pray or meditate and you heal he/r for a day,

Teach one to love and you heal he/r forever*

©Bruce Larson*Moore

The 13-Establishments of Truth

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The so-called Christians have corrupted prayer

markmulligan - May 31, 2006 - 8:21am

Matthew 6-5

But when thou prayest: thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets: that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you: they have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut they door, pray to thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Be ye not therefore like unto them: for you Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask them.

After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father... (follows the Lord's Prayer; I heartily recommend you memorize it as your exclusive form of Prayer).

2,000 years of so-called Christian lies and deceit. We have been turned aside from God's Word by so-called Christianity. The Lord's Prayer is God's Morse Code, infinitely more powerful than begging to God in Church.

Who would dare contradict or disobey the direct instruction of Jesus Christ: so clear, categorical and easy to obey? That would be us clueless meat-puppets and our chosen fundamentalist weapon mentors; otherwise, we just don't pray at all. Our reward for this travesty? WeaponWorld instead of PeaceWorld our true birthright.

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How many clickers?

stereoman - May 30, 2006 - 9:48pm

Donald, I appreciate your frankness and light-heartedness, and took no offense at all in your comments. I have struggled intellectually with the matter of spiritual faith for most of my life, although I am convinced spiritually of matters of faith that have not to my reckoning been adequately addressed or explained empirically.

I was amused by your unequivocal statement that prayers are "ignored by any agent or agents that might exist with the power or interest in playing the deux ex machina role." Given that you present yourself as being a reasonable person who bases his judgments on empirical evidence, I am led to ask you where is your evidence that said prayers are being "ignored" by anyone?

Empirically, I don't see how one can come to any conclusions at all about the efficacy of prayer. But your metaphor about the "clicker" presents me with an opportunity to describe what is for me a core spiritual principle. You said:

Quote:
By the way, being able to click a desired reality would be pretty neat - provided others did not have clickers, too. Alas, that's a bit of a rub with magical solutions - they're so much more magical if others can't access such wonders.

If you go just one step further with your metaphor, you may understand what I am suggesting. Of course! Everyone else DOES have a clicker. And at any given moment, teeming multitudes of people are clicking away frantically, usually without direction or uniformity.

Consider, please, just hypothetically suppose all these clickers have infinite range. Suppose they are all clicking willy-nilly as I have described. What do you think would be the result? Now suppose some highly revered figure exhorted a huge group of people with particularly potent clickers to click on the same channel, say for example the "death to the Muslims" channel.

Finally, suppose a vast number of people clicked on the "dare to make peace" channel.

Steve

=========

Our lives begin to end the moment that we become silent about things that matter. (Martin Luther King Jr.)

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A deeper understanding of self

Jimmi James - May 30, 2006 - 12:15pm

"Deep in our genes, there seems some kind of eternal yearning for the quick fix," you say you believe.I was wondering how you had arrived at that conclusion and would welcome your indications on this apparent "axiom"
My own understanding of people who are stuck in that state of impatience is that they are invariably using other "fixes"(alcohol, drugs, sex,gambling,materialism,people-fixing, to name the most common)in order to keep them in denial about their own personal dysfunction.And I'm afraid these unfortunate people so often, unfortunately,work on the highest floor.
Facing the truth of our dysfunction is to begin the process that will deal with desires for quick fixes as we come to understand that personal growth is a process.

On a personal note I must say that I still wrestle with some addictions, yet believe( maybe genetically!)that victory over them is also simply work in progress.Do you ?

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The illusion of self

John Klar - May 29, 2006 - 9:53pm

You say that you see little harm in prayer as an illusion that must be "kept in perspective (i.e. entertainment) and not relied upon in lieu of personal initiatives to effect real change." Christians will be pleased that you see no harm in their faith, which is very kind (if condescending) of you. Why do you obsess about other people's beliefs and arrogantly ridicule them, if you are so smugly confident of your own? You apparently have "faith" in your own mortality (though you do not have knowledge of it any more than people of spiritual faith can prove the immortality of the human soul); and a "faith" in self ("personal initiatives to effect real change"). Comparing human faith to dramatic conventions (deus ex machina) or current films trivializes biblical wisdom. Further, your judgmental assessment of religious rituals reflects a shallow and uninformed opinion of what faith is about -- God does not want religion, but a relationship; He does not want rote prayers, sacrifices and rituals, but communication. God does not come to us as a "God from the machine", for by definition that would deprive us of free choice. However, once we truly believe in God, and surrender our lives to His care, He does show us His presence. That is a mystical experience which science does not explain, and you cannot disprove. Many scientific studies have proved that prayer works, even when the subjects of prayer are unaware that they have been prayed for.

And why do I care that you attack people's faith so ardently (not just the faith of Christians, but also of Muslims, Jews, etc.)? Do I really need to try to persuade you or others if I am as equally confident (smug) in my faith as you are in yours? The difference emanates from intent -- your judgmental ridiculing of others is condemnatory and self-righteous (like some misguided evangelists): my response is not so much a defense of my faith, but an exhortation to liberation -- why don't you endeavor to suspend your disbelief long enough to imagine that a full understanding of life is beyond human comprehension (self), that a higher power is actually at work, and pray? Are you more afraid that your prayers would be answered, or that they would not? I criticize the sharpness and self-confidence of your tone, but I do not condemn you friend -- Jesus came to liberate, not to condemn, and He truly exists for those who will but knock at His door. Read the book of John, and simply absorb the gentle intensity of His words: this is the present-day miracle of Jesus, who has answers where man has repeatedly failed....
True faith is not seeking magical solutions, but offering humble submission. And the Bible never teaches us to sit around waiting for fish....it holds us to extremely challenging standards that require hard work and self-sacrifice. It is those who sit around without faith who do little. The man with faith gives away his fish to another in need, trusting that more food will be found, and that helping others is more important than helping self. Is this magical? Is it illusion? Perhaps the greater illusion is faith in self, that "man is the measure" and possesses understanding through science. Or is that just faith of another, despairing stripe?

In view of human history and the current state of our planet, isn't looking to mankind to employ "personal initiative" a "form of magical thinking, an attempt to secure deus ex machine resolution for human affairs...."? If we are to look to humanity to solve the problems it has created, then I'm afraid I lack such faith. How do you have such a marvelous faith? On what divine inspiration do you rely, the intrinsic goodness of mankind? The capacity of humanity to be selfless to benefit others? That's more of a stretch of faith than rubbing bottles for genies....you've got a better chance with your deus ex machina. As for prayer, don't knock it 'til you try it!

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intention

Jason White - May 29, 2006 - 8:37pm

I think you de-emphasized an important part of the equation here. Prayer can have a powerful effect on the person praying. That effect could be to focus intention, renew commitment or even to work toward transformation or purification. The powerful changes in perception that are possible through this mechanism can create transformations in thought, leading to transformation in words and deeds. This in turn will create changes in the observed world, perhaps in the direction of the intention of the one praying.

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