Lou Engle's 'The Call' in Detroit

Lou Engle

    You’ve probably already heard, but a week or so ago, on 11/11/11, there was a prayer rally in Detroit targeting a number of groups - gays, Catholics, and African-Americans in Detroit, with an emphasis on Muslims - with group prayer. According to the organizers, this was done with the hope that these groups feel the influence of God in their lives and change their ways - which according to their faith (or at least their particular brand of it) are ’evil’ and ’sinful.’ Prayer leaders used words like ‘dark’ and ‘demonic’ to describe the lives and actions of said targets, and decried mosques, with event promoters talking about driving stakes into the grounds of Mosque properties with the intent to drive away demons.
    Understandably, the event - the preparation for which seemed to do little more than raise hostility from all sides - drew protesters from all walks of life. Members of the LGBT community, the Islamic faith and even clergy from several Christian churches of various denominations gathered to stand outside and protest ’The Call,’ which they said in practice encouraged hate rather than love, and was not Christianity as Jesus envisioned it. The organization and actual execution of the rally raised a lot of concerns, especially from the Muslim population of Detroit, and across the United States. Were they justified?

Prayer

People pray. A lot. Even atheists pray. It’s not surprising - in America, the numbers are staggering. 92% of Americans in 2010 believed that there is a God, and 83% believe that God answers prayers.

I think that’s amazing, but not particularly surprising.

Our country is known for opportunity, prosperity, and excess - even in the most absolute worst situations one might find themselves in here, it’s typically still feasible that there’s a hospital, or police, or a helping hand one can turn to. If you pray to God to save you and help comes, it’s probably going to feel like a pretty convincing proof that there is a God who answers prayers.

But what about when the prayers go unanswered?

Well, for the faithful (no matter the faith) when ‘God says no’ it’s because it’s “Not part of God’s Plan.”

Hold onto those numbers in your head - remember, over 90% of Americans believe in a God (majority Christian) and over 80% believe he answers prayers. Hold onto that while you read.