A free hand to continue in sin - Stephen at ChristWeb alerts us to a mind numbing bit of news found on Ananova™, "Rabbi invents prayer for porn-surfing Jews":
An Israeli rabbi has invented a prayer to help Jews overcome the guilt of visiting pornographic websites.
The benediction by Shlomo Eliahu says: "Please God, help me cleanse the computer of viruses and evil photographs which disturb and ruin my work..., so that I shall be able to cleanse myself (of sin)."
While sounding like a good prayer the end of the short news item informs us:
The rabbi recommends that Jews recite the prayer when they log on, or even programme it to flash up on their computer screens so they are spiritually covered whether they enter a dodgy site intentionally or by mistake.
To which Stephen rightly fisked on his weblog posting, ChristWeb: "Protection for Porn-Surfing Jews":
The section of this article that amazed me is that this Rabbi is not telling folks not to go to sites but instead to say this prayer before they intentionally visit a pornography site.
It kind of makes me think of the stupidity of the Catholic church in its constant moving of priest pedophiles from church to church.
Perhaps the heart of this problem is found in the end of the Rabbi's prayer where he instructs people to pray, "so that I shall be able to cleanse myself (of sin)."
It just isn't possible. A person can't cleanse himself of sin; no man or woman born of Adam can. Only Christ can purify us of sin; it is only through His grace and power that victory over death and sin can be obtained.
The Great Separation Continues.
