21 June 2010

Hey Sarah, pray louder! Maybe he's daydreaming or relieving himself

Yesterday Sarah Palin said we should give up on the clean-up efforts in the Gulf and ask God for a solution/miracle.

Gulf disaster needs divine intervention as man's efforts have been futile. Gulf lawmakers designate today Day of Prayer for solution/miracle

And I'm sure all of her prayer warriors (along with the Louisiana Legislature) did just that. So what's the problem? Couldn't God hear her and her friends?

It reminds me of the words of Elijah, taunting the 450 prophets of Baal in the prayer contest.

Pray louder! He is a god! Maybe he is day-dreaming or relieving himself, or perhaps he's gone off on a trip! Or maybe he's sleeping, and you've got to wake him up! 1 Kings 18:27

Keep praying, Sarah. Nothing fails like prayer.


A note about the translation of 1 Kings 18:27

The Bible versions that are most popular to believers (KJV, NIV, RSV) translate this verse in a way that sanitizes Elijah's bathroom humor.

The New International Version (NIV) translates "maybe he is relieving himself" as being "busy."

"Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." NIV

The King James Version (KJV) translates it as "pursuing."

Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. KJV

And the Revised Standard Version (RSV) as "he has gone aside."

And at noon Eli'jah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." RSV

But Elijah wasn't the type to bother with polite euphemisms.


And now for something completely different.

9 comments:

Matthew Blanchette said...

Heh; always with God and people relieving themselves, eh? ;-)

Steve Wells said...

Sorry, Matthew. I couldn't resist. (And neither could Elijah, apparently.)

Matthew Blanchette said...

"They that pisseth against the wall", etc., etc... no problem, Steve. :-)

Unknown said...

Well, if he's relieving himself, it would help make sense of our weather here in the Seattle area lately. I mean, we have a lot of rain, but this is ridiculous. Cold and rainy all the time.

It must be that god hates my tomato and pepper plants, what without me praising his name and all. Although my religious neighbor doesn't seem to be doing any better.

Baconsbud said...

I figure once the Gulf gets cleaned up she will say how great a job her god did cleaning it.

Drew said...

"Nothing fails like prayer."

Probably the best quote I've heard in a long time.

Matthew Blanchette said...

You ever read Douglas Adams, Steve? I have a feeling that his humour would be right up your alley... ;-)

Steve Wells said...

No, Matthew, I haven't read Douglas Adams, but I know I should and hope to someday. (If I can ever get free from the Bible, Quran, and BoM.)

Matthew Blanchette said...

Here's a nice bit by him on YouTube that you can listen to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kK1YgR7J0g&fmt=18