Hypocritical Lips

Secularists and Atheists at Prayer

We have watched our Parliament going through the hypocritical motions of amending the traditional prayer used to open all Parliamentary sessions.  The current prayer reads:

Almighty God,

Humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy holy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honour of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace, and tranquillity of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The proposed version reads:

Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on New Zealand.

Laying aside all personal interests, we pray for guidance in our deliberations, that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom and humility, for the public welfare and peace of New Zealand. Amen.

Both versions are a hypocritical abomination.
  Both invoke Almighty God.  But we would level this charge against our Parliamentarians: almost to man they do not believe in Almighty God.  They believe, rather, in a being, a creature of their own making.

If they did believe in the Lord God Almighty they would confess their sins, their rebellion, their foul mouths, their lusts, and their capacious arrogance.  Maybe they would confess their guilt for the murder of unborn children which has taken place under their watch and according to their policies.  And then they would pray for mercy and forgiveness for their habitual rebellion against Him.  And only then would they pray for wisdom and guidance.  For without the former, Almighty God will have no consideration for their hollow, vain, and empty words.

The solemn warnings of Scripture stand:

Exodus 20:7--You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Isaiah 1:13--Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.

Jeremiah 7: 9-10--Will you steal, murder, commit adultery,  swear falsely, make offerings to Baal,  and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?

Since the hearts of this generation of Members of Parliament are set against Almighty God their prayer to God is an insult to Him and adds to their guilt by the day.   It is a guilt which has repercussions for all citizens as well, for MP's deign to speak in our name, as our representatives.  We repent of having anything to do with the blasphemy of Parliament's prayer, either the current one, or the one now proposed.

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honours me with their lips,
    but their heart is far from me [Mark 7:6]

May Almighty God have mercy upon us all.