darinhouston wrote: We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.
I shouldn't expect otherwise.
darinhouston wrote: If one is reluctant to use the name of our Lord or to otherwise make clear you are praying to him due to civil sensitivities, then one should not agree to participate in some generic spiritual prayer to an unknown God. ... There is never a season to be reluctant to overtly declare or proclaim the Lord in our prayers, though there might be a season not to participate in a pagan "religious" setting where it is not permitted.
One's sensibilities, here, depend greatly upon one's theological outlook.
Modern Catholic teaching is relatively generous toward other people in other faith traditions. I quote the Catechism at some length:
'Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways.'
...When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People, 'the first to hear the Word of God.' The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews 'belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises'....
'The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day.'
The Church's bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race: All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all....
The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions [a] search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as 'a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.'
If one sees members of other faiths as having a relationship with the holy community - and if one sees other religions as potentially involved in the divine plan for salvation, despite their imperfections - this is likely to affect one's outlook toward exercises in civil piety. Such events are an opportunity for communion with fellow humans, who like us are on an incomplete journey toward a spiritual destiny. And our behavior in communion with each other can impact our journeys and destinies and our relationships with each other.
In this regard, let me point out that public prayer is not simply a dialogue between the human individual who is speaking and the divine. It is a conversation in community with the individual, the divine, and other humans who are present. It's wise and responsible, in this conversation, to use words that make a positive contribution in the context of the community. And on some occasions, at least, that may mean opting for discreet choices in the language one uses.
Different things are called for in different moments, at different junctures as relationships develop. We may not know, in a given situation, whether it's a suitable time for one of our "pagan" counterparts to be confronted with a specific declaration of dogma. Perhaps, given their personal development, such a confrontation might yield more harm than good. This is why we should be sensitive to the holy spirit, benefiting from divine wisdom as to how we might best conduct ourselves in each situation.