The Efficacy of Prayer

[thesummerqueen]

http://atheists.org/blog/2011/09/12/pray...-hypocrisy

But, the reality is that these needs are not met because of divine intervention or providence, but because the prayer requests were made known to other humans. Through the camaraderie that surrounds their common belief, fellow believers are called into action. Donations are made, people show up with hammers and plywood or a box of clothing magically appears on a doorstep.

This is not god, people. I venture to say I would be less cynical about the whole process if it were genuine altruism. But it’s not. The same results occur when Atheists band together to help our fellow humans out.

Blind faith is what causes an individual to ignore the sheer abundance of statistical data that prove the utter ineffectiveness of prayer, either by itself with respect to the human condition, or in toto with reference to natural disasters. There is a scientific explanation for most of the “miraculous answers” to prayers, and what cannot be explained is simply just unknown and does not mean it is supernatural. It takes a huge contortion of logic to reconcile a “loving and just god who hears and answers prayers” with the millions of faithful believers who continue to endure unimaginable suffering every single day.

Prayer is a perfect example of doing something for oneself and calling it helping others. It’s the ultimate form of hypocrisy. This has been proven time and time again and will not change until people realize that two hands engaged in works are far more effective than two hands clasped in prayer