There needs to be an occasion throughout a day when I need some consolidation and contemplation.

I used to call it prayer, but subsequently have found that it would more aptly be defined as meditation or deeper thought.

It is intrinsic to my mental and emotional health.

1. No, I never pray. Although I don't totally discount prayer as a way to make yourself feel better about shitty situations, to me prayer is the same as doing nothing.

2. I think it's important to note that not every prayer is to a monotheistic deity. For example Buddhists pray and in although they aren't Atheists is the sense that most people on these boards are, they certainly don't believe in the Judeo/Christian/Islamic God concept. So the fact that some Atheists admit to praying doesn't mean at all that they believe in God or that their Atheism should somehow be called into question. People who think of prayer in only one sense tend to have a limited world view.

I've prayed at times in the past, but it's more like, "if anyone is out there," as in super advanced nerdy programming extra-terrestrial from another dimension... or little green invisible elves that are only witnessed on LSD trips. Never to "God," as in the God of Abraham or Jesus. That's just retarded.

This may come as a surprise, but I actually pray almost as much as an atheist as I used to when I was Jewish, and in pretty much the same manner.

I never did any sort of personal prayers. All I ever did was read the specific prayers (always in Hebrew, sometimes with the translations, too) for certain events, which was just on holidays and special occasions. My family was never religious enough to say prayers before every meal, or even celebrate the Sabbath. Now, I still sometimes celebrate major religious holidays with family, and I'll still say the prayers with them, just to play along with the tradition. But I never actually believed any of it.

(February 11, 2014 at 3:32 am)Ivy Wrote: I prayed in my darkest hour when I was a sweet, innocent little girl. Nope. Nada.

Excuse me if I no longer pray, be sweet, or innocent.

I don't think it's comforting to pray while not believing in a god. Feeling stupid just makes it worse. I totally get your post. Kudo x 10!

Don't care if you pray.

Still find you sweet.

No one wants you to be 'innocent' .. unless it involves dress up.

No, though I do curse the golf gods on occasion.

Since becoming an atheist, I've had times I've gone to church or religious services with friends or family. I don't know if that counts. My heart was never really in it; I was just kinda going through the motions in a "when in Rome..." kind of way. I think I might have prayed with a resident or two while I worked in nursing homes, but even then, as far as I saw it, that was more about comforting the resident than praying to god; if talking to a teddy bear made them feel more comfortable, I would have done that, too.

My mom was very sick 2 years ago and the doctors said that scans of her head showed that She is in a very bad condition and She needs a surgery that was very risky. I didn't pray for her... and She's fine. It turned out that the scans were taken in such a position that it seemed more dangerous than it actually was.

As for the question, when atheists pray then are they really atheist? Atheism is lack of belief in a god or gods. So prayer is not gonna make you non-atheist You can ask the same thing if the atheist goes to church is he a really atheist? Well i've been in church many times for wedding of my many good friends and i'm still atheist For me it's just a big building with people, and prayer is just verses that don't mean anything.

Anyway that's my two cents

This thread has me wondering, why does an omniscient, almighty "god" NEED prayer? When I was a Christian, I used to think it was because "he" wanted our participation in a "relationship" with him. He wanted to see the level of our faith. Oh, the things we tell ourselves to justify living in a fantasy, right? lol

But now, having left the faith, it is beyond illogical that a "supreme being" changes our fate based on how fervently I beg of him to change it.

Why is prayer necessary at all?

(February 28, 2014 at 10:27 am)Deidre32 Wrote: Why is prayer necessary at all?

Cause otherwise the supreme being will sent you to hell after you die The place where all the coolest people will go