Prayer ... SERIOUSLY?!

[Godscreated]

have you ever given a thought that the food that was just prayed over might be tainted yet one does not get ill. I wonder just how often this might be the case, we never know.

If prayer really worked that way..then businesses would not be spending money keeping their food clean, and would merely pay people like you to pray over it.

Magical thinking...what a fucking idiot.

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Statler. Just because Mao and Stalin were atheists does not mean they killed millions because of their religious beliefs, they killed them for their POLITICAL beliefs. Your country hasnt been crazy religious like it is now, for as long as you think. Catholic church held back science for centuries. Also look at most atheist countries followed by standards of living.

You actually responded to that idiot Waldork?

I put his ranting stupidity on "Ignore"..something that I will be doing to the other fundies on this site soon enough.

Please hurry!

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@ Statler first. Hey thanx for hijacking my thread with the baseborn history lesson.

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To answer your questions.
-how you believers pray?
Just like I talk, like a conversation. (awaits talking to yourself comment)
-Where do you pray?
Wherever I am when it strikes me to pray. I don't always pray at meals, but it's a time to sit and chill and chat with family so usually I find it appropriate to pray at that time
-How often do you pray?
I don't really have an exact number but I would guesstimate 20-40 times a day. Most of them being a little three word prayer or a quick thank you.
-what the hell is up with the “holier-than-thou speech” used in prayers?
I don't know, I don't use that. I consider it a sign of ritualizing prayer, which IMO lessens it's value.
- Is that really necessary?
No but I find it usefull
-Does your god really need you to thank him that often?!?!?!
I don't know, thankfulness is typically for the release of teh thanker not the gratification of the thankee, IMO

20 to 40 times a day?!?! holy shit! I don't even think my father prays that much and he's jesus' best friend!


You said you find prayer useful. How? Does god answer your prayers even 20 times a day?

We do agree on that last point though. I think prayer is solely for the gratification of the thankor and not the thankee.
Since the majority of christians admit that they don't actually hear god talking to them, than it would clearly seem that prayer is only useful to the pray-er as a placebo. Probably no surprise hearing that from me.

I'll let the "talking to yourself" comment slide this time.

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I see one place in the prayer you have probably misquoted because it does not fit with the rest of the prayer, listen closer next time and see if you can find it, it jumped off the page as soon as I read the prayer.

I'm reasonably sure I didn't misquote him. I've heard this prayer many times, but I suppose anything is possible. Keep in mind, he's a mechanic who grew up drinking boos and huffing paint fumes ... not a man who's had 40 years of doctrine. His prayer's are going to reflect this.

As for your theory about tainted food ... that's one hell of a leap man. I haven't prayed for my food in 20 years and never once have gotten ill from bad food.

On another point. Do you pray before you eat no matter where or why??

Yes, I'm thankful for what God provides. If you're wondering if I fill embarrassed when praying in public I do not and really see no reason to be.

Praying in public is odd, but that's not really where I fault you on that particular statement. I would argue that god didn't provide you with that food. In fact, stop going to work and earning a pay check and we'll see if god keeps providing you with food.

God provides me with a job, thus allowing me to have food on my table.

[Doubting Thomas]

I think that praying before a meal is a throwback to ancient superstitious times when food wasn't as plentiful as it is now. Back then, you were damn lucky to have something on the table, and the common superstition was to thank a god for it since apparently without a god there was no way that anyone could ever find nourishment.

What I find funny is how Christians will speak normally in everyday language, then when they start to pray, they get all "thou" and "thee" holyspeak on everything. Why do we need to regress to outdated language when speaking to a god? Don't you think Yahweh would understand what's being said if it were in current English?

At my in-laws, they always insist on the standard Catholic "Bless us, O Lord, for these thy gifts..." prayer before meals. It's kind of annoying but I just wait patiently until it's over. In my house, though, no prayers are required. If you're at my house and insist on praying, go right ahead but don't think me rude if I start digging in while you do your little magic spell.

have you ever given a thought that the food that was just prayed over might be tainted yet one does not get ill. I wonder just how often this might be the case, we never know.

Um, I'm willing to guess never. I tell you what, GC, let's do a scientific study on this. We'll give you two pieces of chicken for dinner, one with salmonella and one without. You pray over them and then eat them and we'll see if you get sick.

[Kayenneh]

Well, it's not bad being thankful for recieving food. But to thank the almighty sky-daddy is just bullshit, save your thanks to the one who paid for the food, used appropriate seasonings to make the food delicious and actually put it on the table. That is just signs of good manners

[DanielSchaffiro]

Prayer reminds me a bit of Buzz Lightyear speaking into his forearm mic, "Come in Star Command". Woody said it best. "IT'S NOT REAL!"

[5thHorseman]

God provides me with a job, thus allowing me to have food on my table.

No he did'nt. Dont be silly. Your skills landed you your job, to think otherwise would be foolish. Do you see why?

[Doubting Thomas]

Not to mention all the people out of work praying for jobs and not having their prayers answered.

[reverendjeremiah]

Please hurry!

Done... never liked your crap anyways, and never understood why the Mods allow you to flame your fundy bullcrap all over this atheist forum anyways. People like you would surely not reciprocate if the situation were reversed.

[Cinjin]

People like you would surely not reciprocate if the situation were reversed.

A very valid point. I was banned from a christian site just for asking one question about a biblical contradiction. No warning. Not a word.

I didn't even curse or insult anybody. ...... and I like cursing

[Shell B]

Done... never liked your crap anyways, and never understood why the Mods allow you to flame your fundy bullcrap all over this atheist forum anyways. People like you would surely not reciprocate if the situation were reversed.

Because he has done nothing worthy of banishment. I understand your sentiment, but people who contribute without breaking the rules enough times to warrant being banned are welcome here. Sure, he would not reciprocate, but I don't start behaving like people I disagree with just to get back at them for disagreeing with me. This situation is exactly what the ignore function is for. Enjoy, Jeremiah.

[Statler Waldorf]

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Statler, where do you get your history from? Really, I want to know.

I love my country and happen to be oddly patriotic. I say oddly because I am a pessimistic asshole about everything, but you put a flag in front of me and I get all optimistic. Anyway, though I love my country, I would not say that the greatest atrocities or "bloodbaths," if you will, came from elsewhere, out of so-called atheist nations. Germany was not an atheist nation, ever. The United States may be largely theistic, disgustingly so even, but this country is not innocent. We are the only country to ever drop nuclear weapons on people. What does that say about your beloved Christians? Well, if Christians represent the U.S. and atheists represent the rest, I guess that makes Christians cowards. The only bloodbath they have was dropping two fucking nukes on innocent people. Oh, and we have slavery too. Of course, none of that is accurate. The U.S. is the U.S., not Christ Nation. You and your fucking compatriots have plenty to answer for in history, which is precisely why you chose to say "20th century." Speaking of cowards . . .

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Apparently I get my history from the same place Univerisity of Kings College does. Sorry if that offends you.

I was not including Germany in the bloodbath quote, I was including the Soviet Union, Cambodia, and Chinda. Although there 3rd reich was loaded with atheists as well as theists so I saw that as a bit of a wash. You guys always point to the crusades and inquisition which of course happened hundreds and hundreds of years ago and pale in comparison to the atrocities committeed in the 20th century by atheistic regimes. More people were killed in cambodia on one day than were ever killed in the inquistion. I think comparing a dixie cup to the ocean is a bit of a cowardly game myself. You also seem to forget that the abolishionist movement was let by Christians. Not why dropping atomic bombs is somehow magically worse than leveling the same cities with normal bombs.

Since nobody on here has ever answered this maybe you can, given your atheistic world view, why is slavery and dropping bombs on people even wrong? Seems you have to borrow from my world view in order to even argue against it.