Atheists do you pray?

[Celestine]

You're right Tonus. There really isn't anything particularly profound about what I said in my post, especially if you're already familiar with affirmations or meditation. However; it was a profound experience for me personally to realize I could welcome back that part of myself. I missed it without knowing I was missing it. And, although there isn't anything spiritual about it (for me, at least), I do find "prayer" to be humbling in that it gives me a chance to let go of my biases and my need to be or feel right and to reassess my life in a more honest light.

This probably doesn't resemble prayer all that much, but where today I would silently ask "What do I do?", before I would say "Dear Lord, please show me the way" or something along those lines. So, to me, it still resembles the prayers I was familiar with. And it isn't as much the same as simply assessing my life with the question "What do I do?" because in those instances I still have bias and I'm still worried about the minor details. It's different in that way for me.

I am glad that it benefits you in some way, perhaps prayer wouldn't be the best thing to call it but it is the closest thing I can relate it to. I only hope that it can benefit me in some way as well.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

What about thoughtful self reflection? Everyone does it, and if they don't they should. difference I guess is that I know when I'm reflecting on things I'm talking to myself via an inner monologue and and not a supernatural being I believe has the magical powers to help, if only he'd listen to me!.

[JeffofGallifrey]

Interesting. I had never heard an atheist talk about praying before... subscribing this could be an interesting thread.

[The Valkyrie]

I haven't prayed since I gave up on religion at 13.

I don't see the need to wish for something that has no effect.

[Celestine]

Well that's interesting, I did not know that I posted two of these, could a moderator kindly merge my two threads?

[Fidel_Castronaut]

:|

[Aoi Magi]

No, praying by definition is acknowledging your own powerlessness and expecting a higher power to fill that void. Honoring is NOT the same as praying. If you are talking about the "uplifting feeling", that is "confidence" and you can get similar effects by talking in front of a mirror. You cannot honor humanity through prayer, but rather through your actions.

[Cyberman]

Do I pray? No. Given that I don't believe anything is listening, nor able to do anything about whatever I might petition, why would I?

Do I talk to myself in times of introspection, hoping to lead to a resolution (or at least a conclusion)? Yes.

Interestingly, I find that the results I get from my own counsel are somewhat higher than chance. Then again, that's probably what you'd expect from a prophet of my record.

[Ravenshire]

No. Just no.

Complete waste of time.

[The Valkyrie]

No, I don't feel the need to pray and haven't done so since I was 13.