Isn't prayer a contradiction?

[tackattack]

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That's actually a question I was trained to handle when I was a Christian.

*puts on Jesus hat* God gave us free will, and a true Christian does not pray to change God's plan, rather to listen to what God's plan may be and make his choices based on God's response. Those who plead with God to alter His plans do not understand the meaning of prayer. That is why prayer is not like a service where you can request a cancer cure or a winning lottery ticket and expect to get what you ask--God is not Santa Claus--rather, it's like talking to a supremely wise therapist who knows what is best for you and can help lead you to the right way to exercise your free will.

*takes off Jesus hat* That was horrifying. I hope to never have to wear that thing again. It's all a cop-out, but that's how I was taught to respond.

The problem behind this logic is that no one can prove that the clarity some Christians receive when they turn to prayer for advice is taken from God. In fact, there is some incredibly strong evidence to the contrary: When you pray 'correctly', all you are doing is meditating with a single thought in mind. It's not a spiritual mystery that when you clear your mind of all other thoughts, the topic you meditate on becomes much more clear. That concept is fully explained by psychology and neurology. What Christians are doing--the ones who know how to make prayer "work"--is just meditation until they come up with a solution on their own.

As for those who pray for God to take away the cancer, they are rationally and theologically confused, and are probably so desperate they would ask an inanimate object if they were told it would work. (Wait... what?! You mean people still use wishing wells and throw coins into fountains? And they still wish on stars?! Oh brother...)

It's all bullshit. I pray to Joe Pesci.

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I would actually agree with the first part, I wasn't trained on how to respond to the question, but that's my understanding of prayer as well. I don't think that prayer is fully explained by psychology and neurology, though. Getting the "call" to do God's work by calling someone you rarely if ever do, or go somewhere you've never been, or say something you have entirely no context for saying can't be explained even by the subconscious.A lot of it can be explained by positivity or wish fulfillment, but I don't believe all.