The problem with prayer

[Eilonnwy]

Leo, I agree with you. That's exactly what I'm trying to say. I don't think prayer is something that people do to get everything they want. I totally get it that people are sincere when they prayer and think they are doing something good. Why would people do it if they didn't feel like they were doing good? And didn't get anything out of it?

I realize to hear that someone considers your act of prayer arrogant to be upsetting, because I'm sure you approach it thinking you're helping people. And I'm not trying discrediting that desire. But I don't view selfishness as something that's always bad. Everyone acts selfishly whether we're aware of it or not, me inlcuded. We are selfish by nature and that's actually a good thing otherwise I don't think we'd survive so well as a species.

I think if there is a God, ALL of us will be equally important to him, not just those who pray. All human life is precious.

If that's true then why pray? If God loves everyone he'll take care of all our needs and praying is meaningless. So either don't pray, because he treats us equally, or do pray because he plays favorites which is hypocritical. If you think that God has a plan and works in mysterious, does it matter if you pray? Why pray for someone who is sick if God loves us equally? Why should he heal your mother and not the neighbour down the street, or the people dying in Gaza right now?

All religions have a hidden arrogance/selfishness by trying to make you seem so small, so miserable, so sinfull. But god loves you.

I don't understand this strange compartmentalization the religious go through. I talked about it with a coworker who says people die because it's god's plan, there's no free will. And then I ask her if a drunk driver who kills someone has free will, and she says he does but that it was god's plan for the guy to die. sdfkj;fg Mega contradiction anyone?