Atheists do you pray?

[Zidneya]

Prayer is not only for the theists

No I think it's actually only for theists.

Anyways I am an atheist now and I am very interested in praying once more, this time not prayers to honor a god, but prayers to honor humanity, and to constantly remind me to be respectful of others and not let my pride allow me to mistreat others.

What does that kind of prayers say?

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Humanity seems not to give a shit.

Apparently neither does God. People have been praying to him since the beginning of time and so far he hasn't gave a shit either.

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I swear guys you all know my opinion on atheist churches, so if he starts to bringing them up I'm not gonna take responsibility for my own vocabulary..

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[Celestine]

What does that kind of prayers say?

Apparently neither does God. People have been praying to him since the beginning of time and so far he hasn't gave a shit either.

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I swear guys you all know my opinion on atheist churches, so if he starts to bringing them up I'm not gonna take responsibility for my own vocabulary..

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An example of a prayer, this is a buddhist prayer but it is entirely secular, I'm been practicing being eloquent but I haven't quite gotten the hang of it.

We gently caress you, the Earth, our planet and our home.
Our vision has brought us closer to you, making us aware of the harm we have done to the life-network upon which we ourselves depend.
We are reminded that we have poisoned your waters, your lands, your air.
We have filled you with the bones of our dead from war and greed.
Your pain is our pain.
Touching you gently, we pray that we may become peace-bringers and life-bringers so that our home in its journey around the Sun not become a sterile and lonely place.
May this prayer and its power last forever.
- Sensei Ulrich, Manitoba Buddhist Temple 3

Oh please, do enlighten me with your opinion of atheistic churches. Churches, great place to meet people, getting together for a common interest in reflection of humanity and oneself, organizing group charity events. Tax free residence, an entire order dedicated to moral teachings. All clouded by the concept of a god and people who have more authority than the congregation. If we atheists set our values in place of a god and formed a church we should have unified humanity by now.

[CapnAwesome]

Yes, this morning I prayed I wouldn't have to see any more of your stupid threads on these forums.

[MusicLovingAtheist]

I don't pray. I do play little tricks on my mind sometimes though. When I was very young, I pretended that there was always a couple of evil guys having a conversation in my head, unaware that I could hear them and I would thwart their efforts to kill me every time. I used to avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks when I was a kid too. I also used to pretend I could kill people with laser beams from my eyes. There's all sorts of little mind games you can play with yourself. If I were to pretend I was praying and it was reaching some transcendent intelligence, I would probably just feel like an idiot. I think it's a good thing to allow one's self some freedom to play some mind games every once and a while. Taking that shit seriously is either delusional or schizophrenic though.

[Little lunch]

As a kid I used to pretend the flyshit on the windscreen was a target and shoot people as we were driving down the street.
You reminded me of that with your laser beam eyes thing. :-)

[genkaus]

If we atheists set our values in place of a god and formed a church we should have unified humanity by now.

Quite the contrary - if we atheists formed a church and started regarding our values the same way theists regard god, within five years we'd have twenty denominations fighting over what it means to be a "true atheist".
Just look at atheism+.

[Clueless Morgan]

I don't pray. I do play little tricks on my mind sometimes though. When I was very young, I pretended that there was always a couple of evil guys having a conversation in my head, unaware that I could hear them and I would thwart their efforts to kill me every time. I used to avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks when I was a kid too. I also used to pretend I could kill people with laser beams from my eyes. There's all sorts of little mind games you can play with yourself. If I were to pretend I was praying and it was reaching some transcendent intelligence, I would probably just feel like an idiot. I think it's a good thing to allow one's self some freedom to play some mind games every once and a while. Taking that shit seriously is either delusional or schizophrenic though.

I wouldn't call these mind games, I would call this a kid playing pretend...

I used to avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks when I was a kid too.

Me, too. Don't all kids do this?

[Zidneya]

We gently caress you, the Earth, our planet and our home.
Our vision has brought us closer to you, making us aware of the harm we have done to the life-network upon which we ourselves depend.
We are reminded that we have poisoned your waters, your lands, your air.
We have filled you with the bones of our dead from war and greed.
Your pain is our pain.
Touching you gently, we pray that we may become peace-bringers and life-bringers so that our home in its journey around the Sun not become a sterile and lonely place.
May this prayer and its power last forever.
- Sensei Ulrich, Manitoba Buddhist Temple 3

Is it just me or that sounds like a prayer to Gaia?
Because this whole humanistic prayers rise a lot of questions.
Who's gonna listen to them?
What difference does it make if I say "Oh planet earth" to "Oh piece of s**t"?(Am I gonna get punished? And if I don't what does it care what I say? And if doesn't care what I say, why say it?)
Why do it? (because again who is listening to them)
Why not better read novel or another article about self motivation?
What if I get denied to pray am I gonna get bitchy like the rest of the religious people? And if I do it, why? I'm an atheist why should I care if people let me pray or no?
And wouldn't that confuse people and I will get accused of being religious when I'm not?

Oh please, do enlighten me with your opinion of atheistic churches. Churches,

They need a name change(churches really?)

great place to meet people, getting together for a common interest in reflection of humanity and oneself, organizing group charity events.

Just like colleges, conventions, festivals, beneficence, book clubs, night clubs, gyms, internet forums…do you want the whole list because thats gonna take me a while.

Tax free residence, an entire order dedicated to moral teachings.

Yeah because most churches are so moral.
You see!(I'm not talking to you Celestine) this is why I oppose the idea of ​​churches for atheists because I don't even have five minutes talking about this and I already have someone telling me that I should get moral instruction in a church.
Well do I have some questions genius(this on the oder hand it is for you celestine).
Who are they (independently whether atheists or religious) to tell me how do I have to behave morally?
A good place to learn morals? You know how many in hypocrites are the world who preach morality and are jerks.
And if I want to create my own moral values?
And if I do not want the moral code of someone else? After all this is my life I'll decide what is good and bad and no silly congregation is gonna change it.

All clouded by the concept of a god and people who have more authority than the congregation. If we atheists set our values in place of a god and formed a church we should have unified humanity by now.

And we could play in a field with flower , with little sunshines and unicorns playing right by our side. And all the militant and fundamentalists religious people will smile at us and hug us everyday.
You'r right what are we waiting for let's do it.

[Celestine]

Is it just me or that sounds like a prayer to Gaia?
Because this whole humanistic prayers rise a lot of questions.
Who's gonna listen to them?

The only person that should be listening to them, yourself.

What difference does it make if I say "Oh planet earth" to "Oh piece of s**t"?(Am I gonna get punished? And if I don't what does it care what I say? And if doesn't care what I say, why say it?)

You would punish yourself if you said oh piece of shit, your attitude will reflect on your life, hatred is corruption and when you degrade something you clearly lack a love for it and you will neither respect it or treat it right, but when you revere something and give it thanks you are made more aware of your appreciation for it and then can learn to treat it with care and respect.

Why do it? (because again who is listening to them)

You are listening to yourself, the recitation of what you want to improve about yourself, this you will hear, and you will be the better for it.

Why not better read novel or another article about self motivation?

If it were that easy for people to overcome their obstacles there would have never been a need for prayer in the first place.

What if I get denied to pray am I gonna get bitchy like the rest of the religious people? And if I do it, why? I'm an atheist why should I care if people let me pray or no?

The only one stopping you from praying is yourself.

And wouldn't that confuse people and I will get accused of being religious when I'm not?

There is no great divide that separates us from each other, No canyon upon which people take sides, but rather a mist that hides us from ourselves.

Just like colleges, conventions, festivals, beneficence, book clubs, night clubs, gyms, internet forums…do you want the whole list because thats gonna take me a while.

Churches are the only ones who offer spiritual (Spiritual and psychology blur together in my defintion) guidance, and in such a one as I envision, things would not be so set in stone and people would be more able to move freely within it.

Who are they (independently whether atheists or religious) to tell me how do I have to behave morally?
A good place to learn morals? You know how many in hypocrites are the world who preach morality and are jerks.
And if I want to create my own moral values?
And if I do not want the moral code of someone else? After all this is my life I'll decide what is good and bad and no silly congregation is gonna change it.

Let me state that you can create your own moral values, and if they do not coincide with the laws of men you will thus face the consequences of your actions. As for who they are to tell you, they are your brothers and sisters, your human family, likewise you could also tell them your views (and you certainly do this already) on how to live a moral life. This is a beneficial side to we humans having the ability to communicate with one another.

[The Grand Nudger]

I'm sorry Celestine...but if I prayed to my morning deuce that would hardly be punishment. It would make me giggle like a little girl. Whats all this business about hatred? Also, morality is not law, if you break the law - you will suffer the consequences. Feel free to to come up with any morality you like - it's not illegal, and it certainly doesn't have to conform to the laws of men (see: christianity, islam, judaism).