The inefficacy of prayer

[chatpilot]

In my opinion no one has demonstrated and summed this up more than Frederick Douglas.This quote is in reference to his escape from slavery:

"I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs."

Everyone and anyone is welcome to post an opinion on how they feel about prayer.Christians and atheists alike are encouraged to partake of this little discussion.My personal opinion about prayer,and trust me when I was a christian I did plenty of it;is that it is an exercise in futility.If you want to get something done your best bet is to do it yourself.

[Ace Otana]

In my opinion no one has demonstrated and summed this up more than Frederick Douglas.This quote is in reference to his escape from slavery:

"I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs."

Everyone and anyone is welcome to post an opinion on how they feel about prayer.Christians and atheists alike are encouraged to partake of this little discussion.My personal opinion about prayer,and trust me when I was a christian I did plenty of it;is that it is an exercise in futility.If you want to get something done your best bet is to do it yourself.

Prayer is useless. I think if you want something done - Do it!
If your car tire needs replacing - Replace it!

Have you noticed that when you pray nothing happens. Collapsing your hands in prayer doesn't actually do anything. If you want to help someone - Don't pray, use your hands and help them.
I personally think that when you constantly pray for things your showing huge dependantancy. Wouldn't it be more impressive if god saw you using your hands to help others instead of asking gods help?

I think of atheists as more independant than theists since we don't resualt to doing nothing while hoping someone else can fix the problem.
If there's a problem - Fix it!

Prayer is for those who are extremely dependant on others. If you sort every problem yourself makes you independant.

I think if I was god I'd be dis-apointed with everyone who keeps asking me for help when they could of done it them selves. As a god I would be impressed to see independance.

What would make you happier? Having a teenager who requires you to do everything like making his/her bed, doing breakfast for them and even sorting their clothes out, or him/her doing it themselves?

To me, Prayer is for those who are still very much dependant and needs allot of growing up to do.

If there was to be a flood and people being in danger, Especialy the young and elderly. I would risk my life saving them. I'm young and very fit and I would stand a far greater chance of surviving and so I would use my fitness to my advantage and save others instead of doing nothing like praying.

Praying is for the dependant and Doing is for the independant.

Stop asking god to do your dirty work! If you got a problem - Fix it!

Well that's my opinion anyway. Harsh but true.

[Eilonnwy]

The hard part with prayer is that theists are so ready to believe that anything good that happens is an answer to a prayer. My mother is an alcoholic but she's been sober since 2002. She believes God keeps her from drinking, that she couldn't get through her day without praying to God to keep her from drinking. It breaks my heart to think that people with the willpower to fight off alcohol take the credit from themselves. And when the fail, like my dad who is still struggling to stay sober, it's their fault.

I just don't get it.

[Tiberius]

Prayer is not useless.

Atheists still pray, and in fact they do the same thing that Christians do when they pray. They think long and hard about questions or problems, and they eventually figure out what to do. The only difference is that Christians think God answered them, and atheists know that it was themselves.

[chatpilot]

When it comes to addictions I think that prayers serves more as a placebo that aids the weak toward recovery.When it comes to faith healing I feel the same way but I also think that most of the so called people healed through prayer have been suffering from psychosomatic disorders.I too agree with you both on the matter of prayer and dependence.One thing I don't like about Christianity is that nothing that you do no matter how good or how hard is credited to you but to god.

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I disagree there Adrian,the act of prayer in the traditional sense is having communion with god or the gods you serve.Atheists do not seek an outside source for assistance with their worldly problems.They meditate (think or analyze) thier dilemma and mull over possible solutions towards resolving them.When a Christian prays he is not mulling over anything or thinking about anything he is simply letting go and putting his problems in the hands of the Lord trusting that he would come through for them or reveal in some way to them the solution.

[Brick-top]

Prayer is not useless.

Atheists still pray, and in fact they do the same thing that Christians do when they pray. They think long and hard about questions or problems, and they eventually figure out what to do. The only difference is that Christians think God answered them, and atheists know that it was themselves.

Lol no. There's a difference between prayer and thinking.

[Tiberius]

What I mean though is that "prayer" to an atheist is simply thinking to yourself about certain problems. It isn't a conversation with God because we do not believe on exists. It is therefore thinking to yourself.

[StewartP]

What I mean though is that "prayer" to an atheist is simply thinking to yourself about certain problems. It isn't a conversation with God because we do not believe on exists. It is therefore thinking to yourself.

That' probably why many think prayer works. They have a problem and they decide to pray. So they set aside some time, and peace & quiet and talk it through with god.

How many times have you had a problem, and as you explain the problem to someone the answer occurs to you. The very act of thinking it through afresh opens your mind to solutions.

[Tiberius]

Exactly my point. "Prayer" is thinking to yourself. It is useful, we all do it. Religions have simply used it to try to prove God, but all it proves is that if you think about something for a period of time, you will find some way to justify it or reconcile it.

[chatpilot]

Amen !! My fellow atheists friends.