What prayer can do

teachthemhowtothink:

Prayer can do amazing things for believers.  Let me repeat that… Prayer CAN do amazing things for BELIEVERS.

Prayer can calm people down and give people a sense of “control” in an uncontrollable situation.

Prayer can heal (as a placebo effect, of course, but placebos are often excellent ‘medicine’).

Prayer, like meditation, can help people determine what they really need and want.

Prayer, especially group prayers, can bring people closer to together.

Prayer, and knowing people are praying for you, can bring comfort and peace.

Here is what prayer CANNOT do: 

Allow you to address, petition or communicate with a deity.


Pray all you want on your own.  Offer prayers to other believers.  Talk about your prayers if you must.  But when you say only “I’ll pray for you” to a non-believer, you not only offer none of the “benefits” believers receive from prayer, you literally offer nothing.  Nothing.

So… what DO non-believers want/need?  Here are some options for you:

1)  Offer to be there - provide an ear to listen or a hand to hold or arms for a hug.

2)  Basic needs - food, clothing, shelter, a care basket, donations.

3)  Ask -  what do you need?  What can I do?

Simple as that.  ~JJ

Reblogging myself as this is extremely relevant again.  DEAR THEISTS: PLACEBOS DON’T WORK IF YOU KNOW THEY ARE PLACEBOS.  Grr.  ~JJ

What prayer can do

Oh Boy.  So this little image got picked up by some theist blogs and they are PISSED.  The stuff I post usually has a fairly limited audience of mostly non-believers so clarification isn’t usually necessary, but this time I feel the need to make an additional comment.

Prayer can do amazing things for believers.  Let me repeat that… Prayer CAN do amazing things for BELIEVERS.

Prayer can calm people down and give people a sense of “control” in an uncontrollable situation.

Prayer can heal (as a placebo effect, of course, but placebos are often excellent ‘medicine’).

Prayer, like meditation, can help people determine what they really need and want.

Prayer, especially group prayers, can bring people closer to together.

Prayer, and knowing people are praying for you, can bring comfort and peace.

Here is what prayer CANNOT do: 

Allow you to address, petition or communicate with a deity.


Pray all you want on your own.  Offer prayers to other believers.  Talk about your prayers if you must.  But when you say only “I’ll pray for you” to a non-believer, you not only offer none of the “benefits” believers receive from prayer, you literally offer nothing.  Nothing.

So… what DO non-believers want/need?  Here are some options for you:

1)  Offer to be there - provide an ear to listen or a hand to hold or arms for a hug.

2)  Basic needs - food, clothing, shelter, a care basket, donations.

3)  Ask -  what do you need?  What can I do?

Simple as that.  ~JJ

And that’s it right there, isn’t it?  The thought is nice… they do want the best for you… but there is zero effort.  Atheists know you have to DO something.  And for that, I am so very grateful for my atheist friends.  ~JJ Edited to add:  I’m grateful for ALL my friends, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, etc., but I have found that the atheists I have come into contact with via tumblr and facebook, people I have never met in real life and technically would be considered just acquaintances, they DO something.  They ask how you are, they follow up with you, they make an effort to find out what you need…  these (essentially) strangers DO something.  So… thank you.  :-)
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And that’s it right there, isn’t it?  The thought is nice… they do want the best for you… but there is zero effort.  Atheists know you have to DO something.  And for that, I am so very grateful for my atheist friends.  ~JJ

Edited to add:  I’m grateful for ALL my friends, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, etc., but I have found that the atheists I have come into contact with via tumblr and facebook, people I have never met in real life and technically would be considered just acquaintances, they DO something.  They ask how you are, they follow up with you, they make an effort to find out what you need…  these (essentially) strangers DO something.  So… thank you.  :-)

Source: facebook.com

Peace Without Prayer

When I first stopped believing in a deity, I remember feeling very lost when something bad happened.  In the past, I had prayed… Tornado warning?  Pray.  Drive by a car accident?  Pray.  Friend in the hospital?  Pray.  Prayer had centered me and given me a focus.  Plus, of course, the belief that I was actually helping or accomplishing something was nice, too.

Atheists have to DO something.  Something REAL.  We don’t get to say “I’ll pray for you” and then feel good about ourselves.  We have to bring over food to a neighbor, make phone calls, babysit children, volunteer for hospice, donate blood, money, blankets, etc.

And when there is literally nothing we can do, we have to trust other humans to do what they have been trained to do.  My grandpa is in the hospital right now with an extremely rare disease.  My ex is in the hospital with a heart condition.  A family friend is in the hospital with an aggressive cancer.  They all live very far away from me, so besides phone calls and flowers, I can do nothing to help them.

But you know what?  Trusting in humans to do what they can is ten thousand times better than hoping an invisible deity can be swayed to allow someone to live.  

Believers think that even if doctors do absolutely everything they can for a person, it’s still a god that decides whether or not to flip the switch.  Where is the peace in that?  Basically, everything you do is pointless… it makes no difference whether you “fight” the cancer, because god is deciding whether you live or die.

So now?  I do not feel lost without prayer.  I do not feel lost without a deity.  Life has so much more meaning, more purpose, without a belief in a god.  I am at peace trusting in the kindness of other humans, the wisdom of the doctors, nurses and scientists that will treat my family members and friends.  And I will do everything I can to support these individuals in their efforts.  Without prayer.  ~JJ

If you truly wanted something; you really, REALLY wanted it… would you consider writing a letter to Santa? You know, to ask him to bring it to you as a gift for Christmas? Can you imagine yourself, writing the words and folding the paper and putting it into an envelope and writing the delivery address as Santa Claus, North Pole and then mailing it? Would you EVER do something like this? You know… in a “moment of weakness.” Just in case. This is exactly how I personally feel about prayer.
Cristina Rad

Source: youtube.com

All over Facebook, people beg for prayers for their loved ones, often describing horrific and near unthinkable accidents and illnesses with life-and-death outcomes…Ask yourself what all of the “prayer” posts really imply. If God truly wanted a child cancer-free, he would simply prevent the cancer, no? If he waits for the baby to be ravaged by chemo before being “healed” (aka: remission), he would be guilty of ambivalence (and sadism?)…

All we human beings have is each other, and for every plea to the sky, we should offer 1000 gestures of thanks and support to our doctors, scientists, rescue workers, medical staff, volunteers and the very human hands which provide the true solutions.

Seth (The Thinking Atheist).  Read the entire essay HERE.

Source: thethinkingatheist.com