I keep hearing that praying is a wonderful thing. Praying for this or that to happen; praying for this or that to not happen. Etc. But if you think about it, praying -- if it indeed became effective -- is the utmost act of evil: If a god were to grant your prayer, and reset the rough determinism of the universe because of it, then a chain reaction from the onset of the granting of that prayer would be set in place that makes significant changes throughout the universe in the future, causing some people to die who would not have died, some people to experience pain that would not have been endured otherwise, some people to undergo great material loss, etc. Even praying for something "good" (Please Dear God, let my mom live!), or self-sacrificial (Please, God, please take me rather than my child!) will cause death and destruction to many others that will be latter-day innocent victims of the granting of that prayer. And so, praying for a god to do something -- anything -- to alter the prevailing deterministic path of the universe is the most grotesque act of greed at the expense of another human being[s] imaginable. It is thus the most heinous act of hate imaginable.
But wait, you say, "God, in his most infinite wisdom, is wise enough to re-set the workings of the universe to re-maximize happiness and goodness -- the world will be a net better place after my prayer is granted because He will make sure that those other people will be taken care of nicely, too." Really? So what you're saying is that your god wasn't so wise after all -- that It thought It had goodness and happiness all maximized, but your prayer got It to realize Its earlier oversight, and do a more perfect job of maximizing goodness and happiness for all in the future (that coincidentally grants your seemingly selfish (or selfless) prayer?). And if this god does indeed have this power, which must encompass the ability to see every detail of the future, including the free-will decisions of everyone in the future, why did your god not see your prayer in the very beginning of time, consider its consequences in the future unfolding of the universe, and grant it from the very beginning (because the prayer's inclusion in the plan will maximize goodness and happiness)?
So you see, the act of praying is a greedy and evil request, and if the god had any sense of decency, would reject any and all prayers. What's more, a person with the expectation of acquiring the objective of the prayer is asking the god to perform a net act of evil (causing harm to others). The prayer also assumes that the god is a little stupid or neglectful of Its duty to maximize the happiness and goodness of those who It deems is deserving of such, and that the person doing the praying actually thinks he might be a little smarter than the god by the very act of suggesting that there might be a superior model of happiness and goodness than what the god has in store for the future. The person doing the praying is smarter than the god -- wow, you can't get any more arrogant than that!
Stamp out evil: stamp out praying!
PS Dear God, could you please have the 49ers win the Superbowl next year? Lord, hear my prayer.
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11 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Praying is like masturbating--it only benefits the person who's doing it, and it really should not be done in public.
memorylikeasieve
Level 7
Mar 3, 2018
0
And best done while watching porn?
It seems to me that this god is going to do what it has already determined it is going to do. It just wants tiny little beings to praise it and beg it for favors and mercy because it gets some sort of sick thrill out of it.
Joanne
Level 7
Mar 3, 2018
1
God loves brown-nosers. God is the ultimate asshole of a boss. God is the most ethically challenged being in the universe. This is the result of prayer.
I don’t believe that pray can help us. But I certainly believe when we think about something (I.e. by praying), it come closer to us. Actually, this is piece of metaphysics rules!
Hojjat
Level 3
Mar 3, 2018
0
I am going to play the so-called devil's advocate, here. Unfortunately, I grew up in a very Christian family. Fortunately, I grew up in a very Christian family that, for the most part, aren't a bunch of hypocrites, and are actually appreciative of the things they have, and far cry from living like materialistical--umm, I mean evangelical--Christians.
Prayer isn't always "give me, give me, give me." Often it is a time to openly and sincerely express appreciation for what they have and whatever is to come. I liken it to taking a moment to meditate and focus on positive things, and I suspect that if the brainwaves were analyzed, they would be similar to the findings of what happens in the brain when one meditates.
I say, let 'em pray if you can't convince them otherwise. At least it is doing some of them some good, mentally.
Meep70
Level 7
Mar 3, 2018
0
Yes, this opens up the issue of whether it is a good thing to live a lie or a falsehood if it makes you happy. For example, if you are happy because you confidently believe you are going to Paradise for eternity after you die, should I give that person the bad news that it just isn't so? What good does it do to disrupt the believer from being serene to the day that he hits the grave? For this reason, I never pounced on my Catholic ex-wife when she would have her moments of doubt. That's because I loved her, and did the best I could to make her happy. That took priority over getting one more person to believe what I believed.
In the end, she chose fellowship with her god rather than fellowship with me: she divorced me. She now has fellowship with her god and her new Jewish boyfriend, and I have nothing. Who's the winner?
Yes, prayers can be about giving thanks. But, do they stop to consider that they are thanking their god for providing for them (or whatever) while it simultaneously ignores the needs of millions who are praying/begging this god for food, health, safety etc? Why should god see to their needs, but not the needs of all? Is it because they are somehow more special, more worthy?
And how about those sports celebrities who thank god for blessing them? Really? God decides to bless you with fame, fortune, and excitement, and you still get to go to heaven after you die? Why is this? God likes you better? God hates me and all those common people like me?
Please...
GlyndonD
Level 7
Mar 3, 2018
2
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Is there the least evidience that there is a god who is maximising happiness and goodness? For example, god could cause heart attacks in serial killers after their third kill, and then torture them for eternity in hell.
god could not cause cancer in children. Instead, god INVENTED cancer in children.
God seems more like a 12 yr old playing a video game - inflicting pain and suffering at random to make the game interesting to watch. -
When religious people pray for the victims of a natural disaster, is that based on god a)didn't know those people were in trouble or b)didn't know he/she should help them? (It certain ignores that God caused the natural disaster, as part of some plan or other.)
Allan
Level 5
Mar 3, 2018
1
I remember being told that prayer doens't necessarily change things, but that prayer changes you. And I quickly disproved that be praying that god would change my heart and make me content with my now ex husband. Never let it be said I didn't try.
I've also heard that prayer is not unlike mediatation which is very healthy and relaxing. I just skip the prayer part and go directly to meditation.
And I'm pretty sure those blathering about thoughts and prayers are neihter thinking or praying. I'm positive they're not thinking, I don't care if they are praying.
HippieChick58
Level 9
Mar 3, 2018
5
"Thoughts and prayers" is basically a linguistic tic. I've known a few people who say, "I'll pray for you" who actually do pray, but most of the time it's nothing more than a platitude. And I prefer it that way, because it means that most people deep down don't truly believe in the "power of prayer." I think on some level people generally realize that prayer isn't fixing problems, alleviating suffering, etc., at a rate that differs from blind luck, so they say it out of habit but don't mean it literally. I'd prefer they not say it at all, of course, and focus on actively helping in some tangible way, but I can't always get what I want. 
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