# Atheist equivalent to prayer **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024 "2015-10-09T13:31:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024/61 "2015-10-12T13:38:33Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Prayer to me is a heart to heart connection and communication, to any ‘spirit’, if that be to God or Goddess (which I see as all spirit everywhere as one), angels, the universe, other humans, animals (pets), nature, even self (as we are also one with God in ourselves). > So I believe all Atheist pray, they just don’t recognize it as prayer, Them not knowing they pray or not believe in God does not matter at all in this. Their prayers may or may not be as effective, but they still go out through what God has designed and does cause God’s love to reach them. In that their is no ability not to pray, there is always a connection, no matter when we are in our beliefs. thats all well and fine - but has fuck all to do with the OPs question or the topic of this thread - which is about the Atheists view of prayer or equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024/62 "2015-10-12T14:42:15Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > My ex wife is sponsoring a young man in AA, she instructed him to say some prayers. He informed her that he was an atheist and there wouldn’t be any point in praying to something he didn’t believe existed. She instructed him to just go through the motions whether he believed in it or not. I’m sorry, but what? After being assured over and over and over again that AA is not primarily a religious organization, and that atheists would have no problem fitting in, you tell me that a sponsor is instructing a young man who she _knows_ is an atheist to pray? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024/63 "2015-10-12T14:56:27Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m sorry, but what? After being assured over and over and over again that AA is not primarily a religious organization, and that atheists would have no problem fitting in, you tell me that a sponsor is instructing a young man who she _knows_ is an atheist to pray? AA people have no formal organization, rules or leaders. They do what they want. The book they use suggests things but that is about as far as it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024/64 "2015-10-12T14:57:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m sorry, but what? After being assured over and over and over again that AA is not primarily a religious organization, and that atheists would have no problem fitting in, you tell me that a sponsor is instructing a young man who she _knows_ is an atheist to pray? Whoah! I missed that on first reading. That sounds, I don’t know, creepy and cultish I guess. I don’t see that as being helpful or supportive behaviour. “not cool dude” as I believe all the kids say these days. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024/65 "2015-10-12T15:00:54Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > AA people have no formal organization, rules or leaders. They do what they want. The book they use suggests things but that is about as far as it goes. But do you see the problem that I am seeing? ---
**Author:** ![TheSeaOtter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@TheSeaOtter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSeaOtter)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024/66 "2015-10-12T15:02:44Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I don’t consider prayer then reject it. I also don’t consider singing a Backstreet Boys song then reject it. Heh, that’s amazing. You win an Internet. Yeah, depending on the situation, the ‘atheist equivalent of prayer’ is either: 1. Meditation (calmly thinking about nothing) 2. Contemplation (calmly thinking about something) OR 3. _“Oh fuck I’m gonna die.”_ ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024/67 "2015-10-12T15:10:13Z")
> [@TheSeaOtter](#): > > Heh, that’s amazing. You win an Internet. > > Yeah, depending on the situation, the ‘atheist equivalent of prayer’ is either: > > 1. Meditation (calmly thinking about nothing) > 2. Contemplation (calmly thinking about something) OR > 3. _“Oh fuck I’m gonna die.”_ I believe 3 should be - \*\*\*Oh God, oh God, we’re all going to die! \*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024/68 "2015-10-12T15:16:35Z")
If there is a problem in my life, I would rather try to fix it than pray about it. If a friend is ailing, I would rather spend time trying to help them instead of begging something I don’t believe in to intervene in some mysterious manner. If I need help, I have real friends. If I need comfort, I have real friends. When I die, I will live on…through the memories of my real friends. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atheist-equivalent-to-prayer/734024.md?page=3)