# Idiots who pray **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 21, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189 "2012-08-21T18:05:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/21 "2012-08-21T19:02:28Z")
> [@Snite](#): > > What I really hate is all the bullshit prayers/praises over sports. If God isn’t gonna prevent widespread famine in other parts of the world, why the fuck does he care if Tebow throws a touchdown? Either he has a messed up sense of priorities, or Christians need to acknowledge that not every single thing that happens each day is part of God’s plan; otherwise, we have no free will and if we have no free will, then get off my back since it’s not my fault that I don’t believe. Well, in fairness, I think that may be done in order to prevent anyone from getting inujured during the game. It does not actually do anything because people are always getting hurt during the game, but it makes them feel good, I guess. Unless they are praying to win - in which case both teams are appealing to the same God - what does he/she do - flip a coin? Listen to any of the (US) Olympic athletes - esp the track team - they gave thanks to God for helping them win. What about in politics? Whenever something bad happens you always hear the president say somesuch “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families…”. It’s like if a politician or anyone in the public eye cannot ever NOT say something about prayer in those situations. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/22 "2012-08-21T19:03:58Z")
Prayer makes people feel better. It’s the “God’s will” that makes me mad. Someone told me that after my mother died. “God has a plan.” Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/23 "2012-08-21T19:18:16Z")
Thoughts AND/OR prayers. Pick your poison. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/24 "2012-08-21T19:19:46Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/25 "2012-08-21T19:22:58Z")
Praying is just hoping. And when what you hope for comes true, it makes you feel good. Christians refer to this as the “power of prayer.” When what you hope for doesn’t come true, you don’t feel so good. Christians call this, “God works in mysterious ways,” which, for some reason makes Christians feel good too. There’s something in there about the innocence of the self-deluded, but I can’t quite pin it down. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/26 "2012-08-21T19:27:39Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Praying is just hoping. “Pray in one hand, and shit in the other, and see which one fills up first.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/27 "2012-08-21T19:29:54Z")
> [@Snite](#): > > What I really hate is all the bullshit prayers/praises over sports. If God isn’t gonna prevent widespread famine in other parts of the world, why the fuck does he care if Tebow throws a touchdown? Either he has a messed up sense of priorities, or Christians need to acknowledge that not every single thing that happens each day is part of God’s plan; otherwise, we have no free will and if we have no free will, then get off my back since it’s not my fault that I don’t believe. “[God made me fumble.](http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/11/29/buffalo-bills-wide-receiver-blames-dropped-pass-god/?test=faces)” ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/28 "2012-08-21T19:32:14Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I don’t understand it. > > A question I long to have answered: A car plowed into a group of specators at a race. Someone on FB spewed the usual tripe about praying for them. > > My though was that wouldn’t it have been awfully nice of God to keep the car from running them over in the first place. > > The standard answer is that he doesn’t do that, it’s mysterious, etc. Of course he does it. Those God-less heathen athiests really needed a killin’ so God sent his Jesus Mobile to take them out. > [@Chimera](#): > > I haven’t yet. Ergo I am Immortal. Hey, me too! ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/29 "2012-08-21T19:35:48Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Of course he does it. Those God-less heathen athiests really needed a killin’ so God sent his Jesus Mobile to take them out. He did, after all, build my hot rod. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/30 "2012-08-21T19:41:34Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > “Pray in one hand, and shit in the other, and see which one fills up first.” And cheetahs run faster than chocolate chip cookies but are not necessarily spottier. 😕 Seriously, although as noted I’m a non-praying person myself, I have never understood how the quoted remark was supposed to say anything meaningful about prayer. AFAICT, even the most ardent advocates of “the power of prayer” don’t claim that it produces immediate results in the form of a tangible substance, the way that shitting does. So why bother pointing that out? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/31 "2012-08-21T19:44:24Z")
[http://www.theatheistpig.com/2012/08/15/insensitive](http://www.theatheistpig.com/2012/08/15/insensitive) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/32 "2012-08-21T19:46:46Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Seriously, although as noted I’m a non-praying person myself, I have never understood how the quoted remark was supposed to say anything meaningful about prayer. AFAICT, even the most ardent advocates of “the power of prayer” don’t claim that it produces immediate results in the form of a tangible substance, the way that shitting does. So why bother pointing that out? I would like to introduce you to my friend, Metaphor; have you ever met? ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/33 "2012-08-21T19:54:56Z")
Actually, I can fill my prayer hand a lot faster than I can my shit hand. I can pray at any time, as much as I want, but I can’t always shit. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/34 "2012-08-21T19:54:58Z")
You mean I shouldn’t have been shitting in my hand for the last half-hour? Boy, is my face red. And my hand stinky, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/35 "2012-08-21T20:00:27Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think prayer is redundant. If you believe, when you pray, you’re telling God what you want. But if he’s all-knowing, he already knows. So what’s the point of praying? You don’t pray to let God know what you want. You pray to listen for what God wants. It’s not a transmitter, it’s a receiver. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/36 "2012-08-21T20:02:45Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Are they going to pray that his cancer disappears? … Are they going to pray that he goes to heaven when he dies? FWIW, I can think of several other things they might be praying for. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/37 "2012-08-21T20:02:47Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > 😕 What part of **shiftless** ’s statement _“I know it is useless”_ gave you the idea that he thinks hoping/praying/rooting “will actually affect the outcome”? The part where he says, “yet I often try to send some sort of mental help to my favorite sports team or to friends I want to do well.” ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/38 "2012-08-21T20:04:01Z")
Eh. This seems like a rather lame pitting — a religious figure grows ill and religious persons state an intention to pray? They’re not advocating forced prayer; they’re not giving credit to god instead of the doctor for someone who gets better; they’re not even claiming that the prayer is somehow necessary or effective medical treatment. They’re offering good vibes. Wake me when someone does something objectionable. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I would like to introduce you to my friend, Metaphor; have you ever met? The metaphor only has force insofar as the comparison applies. If a religious person _doesn’t_ believe that prayer will have the tangible, real-world result (say) of coercing God to cure someone’s illness, then comparing it to shitting misses the point. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/39 "2012-08-21T20:04:13Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > You don’t pray to let God know what you want. You pray to listen for what God wants. It’s not a transmitter, it’s a receiver. Wait - isn’t God all powerful? Why’s he need us? Or is he just a little bit insecure? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/40 "2012-08-21T20:05:11Z")
> [@Vita\_Beata](#): > > “Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today, will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering, or he will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.” Golly, that’s nice. What religion espouses _that_ sort of thinking? Sounds a bit Buddhist in aim but comes at it from a different direction. No, no smileys. It’s for y’all to work out for yourselves whether & where I’m joking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189.md?page=3)