# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/61 "2012-08-22T01:31:19Z")
I find the idiot to be the one who _doesn’t_ pray, myself. ---
**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 22, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/62 "2012-08-22T01:42:07Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I find the idiot to be the one who _doesn’t_ pray, myself. Because their outcome is so different… ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/63 "2012-08-22T01:57:18Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I find the idiot to be the one who _doesn’t_ pray, myself. That’s a bit unfair to yourself. I wouldn’t say that you’re an idiot because you don’t _pray_. Though your post does remind me of my favorite scripture from the New Testament: ‘And Jesus called upon his followers, yea, and he sayeth to them, Ye must uphold that which is righteous, and ye must pray, and to your brethren who do not pray, ye must say, ye are idiots.’ ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/64 "2012-08-22T02:00:50Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I’ll bet if you were on the Titanic on that fateful morning, you’d have found a little prayer anything but offensive. I’ll bet that I would have found grabbing a life jacket and getting on a boat a lot more useful than praying. ---
**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 22, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/65 "2012-08-22T02:20:16Z")
Well, at least Skyler is praying for the cancer to come back…_so there’s that_. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/66 "2012-08-22T02:28:55Z")
Let us all observe a moment of hand-shitting for the good Cardinal. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/67 "2012-08-22T14:33:26Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Showing off how virtuous and religious they are. That’s why they make a point of saying that they are praying, instead of just doing it. They want everyone to know that they are properly pious. > > I do wonder sometimes how many of the people who talk about how they’ll “pray for you” actually bother to do so. > [@VinylTurnip](#): > > God hates that shit. The sneaky kneel gets the grace. Have you been taking lessons from **elucidator**? 'Cos that one stunk up the _ROOM_. He’d be proud. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/68 "2012-08-22T14:40:06Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > Movin’ the goalposts much? None of that shit was in the OP. My OP was about a certain version of a larger issue - the ubiquity of prayer in society. Someone said it wasn’t a problem, and I pointed out a place where it does become a problem - to folks like me (and, obviously, many others on the board). You call it moving the goalposts. I call it being willing to expand the topic for the benefit of others. Maybe you should pray that such things don’t happen here. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/69 "2012-08-22T14:56:13Z")
> [@Paranoid\_Randroid](#): > > FWIW, in Roman Catholicism — presumably the religious denomination which applies for this discussion — prayer has multiple ends. One of these is communion, as I think you indicate, but another is admittedly intercession: > > [url=[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/\_\_P98.HTM](http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P98.HTM)] > > But this isn’t so much “God, can you do me a solid and cure Jeff’s lupus?” and more, as I understand it, an attempt somehow to participate in God’s mercy (however it shakes out). It’s never lupus. I for one am happy that CC was hear to set us straight on the usefulness of prayer. Such original ideas. Bravo. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/70 "2012-08-22T15:27:24Z")
> [@Omg a Black Conservative](#): > > I find the idiot to be the one who doesn’t pray, myself. MsWhatsit was paraphrasing this snippet, by the way: > [@Jesus](#): > > And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Via King James. At any rate, a [large majority](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups#Largest_religions_or_belief_systems_by_number_of_adherents) of people praying must be calling for intercession from the completely wrong God. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/71 "2012-08-22T15:33:19Z")
> [@CC](#): > > My OP was about a certain version of a larger issue - the ubiquity of prayer in society. You phrased your OP extremely poorly, then. The way it reads, it isn’t about “the ubiquity of prayer in society”, but about prayer itself, and its lack of efficacy. For example: > [@CC](#): > > Are they going to pray that his cancer disappears? And so on. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/72 "2012-08-22T16:11:27Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Have you been taking lessons from **elucidator**? > > 'Cos that one stunk up the _ROOM_. He’d be proud. I am His humble disciple. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/73 "2012-08-22T16:26:51Z")
Whenever I hear the sirens of ambulances or the medivac helicopter, I say a little prayer I know, over and over, in my head, until I can’t hear it any more. It’s a pretty little Christian prayer, just a sentence long, can’t even remember where I learned it. Why? I guess because when I hear those sounds I fear for them and want to help. But what can I do? So, I say a little prayer. Perhaps it’s just silly superstition. (A really good chance, since I’m not even a Christian.) I still like to do it, for no really good reason. But I’m not certain why you care that I do such a silly superstitious thing? What’s it to you? Why would you be so riled by reading something in the paper about a bunch of believers wanting to pray for a guy who has cancer? Are you this upset if someone throws a pinch of salt over their shoulder? Avoids opening an umbrella indoors? There seems too many really worthy things to get upset about, to be caring about this, to me. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/74 "2012-08-22T16:51:33Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Bullshit. It would have been offensive then too. I don’t know if you’ve heard about Pat Tillman’s last moments before death, as told by his buddy, who was cowering next to him while they were both getting incoming “friendly” fire. The buddy started praying aloud, and Tillman said something like, “Stop your fucking praying. I need you here, now.” In other words, stay focused on dealing with reality. Bullshit? There’s so many things to be offended by, and prayer, honestly, isn’t one of them. If anyone finds it offensive, then I truly feel sorry for them. I’d suggest they learning to turn and walk away. Save the blood pressure for things that might matter. ---
**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 22, 2012, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/75 "2012-08-22T16:53:34Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > God hates that shit. The sneaky kneel gets the grace. Goes on the list for Post Of The Year. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/76 "2012-08-22T18:04:17Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Bullshit? > There’s so many things to be offended by, and prayer, honestly, isn’t one of them. If anyone finds it offensive, then I truly feel sorry for them. I’d suggest they learning to turn and walk away. Save the blood pressure for things that might matter. I get offended when people tell me that they’re gonna pray for me, and then act like they’ve done (or are going to do) something really effective, and expect me to be grateful. I don’t care if someone wants to pray for me, as long as they don’t expect me to be absolutely overwhelmed by their generosity. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/77 "2012-08-22T18:06:58Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Bullshit? > There’s so many things to be offended by, and prayer, honestly, isn’t one of them. If anyone finds it offensive, then I truly feel sorry for them. I’d suggest they learning to turn and walk away. Save the blood pressure for things that might matter. How far away can you walk on a sinking ship? If people are gonna pray, let them do it in silence. Does god give bonus points for volume? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/78 "2012-08-22T18:15:06Z")
So, are you offended by people praying? Or people _mentioning_ praying? One hopes you are aware that the vast majority of people who pray, don’t brag or mention it. Emmy winners and basketball stars notwithstanding. I mean, no one knows I say a prayer during the medivac noise. Is it still offensive? Or is it only offensive when I tell some one, I do so? Which is it? I’m confused now. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/79 "2012-08-22T18:23:09Z")
It’s just a nice thing to say. I doubt it’s even expected that any of those people will actively pray. It just means they give a damn. Are you actually expecting anything to happen when someone sneezes and you say “bless you”? Or do you tell everyone who says that what an idiot they are too? I don’t like religion. I think it’s bad for the world. But this is a pointless rant about something certainly harmless and possibly helpful to some. Calling people idiots for praying for someone’s health is not clever. It’s not flying the flag for science, or atheism, or rationality. I’d like to say it won’t earn you points on SDMB either, but apparently I’d be wrong on that. What it certainly does do is make you look like a bit of a dick. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189/80 "2012-08-22T18:34:26Z")
I saw a bumper sticker recently that said “Hands that serve are more holy than lips that pray.” Damn right. On the other hand, prayer/meditation/what-have-you is demonstrably good for the brain. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiots-who-pray/632189.md?page=5)