Thread: Why do religious people have to pray?

No really, why is prayer necessary, especially for Christians who worship their "all knowing" god? Doesn't their god know what's going on in this world? Does he/she/it need to be reminded? Does their god react and help those that are prayed for but ignores those that aren't? Does the number of prayers have to be over some arbitrary limit before god will answer and react? Does the poor person in the hospital with no relatives and no church and therefore no one to pray for him, is he on his own? Does a prayer come into god's office and he jumps up and says something like "Oh yeah, almost forgot about that. I'll do something now." And why do people pray for total strangers? They don't know who they are praying for -- could be a murderer or a bomber for all they know.

Seems to me that an "all knowing" god would, well, know about everything that is going on in the world. Of course, if that's true then why does he allow atrocities to occur in the first place?

(Note to mods/admins: If questioning religious beliefs is off-limits on this forum, please feel free to delete this thread. Won't bother me in the slightest.)

Power of the concious thought can't count?

Most religious practices don't make sense, asides from drinking wine at communion, lots and lots of wine.

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

Power of the concious thought can't count?

You must think it does. Please elaborate. Especially, please explain the need for an intermediary god.

I don't know if it does or it doesn't. Doesn't necessarily mean 'God' will get the message but does the thought, being thought of and stored somewhere in the brain now hold a physical presence in the brain somewhere to make a difference..

Well, Tony Farms had to pray so the aliens would grant him the powers of the Puma Man. To fly, like a puma. Move through walls, like a puma. And fake his own death, like a puma.

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

I don't know if it does or it doesn't. Doesn't necessarily mean 'God' will get the message but does the thought, being thought of and stored somewhere in the brain now hold a physical presence in the brain somewhere to make a difference..

I honestly don't understand what you mean. Sorry.

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

Well, Tony Farms had to pray so the aliens would grant him the powers of the Puma Man. To fly, like a puma. Move through walls, like a puma. And fake his own death, like a puma.

I am more liable to believe in the existence of a (really goofy) PumaMan than an "all knowing" god.

Originally Posted by PumaMan

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

I don't know if it does or it doesn't. Doesn't necessarily mean 'God' will get the message but does the thought, being thought of and stored somewhere in the brain now hold a physical presence in the brain somewhere to make a difference..

I honestly don't understand what you mean. Sorry.

Don't worry about it, it was something I thought of so it existed.

A lot of the prayer stuff is about reinforcing the notion of a "personal relationship" with whatever-god-you-want-to-talk-to.

Some of it is actually good - in the sense that any period of quiet reflection and meditation is good for most people, regardless of whether you're humming a mantra or reciting the rosary. A lot of it is simply hoping for something for yourself or others. The problem only arises when people think that their prayers have been "answered". Telling the world that you've been 'blessed' by god getting you a bargain price on the house you wanted to buy is downright skeevy in my view. What you're really claiming is that your god was willing to harm other people by denying them the money they were expecting for the house they'd built properly, or been carefully maintaining, well enough that you wanted it for yourself.

I need to throw this out there. It's goofy but here it is: I'm an atheist but I love St. Francis and Buddha. I have a soft spot for Buddhism, studied it for a time years ago.

If you knew about Buddhism then surely you would know alternative meanings of the word prayer/meditate...?

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

If you knew about Buddhism then surely you would know alternative meanings of the word prayer/meditate...?

I don't know all there is to know about Buddhism. Didn't say that. I said I "studied" it. To be honest, religious ritual bothers me. It seems like a waste of time and energy. In my view, it is better to go out in the world and help someone, something, someplace. To spend an hour doing prostrations, except for the exercise value, seems to me like a waste of time -- and almost verging on selfish. I never could see the value of the ritual stuff. Needless to say, it hampered my study. But we're drifting off subject here . . .

Two kinds of prayer. In one you tell Him what you want and in the other you thank Him for what you've got.

Always good to thank God at any time, even if He's given you absolutely nothing but shit. You're letting Him know you aren't pissed off at Him because, well, it's not His fault you're such a freakin' loser. Humbling yourself before God is nothing more than strategy. Seems as if people think God favors a poor schmuck over a rich one. So by praying you're just dropping a hint, you know, like "Hey God, give me a fucking break" . Done without really coming out and showing your displeasure for the hand you've been dealt. The praying public tries to fool God into cutting them some slack, as if the Almighty can't figure they're just out for themselves.

i'd rather pray than be prey

prayer need not be silent with furrowed brow as though in intense concentration
you can shout it you can sing it you can learn to relax and let it happen
or
just sit quietly for awhile

In one you tell Him what you want and in the other you thank Him for what you've got.

Prayer or not. God/s or not. The habit of gratitude or grateful-ness is healthy anyway.

Originally Posted by shlunka

Most religious practices don't make sense, asides from drinking wine at communion, lots and lots of wine.

I've never been part of a religion that practiced drinking wine but it does seem like a most worthwhile ritual.

Originally Posted by adelady

In one you tell Him what you want and in the other you thank Him for what you've got.

Prayer or not. God/s or not. The habit of gratitude or grateful-ness is healthy anyway.

Mentally maybe, especially if your looking for that certain something missing from your personal repertoire, like courage for example. But physically speaking, you can trust in prayer so much that someone could get killed, this includes the praying. Thinking that you will be favored or have been given some special gift by a deity through prayer has caused many a bozo to take unnecessarily bold chances resulting in fatalities. Prayer is a weapon in the minds of nutjobs. It's dangerous as hell.

Originally Posted by PumaMan

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

Well, Tony Farms had to pray so the aliens would grant him the powers of the Puma Man. To fly, like a puma. Move through walls, like a puma. And fake his own death, like a puma.

I am more liable to believe in the existence of a (really goofy) PumaMan than an "all knowing" god.

Anyone who has actually seen that movie (one of my favorite bad movies) can't possibly be wrong.

I can't answer why people pray, though. Outside of the need to feel purpose and company, I am completely baffled by religion. I go on a yearly camping trip with a group of very religious folks where we carve pumpkins for kids to take home for Halloween (weird combination, if you ask me) and I get really uncomfortable when we circle up and pray. It's just so odd to me.

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

Originally Posted by PumaMan

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

Well, Tony Farms had to pray so the aliens would grant him the powers of the Puma Man. To fly, like a puma. Move through walls, like a puma. And fake his own death, like a puma.

I am more liable to believe in the existence of a (really goofy) PumaMan than an "all knowing" god.

Anyone who has actually seen that movie (one of my favorite bad movies) can't possibly be wrong.

I can't answer why people pray, though. Outside of the need to feel purpose and company, I am completely baffled by religion. I go on a yearly camping trip with a group of very religious folks where we carve pumpkins for kids to take home for Halloween (weird combination, if you ask me) and I get really uncomfortable when we circle up and pray. It's just so odd to me.

I'm a big MST3K fan. So is my wife. Some of the best laughs of my life have been watching episodes with her.

Now my general views on religion . . . I despise it mostly because of its historical division of people into "us" versus "them" and the resulting horror and bloodshed. But I really don't care about what people believe in -- they are free to do as they please. I just don't want them to try to convert me or get in my face with it. My attitude can be best summed up in my best Will Smith voice from the movie I, Robot "keep that kinda shit to yourself".

Originally Posted by PumaMan

I'm a big MST3K fan. So is my wife. Some of the best laughs of my life have been watching episodes with her.

At least someone can appreciate my avatar, then.

My feelings toward religion used to be apathy. Even after the 9-11 attacks, I blamed it more on brainwashing and insanity than religion (if Jihad weren't driven by faith, it would be driven by something else). Marrying into a religious family has made it weird though. Asking someone to explain their faith has, at least to me, almost been like asking a fat woman how much she weighs or asking a guy in a Ferrari what he makes. People might answer, but they don't seem to appreciate the question...

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

At least someone can appreciate my avatar, then.

I saw TV's Frank just the other day on some show but I can't remember what it was. He was a guest on some panel.

How many of the tough to answer prayers are synchronized to human development and discovery? Right now an amputee can pray as much as they want for a new appendage and God can't deliver. However I just read where a young lady born without a windpipe actually was fitted with one grown from her own stem cells. So medical science is closing in on limb regeneration and you can bet that the first successful growth of a new arm or leg will be credited to the Almighty and a prayer answered. Forget about those who prayed previously and weren't successful. That's how it goes..

A planet without religion. That's my dream. Should I pray for that?

"Why do religious people have to pray?"

Because other people do.

I was at a Science museum, where theres a tornado/vortex simulator with ventilation and vapor, and it should have been a secret psychological exhibition.
Because some people (wrongly) thought that for the mini tornado to form you had to monkey-around with the vent columns,
and it was awe inspiring, everyone was doing it and eventually DESPITE the monkeying around a tornado would form and so people thought their monkey dance succeeded and they move along, (while I stayed in amazement to see this social phenomenon in all of its glory) and others came in seeing from the corner of their eyes the monkey around and continued along other exhibitions until they reached that one, I was looking when no one was there monkeying around, and the tornado formed without a monkey dance, and
it actually took less time to form, but when people came, having seen the monkey dance they said ~I know how this works~ proceeded to do the monkey-around
and interfered with the formation of the tornado but thinking they werent doing the monkey-around the "right way" until it eventually formed despite there interference.
Ive seldom see such fascinating examples of behavior. Incredible.

Is anyone put off by athletes that have to pray to their god before every sporting event? What's up with that? The only way I could "go along" with it is if the prayer is something like this: "Dear God, please ensure that no one is injured today, that each participant respects all the others, that no one leaves the event angry, that whoever wins will have the grace to complement their opponent(s), etc.." Do you think that's the kind of prayer they are making?

Originally Posted by PumaMan

Is anyone put off by athletes that have to pray to their god before every sporting event? What's up with that? The only way I could "go along" with it is if the prayer is something like this: "Dear God, please ensure that no one is injured today, that each participant respects all the others, that no one leaves the event angry, that whoever wins will have the grace to complement their opponent(s), etc.." Do you think that's the kind of prayer they are making?

"Dear God, please allow the man I am racing against today... to suddenly suffer catastrophic heart failure, spontaneous combustion... and then explode. In your name I pray..."

Originally Posted by Neverfly

"Dear God, please allow the man I am racing against today... to suddenly suffer catastrophic heart failure, spontaneous combustion... and then explode. In your name I pray..."

That's probably not far from the truth. Same sort of folks that pray to god that they win the lottery. Selfish pigs.

Circa 1945.....Dear God, thank you for answering my prayer. I so much did not want our troops to invade the Japanese mainland. Thank you for giving us the bomb.

Long ago and far away, during my studies into religion and mythology, i came upon a poem which i only partially remember about the demise of the greek gods

"Then feasted they all day
till the setting of the sun
when along came a ragged jew
dragging a huge wooden cross
as he approached the table of the gods,
the gods grew silent
he then threw down the cross
on their feast table
and the Gods
just faded away"
(not an exact rendition of the original)(if anyone remembers the original...)

By the above, it seems that GODS feed on the belief of their followers
remove the feast
and gods tend to fade away
....
perhaps
GODS do indeed need the defense as well as the belief offered by their followers.
perhaps
belief is the only food and feast of the gods

and stopping the prayers is equal to starving your god to death?

Originally Posted by zinjanthropos

Circa 1945.....Dear God, thank you for answering my prayer. I so much did not want our troops to invade the Japanese mainland. Thank you for giving us the bomb.

I pray to God that I will win the lottery.


And if I thought he was really listening... I'd pray even harder.

Originally Posted by sculptor

Long ago and far away, during my studies into religion and mythology, i came upon a poem which i only partially remember about the demise of the greek gods

"Then feasted they all day
till the setting of the sun
when along came a ragged jew
dragging a huge wooden cross
as he approached the table of the gods,
the gods grew silent
he then threw down the cross
on their feast table
and the Gods
just faded away"
(not an exact rendition of the original)(if anyone remembers the original...)

By the above, it seems that GODS feed on the belief of their followers
remove the feast
and gods tend to fade away
....
perhaps
GODS do indeed need the defense as well as the belief offered by their followers.
perhaps
belief is the only food and feast of the gods

and stopping the prayers is equal to starving your god to death?

That reminds me of a scene from the movie "Merlin". Merlin found out that the evil witch only had power so long as people believed in her and that to strip her of her power she needed to be forgotten. Actually I think the lady of the lake told him, but knowing that to forget the witch would also require the to forget her also causing her existence to cease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPal...F790E64FCBC02C skip to 4:09 ... Maab is the evil witch who is sister to the lady of the lake.

I guess I should concentrate on the OP's question. Religious people pray because they're under the impression that God is listening, is mandated by their religion or ordered to do so by a church authority (i.e. priest). It reinforces their belief when by chance or coincidence something good happens to someone who prayed. Take the billions of prayers uttered every day and you are bound to have some answered. Make sure everyone knows of this miracle....more reinforcing. So human nature being the beast it is will compel people to keep praying and hope that it's their turn next.

sometimes it makes you feel like you are doing SOMETHING when you can't figure out what else to do. I am atheist and I still pray from time to time. When I can't find something I say something under my breath like, "please god tell me where it is." it never works but it does vent some frustration. And when I get angry, I ask god to damn things all the time. still it does little other than vent frustration. I have yet to see anyone I have asked to be damned actually get damned.

Originally Posted by seagypsy

I have yet to see anyone I have asked to be damned actually get damned.

Nonsense.
As an expert damner, I can speak from experience. I damn things all the time.
"Damn this computer!"
"Damned transmission!"
"Damn this stupid bolt!" (While struggling with wrench.)

None of them work right.

Sometimes, I think because God knows I'm going to damn something before I do it, anyway... He damns it in a pre-emptive strike. Kind of a self fulfilling prophecy. But then, he's good at that sort of thing.

Originally Posted by seagypsy

sometimes it makes you feel like you are doing SOMETHING when you can't figure out what else to do. I am atheist and I still pray from time to time. When I can't find something I say something under my breath like, "please god tell me where it is." it never works but it does vent some frustration. And when I get angry, I ask god to damn things all the time. still it does little other than vent frustration. I have yet to see anyone I have asked to be damned actually get damned.

But does God listen, you might find it in the end or that person you have dammed may get his/her damnation eventually. What is a thousand years to the lord.

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

Originally Posted by seagypsy

sometimes it makes you feel like you are doing SOMETHING when you can't figure out what else to do. I am atheist and I still pray from time to time. When I can't find something I say something under my breath like, "please god tell me where it is." it never works but it does vent some frustration. And when I get angry, I ask god to damn things all the time. still it does little other than vent frustration. I have yet to see anyone I have asked to be damned actually get damned.

But does God listen, you might find it in the end or that person you have dammed may get his/her damnation eventually. What is a thousand years to the lord.

Well I do pray to the goddess of pickles and cheese so you may have a point. But so far not a single prayer of mine has ever been answered. So any god is batting zero right now.

I would also think that a creator would know that I don't live 1000 years and would try to be more efficient in answering my prayers during my own lifetime. Especially when I am looking for something important, like medication or something like that.

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

But does God listen

Any evidence for that?
Or are you just making empty claims?

gee duck

what'sa matter?
bored?

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

Originally Posted by seagypsy

sometimes it makes you feel like you are doing SOMETHING when you can't figure out what else to do. I am atheist and I still pray from time to time. When I can't find something I say something under my breath like, "please god tell me where it is." it never works but it does vent some frustration. And when I get angry, I ask god to damn things all the time. still it does little other than vent frustration. I have yet to see anyone I have asked to be damned actually get damned.

But does God listen, you might find it in the end or that person you have dammed may get his/her damnation eventually. What is a thousand years to the lord.

So what you're saying is that if I pray for bad things to happen to someone and, a thousand years later, something bad happens to them it was clearly the work of the lord.

Just one question; Huh?!

Originally Posted by Dywyddyr

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

But does God listen

Any evidence for that?
Or are you just making empty claims?

Don't be simple, U know I was asking. I will re-phase for the binary minded.

But does God listen​? you might find it in the end or that person you have dammed may get his/her damnation eventually. What is a thousand years to the lord

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

Originally Posted by seagypsy

sometimes it makes you feel like you are doing SOMETHING when you can't figure out what else to do. I am atheist and I still pray from time to time. When I can't find something I say something under my breath like, "please god tell me where it is." it never works but it does vent some frustration. And when I get angry, I ask god to damn things all the time. still it does little other than vent frustration. I have yet to see anyone I have asked to be damned actually get damned.

But does God listen, you might find it in the end or that person you have dammed may get his/her damnation eventually. What is a thousand years to the lord.

So what you're saying is that if I pray for bad things to happen to someone and, a thousand years later, something bad happens to them it was clearly the work of the lord.

Just one question; Huh?!

If you can live for that long go for it, chances are you wont believe in God given your living 10 times longer than everyone else.

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

Originally Posted by seagypsy

sometimes it makes you feel like you are doing SOMETHING when you can't figure out what else to do. I am atheist and I still pray from time to time. When I can't find something I say something under my breath like, "please god tell me where it is." it never works but it does vent some frustration. And when I get angry, I ask god to damn things all the time. still it does little other than vent frustration. I have yet to see anyone I have asked to be damned actually get damned.

But does God listen, you might find it in the end or that person you have dammed may get his/her damnation eventually. What is a thousand years to the lord.

So what you're saying is that if I pray for bad things to happen to someone and, a thousand years later, something bad happens to them it was clearly the work of the lord.

Just one question; Huh?!

If you can live for that long go for it, chances are you wont believe in God given your living 10 times longer than everyone else.

Well, unless I prayed to live for a thousand years.

Never say never! Why does God have to be the creator anyway?

Don't ask me. The concept of God confuses and confounds me.

Why would anyone have to live a 1000 years to not believe in god? I've already shown you don't have to believe in god to gain something from praying. in my case, i vent frustration. Others may draw some other emotional benefits from it, but that's what I get. No god necessary.

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

Originally Posted by Dywyddyr

Originally Posted by andythomasthekey

But does God listen

Any evidence for that?
Or are you just making empty claims?

Don't be simple, U know I was asking. I will re-phase for the binary minded.

Aaargh!.
Sorry, I read it as "But god does listen".

So did I.

talking to GOD is a lot like talking to yourself
so
SAY SOMETHING PLEASANT
and
much like talking to yourself
if GOD answers you back
yes
you are truely insane

Praying is kind of a selfish passion. Basically you do it for yourself. Even if you pray for little Johnny to get better, it's still your wish. When God sits down after a hard day and tunes in to the prayer network, what does he do when one monotheistic religion is praying for him to do harm to another monotheistic religion? Obviously if they're monotheists praying then they are all praying to the same God. All the more reason for God to say the hell with it and go hit some balls, I heard He shoots an 18 every time He plays golf.

Originally Posted by Flick Montana

Well, Tony Farms had to pray so the aliens would grant him the powers of the Puma Man. To fly, like a puma. Move through walls, like a puma. And fake his own death, like a puma.

I actually really enjoyed that episode of MST3K.

Muslims pray every day, what is it, 5 times? What do they pray for or are they just giving thanks? At a few billion prayers a day you might think Allah has answered a few, what is the most popular request? Would it be something like 'please provide us with some hard line extremists murdering scum so we can promote Islam'? I think that one has been answered.

Aaargh!.
Sorry, I read it as "But god does listen".

So did I.

No worries, my punctuation, grammar and thinking are not the best, as we already know

Originally Posted by zinjanthropos

Muslims pray every day, what is it, 5 times? What do they pray for or are they just giving thanks? At a few billion prayers a day you might think Allah has answered a few, what is the most popular request? Would it be something like 'please provide us with some hard line extremists murdering scum so we can promote Islam'? I think that one has been answered.

I'd guess a majority of them don't pray that much. Mostly hte very old and the very young pray. The old pray because they are about to die. and the young pray because they are left with their grandparents who beat them if they don't. So grandpa is praying for long life, grandson is praying for grandpa to have a quick death.

Mom and dad are on the internet trying to find a date...... you know because no one prints calendars anymore.

Originally Posted by seagypsy

Originally Posted by zinjanthropos

Muslims pray every day, what is it, 5 times? What do they pray for or are they just giving thanks? At a few billion prayers a day you might think Allah has answered a few, what is the most popular request? Would it be something like 'please provide us with some hard line extremists murdering scum so we can promote Islam'? I think that one has been answered.

I'd guess a majority of them don't pray that much. Mostly hte very old and the very young pray. The old pray because they are about to die. and the young pray because they are left with their grandparents who beat them if they don't. So grandpa is praying for long life, grandson is praying for grandpa to have a quick death.

Mom and dad are on the internet trying to find a date...... you know because no one prints calendars anymore.

Wouldn't mom pray because she doesn't want to be beaten or raped by dad. Wouldn't dad pray that mom can take a punch or learn to like consensual sex?

Originally Posted by zinjanthropos

Originally Posted by seagypsy

Originally Posted by zinjanthropos

Muslims pray every day, what is it, 5 times? What do they pray for or are they just giving thanks? At a few billion prayers a day you might think Allah has answered a few, what is the most popular request? Would it be something like 'please provide us with some hard line extremists murdering scum so we can promote Islam'? I think that one has been answered.

I'd guess a majority of them don't pray that much. Mostly hte very old and the very young pray. The old pray because they are about to die. and the young pray because they are left with their grandparents who beat them if they don't. So grandpa is praying for long life, grandson is praying for grandpa to have a quick death.

Mom and dad are on the internet trying to find a date...... you know because no one prints calendars anymore.

Wouldn't mom pray because she doesn't want to be beaten or raped by dad. Wouldn't dad pray that mom can take a punch or learn to like consensual sex?

maybe but i never had any muslims actually confess this to me so I don't want to speculate that far lol. But I have heard confessions to what I suggested before.

Boring Prophet: There shall in that time be rumors of things going astray, erm, and there shall be a great confusion as to where things really are, and nobody will really know where lieth those little things with the sort of raffia-work base, that has an attachment. At that time, a friend shall lose his friend's hammer, and the young shall not know where lieth the things possessed by their fathers that their fathers put there only just the night before, about eight o'clock.

Originally Posted by PumaMan

Why do religious people have to pray?

I'm not sure I would categorize it as "have to" as opposed to "want to", but my culture (specifically those who partake in Chinese Folk Religions) do so for a variety of reasons. In most cases, it is a taught practice that is said to achieve a communion or to commune with the deceased (Ancestral Worship) or the deities that they worship. In retrospect from my own personal experience with the practice when I was a child, we (or I) go through what I consider to be a conversation with a simulated personality concocted from our memories of the deceased, or a simulated personality whose attributes and character traits embody the deities that is being worship.

The act of prayer(ing) of this variety is usually practiced when seeking spiritual guidiance/forgiveness or physical boons/favors from the simulated personality that is said to be contacted. The former typifies a fantasy narrative of working through moral/ethical dilemmas, whereas the latter takes the form of what I personally consider to be "wishful thinking".