In-My-Opinion.org

»Does prayer help or harm?«

Does prayer help or harm? If someone prays to god to get something and he gets it, then

    
• It was pure chance
37%
 37%  [ 3 ]
• He got it because god gave it
25%
 25%  [ 2 ]
• I don't know what to click here
12%
 12%  [ 1 ]
• He got it because of other reasons and it's harmful in the wrong run
12%
 12%  [ 1 ]
• He got it because of other reasons
12%
 12%  [ 1 ]
• He got it because the devil gave it
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
• He would have gotten a better thing without prayer
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
Number of users, who voted: 8
Number of counted votes: 8




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posted by knn
  

in-my-opinion.org -> Religion and Mysteries, from worship to werewolves -> Religious & Philosophical Topics -> Does prayer help or harm?

Does the wording matter?


It may depend on the wording of of the prayer:
• "Dear god, I hand over myself into your hands" (bad, because irresponsible)
• "Dear god, heal my cancer" (bad, because irresponsible)
• "Dear god, I am worth nothing, but if you like please help me" (bad, because it invalidates yourself)


I wonder how many people died faster because of praying...


posted by knn
  

Inefficacy of Prayer

The inefficacy of prayer is inversely proportional to the superstitious belief of the one praying.

Emily Dickinson
Atheist Aphorist
Amherst, MA 90210

posted by sleuthslayer
  

prayer


Prayer is useless, if god is omniscient. If god knows everything that's going to happen, then asking him to change what will happen is like asking me to not make this post 10 seconds after I make it. (Of course, the all-powerful knn could grant your request and delete my post. White laugh )

If god simply knows more than anyone else, then prayer is completely useful. God isn't restricted to a particular plan, so asking god to do something for you means that he can actually do so.

Example:
- If god knows you will die of cancer, then praying for god to spare you from cancer is futile. You'll die, otherwise god's knowledge was wrong; god would invalidate his own existence by curing you.
- If you simply have cancer, but the future isn't 100% certain, then praying for god to spare you from cancer is quite useful. Assuming god is omnipotent, god could instantly cure you from cancer, without invalidating his existence.

My apologies for the omniscience vs free will tie in, but prayer is closely related to that subject. It's actually what first got me thinking of that subject.

posted by Tiefling
  





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