Atheists: do you "pray"? or continue religious rituals?

[Tanstaafl]

I don't pray, but I will be quiet and behave myself if others are doing so in a formal setting (weddings, etc.). If I am at someone's house or out to a restaurant with someone who says grace, I will quietly wait until they are finished before grabbing food. If I am eating with a group of Japanese people in a semi-formal setting, I will say "Itadakimasu" with them ("Let's eat!").

Okay, I'm going to have to take up praying and invite you over for dinner, just so I can see you be quiet and behave yourself!

 

[Hokulele]

Okay, I'm going to have to take up praying and invite you over for dinner, just so I can see you be quiet and behave yourself!

It would be worth it to watch you praying!

 

[jj]

Everyone has to believe something.

I believe I'll have a pint of Guinness.

 

[Tanstaafl]

It would be worth it to watch you praying!

Plus I make a great shrimp creole.

 

[Starthinker]

I've gone to church to pick up women, does that count?

My sons are both avid church goers and I respect their religion and I'm actually proud of them for standing up to me for what they believe in. We never really breach the subject but when it does come up I just present my point of view and let them make their own choice. I don't mind religion, although it ticks me off at tax time to see what they've officially donated throughout the year. I've explained my point of view on this as well, but they are adults and make their own decisions.

 

[Piscivore]

Sometimes I say to myself things like "please work"...

In that respect I worship my VW on a regular basis, prayers, pleas and negotiations included. Though one of the tenets of that particular faith is "Trust in Bosch, but carry a full toolkit and spares".

Which group of people will point and laugh at you.

 

[ponderingturtle]

I have sort of mixed feelings on this. Sure ritual can be deeply meaningful to people, but I don't understand why an atheist would pray just because of that.

So it seems that the OP goes beyond the rituals that have meaning in themselves enough to justify them, and continues broader rituals either to avoid conflict in his community or some such thing.

 

[Chupacabras]

... (unless you consider Olive Garden ... <snip> to be Holy Places!).

A-HA!

 

[roger]

My answer is just "no". None of the poll options applied to me. I don't particularly understand the OP reasons for participating, but I don't think he is stupid, either, just that we are wired differently. Color me bemused at most.

 

[Wolfman]

Personally, I have no interest or inclination towards praying, or any sort of rituals as associated with my past Christian beliefs. I don't miss them, and see no purpose in them.

That being said, I know of quite a few Humanists who still greatly value the rituals associated with religion, and have Humanist 'services' (as mentioned by SusanB-M1 above). There are detailed instructions written for various ceremonies, and individuals who are 'licensed' to oversee weddings, funerals, etc. as Humanist officiants.

While I personally see no point in it (and in fact felt quite silly the one time I attended such an event), it is very obvious that others find great value and comfort in it. And I don't really have a problem with that.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

In that respect I worship my VW on a regular basis, prayers, pleas and negotiations included. Though one of the tenets of that particular faith is "Trust in Bosch, but carry a full toolkit and spares".

Is that from the Gospel According to Muir?

In high school I was a member of a small sect of this faith we called "The Wolfsburg Pack". I'm an apostate now, alas! I couldn't handle the vow of poverty of heat in the wintertime.

 

[Piscivore]

Is that from the Gospel According to Muir?

In high school I was a member of a small sect of this faith we called "The Wolfsburg Pack". I'm an apostate now, alas! I couldn't handle the vow of poverty of heat in the wintertime.

Heh, it was 80F here today.

 

[Miss_Kitt]

I am also a "recovering Catholic", but after 2 decades I'm all done with guilt, thanks. I do not pray, but I am respectfully quiet when others do; and we do have our own little rituals, they're just not religious in nature. For example, while my daughter does not say her prayers at night, my husband and I together sing a little song to her that we've sung every night since she was about 3 months old...part of me fears that she will soon decide she's outgrown it (she's 9-1/2 now), part of me thinks she never will.

I was surprised to find, at my brother's father-in-law's (and mother-in-law's, they died two days apart) funerarl Mass that I still knew all the responses, and some of them came out automatically. It was an odd experience, watching that familiar and yet long-gone ritual with different eyes.

We also have some fairly fixed ritual behavior having to do with watching baseball games. The Seattle Mariners have a moose for a mascot, and for 14 years I've had a moose puppet in a Mariners shirt that comes to games with me. Mini Moose is on my hand, clapping and cheering (in his own little moosely voice) when the Mariners bat; if the M's score a run, the Moose needs to "high-five" the people around us. The Moose is not on my hand when the opposition bats. While I realize that the puppet has no effect on what happens on the field, those rules are automatized. It adds a note of fun to the game for me, and for the people (especially kids) around us.

It also gives me "puppet immunity": You can say about anything if you A) Have a puppet on your hand, moving; and B) Use a goofy voice. Thus the Moose can say, "Hey, are you texting the game to your friend?" to the teenager with the ubiquitous cellphone, and they will laugh and put the phone away--whereas my suggesting that they're missing a great game will only annoy them. Strange, but true.

Anyway, ritual is an ancient and universal human practice; find what works for you. I personally think that it would be disrespectful for me to mouth prayers I don't believe in.

And, in answer to an earlier post, you bet your arse you can get fired--or not be promoted--if you let the office know you're an atheist. Too many people think that Atheist=No Morality. And, AFAIK, you have no legal grounds, since you're not being discriminated against for your religious beliefs.

My thoughts, as always, Miss Kitt

 

[Piscivore]

We also have some fairly fixed ritual behavior having to do with watching baseball games. The Seattle Mariners have a moose for a mascot, and for 14 years I've had a moose puppet in a Mariners shirt that comes to games with me. Mini Moose is on my hand, clapping and cheering (in his own little moosely voice) when the Mariners bat; if the M's score a run, the Moose needs to "high-five" the people around us. The Moose is not on my hand when the opposition bats. While I realize that the puppet has no effect on what happens on the field, those rules are automatized. It adds a note of fun to the game for me, and for the people (especially kids) around us.

It also gives me "puppet immunity": You can say about anything if you A) Have a puppet on your hand, moving; and B) Use a goofy voice.

I may have just the religion for you. (read the next comic also )

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Yes.

Well, perhaps you define prayer as necessarily being directed to someone or asking for physical help. For me it is a practice of compassion, meditation, intention, and other things.

 

[fromdownunder]

If I visit a friends place, and they rub blue mud on their belly, I will do the same simply out of respect that I am a Stranger ina Strange Land. I will not believe that it helps, but there appears to be no point in being deliberately provocative when I am a guest in another place.

Following somebody elses rituals seems to be a pretty minor thing in most circumstances, and not worth getting worked up over.

Norm

 

[Ladewig]

It also gives me "puppet immunity": You can say about anything if you A) Have a puppet on your hand, moving; and B) Use a goofy voice. Thus the Moose can say, "Hey, are you texting the game to your friend?" to the teenager with the ubiquitous cellphone, and they will laugh and put the phone away--whereas my suggesting that they're missing a great game will only annoy them. Strange, but true.

Wait. Are you saying I can go to church and tell people their prayers are a waste of time if I wear a puppet on my hand? I am so there.

 

[Ladewig]

And for meals, saying grace is like the ritual beginning of the meal, a moment to appreciate the togetherness of the family or friends who are gathered.

Then why not replace saying grace with a comment that you appreciate the togetherness of the people who are gathered? That makes a hell of a lot more sense than thanking God for something He had nothing to do with.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

A lot of our friends will now invite my wife and I over for the post church party for things like baptisms and weddings (unless they're really close family); when unavoidable (funerals etc) I attend but keep quiet. That said, if anyone raises the subject afterwards they're fair game!

 

[Bikewer]

It's been pointed out by neuroscientists that there are structures in the human brain that respond directly to rituals and such. This is readily observable in even secular societies, from "happy birthday" celebrations to sports enthusiasts.
There is speculation that it's disfunctions affecting these centers that are responsible for obsessive/compulsive disorders.