• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Do unanswered prayers cause atheism?

Cainkane1

Philosopher
Cainkane1
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
9,011
Location
The great American southeast
I'm 63 and I've been plagued with asthma all of my life. Ok when I was five during my asthma spells while being comforted by my sweet old Grandmother she told me how wonderful jesus was and how I should pray to him for my sins and to be healed from the stinking disease that was plagueing me.

Ok the prayers didn't do their magic. I had a childs faith in the supernatural so lack of faith wasn't why I was still sick and as I grew older and developed other problems from time to time I'd try prayer and it didn't work then either.

Ok my developing self realized that praying in an effort to stop the sicknesses wasn't working. So I quit.

Time passes on and I become an atheist and I never felt more free in my life.

Prayers for peace don't work. If you have a sick friend or relative and you pray for him or her it doesn't work so why waste your time?
 
Well, there was that time when I prayed and prayed to get a kitten for Easter, and I got a little brother instead ;)

More seriously, dunno, I can see how that could disabuse someone of an invisible daddy delusion, but for me it was simply the gradual realization (A) there is no evidence, and (B) which god? Reading about a bunch of other religions drove the point home quite nicely.

I mean, essentially A does include unanswered prayers, but it's more general than a personal disappointment. It was more like the realization that he wasn't answering anyone's prayers either.
 
HansMustermann said:
Well, there was that time when I prayed and prayed to get a kitten for Easter, and I got a little brother instead ;)
Click to expand...

One of my sisters prayed for a horse, the other for a little brother. I sometimes say they both got what they want (I'm a lot bigger tham both of them) :D
 
The problem for me wasn't really about god not answering my prayers, but what started to disturb me was the idea that praying would lead god to help you out. I mean what sort of god sees someone in need or pain and ignores them until they, or other people ask him to help out and that changes his mind. A pretty warped one IMO.
 
ISTR a quote from Mark Twain that points out that praying is asking God to change the Laws of the Universe just for you. :(
 
Well alls I know is that little Ricky Cox used to beat me up at the bus stop every day. I prayed to God to make Ricky a crippled little retard so me and the other kids could point and laugh at him.
But Ricky never got crippled or retarded. Now he is Dick Cox porn star multi millionaire.
Yeah! Yeah! There is no God!
 
All prayers ARE answered!
.
.
.
.
.
The answer is NO!
.
Just pray harder, but do meet god halfway, and buy the lottery ticket!
 
I Ratant said:
All prayers ARE answered!
.
.
.
.
.
The answer is NO!
.
Just pray harder, but do meet god halfway, and buy the lottery ticket!
Click to expand...

A lady is sitting on her roof, flood waters all around the house. A boat comes by and offers to take her to drier land.

"No thanks, I've been praying, and Jesus will provide."

Second boat, second offer, same response.

Helicopter comes by, same deal.

Then the water rises enough to submerge her house and she drowns. She meets up with Jesus in Heaven.

"I prayed! Why didn't you answer?"

"Hey, lady, I sent two boats and a helicopter!"
 
If unanswered prayers led to atheism, there'd be a whole lot more atheists.
 
Brattus said:
Well alls I know is that little Ricky Cox used to beat me up at the bus stop every day. I prayed to God to make Ricky a crippled little retard so me and the other kids could point and laugh at him.
But Ricky never got crippled or retarded. Now he is Dick Cox porn star multi millionaire.
Yeah! Yeah! There is no God!
Click to expand...

Yeah, but deep down inside he's probably not very happy! (at least, that's what my mom would say to me when I pointed out injustices like this...that and "He's going to suffer quite a miserable eternity after he dies and God chains him up in utter darkness and solitude forever". Neither of these scenarios helped).
 
Belief in prayer is one part confirmation bias...

"The Lord helped me find my car keys!"

... and special pleading.

"Well, while we prayed that the Lord would heal my mother's cancer, it wasn't in His divine plan."
 
I'm not sure that unanswered prayers would be enough on its own to cause someone to lose their religion, but I'd bet a lot of people have been set on the path that way.
 
Gawdzilla said:
A lady is sitting on her roof, flood waters all around the house. A boat comes by and offers to take her to drier land.

"No thanks, I've been praying, and Jesus will provide."

Second boat, second offer, same response.

Helicopter comes by, same deal.

Then the water rises enough to submerge her house and she drowns. She meets up with Jesus in Heaven.

"I prayed! Why didn't you answer?"

"Hey, lady, I sent two boats and a helicopter!"
Click to expand...

Off to put this as my facebook status!
 
A woman (in her 80's) offered to pray for a man she knew who had gone in for some routine medical tests. He said, "you can pray if you want to, but why bother?" (I think he felt fine and didn't feel the need for any "outside help") She interpreted it as his disbelief in prayer and said, "I believe prayer works."

So, I'm left wondering:

How many times has this woman, in her 80+ years asked her god for something? How many times were her prayers answered? Did she ever pray for something that could have only been the work of a god rather than sheer chance? For example: praying for a limb to grow back or someone to return to the living once dead and buried? We know these answers and we know that she is experiencing confirmation bias when a prayer is "answered."
This woman is no closer to atheism than she is to bowing to Mecca.
 
rwerdja said:
A woman (in her 80's) offered to pray for a man she knew who had gone in for some routine medical tests. He said, "you can pray if you want to, but why bother?" (I think he felt fine and didn't feel the need for any "outside help") She interpreted it as his disbelief in prayer and said, "I believe prayer works."

So, I'm left wondering:

How many times has this woman, in her 80+ years asked her god for something? How many times were her prayers answered? Did she ever pray for something that could have only been the work of a god rather than sheer chance? For example: praying for a limb to grow back or someone to return to the living once dead and buried? We know these answers and we know that she is experiencing confirmation bias when a prayer is "answered."
This woman is no closer to atheism than she is to bowing to Mecca.
Click to expand...
Some people require proof via results some don't. I did and hence after many years of suffering I came to the realization that if this god did exist he sure as hell didn't heal anybody. People got well on their own or they got worse. If you went to a doctor that didn't count even if you did get better.
 
HansMustermann said:
Well, there was that time when I prayed and prayed to get a kitten for Easter, and I got a little brother instead ;)

More seriously, dunno, I can see how that could disabuse someone of an invisible daddy delusion, but for me it was simply the gradual realization (A) there is no evidence, and (B) which god? Reading about a bunch of other religions drove the point home quite nicely.

I mean, essentially A does include unanswered prayers, but it's more general than a personal disappointment. It was more like the realization that he wasn't answering anyone's prayers either.
Click to expand...
Your last sentence is what caused me to drop the god delusion. People got sick and they died. People prayed for them and it didn't work. Whats the use?

Nobodys listening.
 
ParrotPirate said:
I'm not sure that unanswered prayers would be enough on its own to cause someone to lose their religion, but I'd bet a lot of people have been set on the path that way.
Click to expand...
.
Is that through grief, or selfishness?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom