Don't you find it ironic that in the same breath you admonish me for stating my beliefs and demand that YOUR beliefs be allowed to be stated without challenge. But you surely do shore up your argument by ignoring my arguments in favor of name calling. We're learning from the best; our politicians.
I think I should define what I mean by prayer before elaborating. Prayer is not sitting quietly and meditation on issues, problems, or successes. Prayer is asking an imaginary being to do what you are either unwilling to do for yourself or are incapable of doing; either through your own ineptitude or simply you are unable do it.
For instance "praying" for Baby Jesus (TM) to pay your over due mortgage bill doesn't help; getting off your ass and getting a second job does.
So, praying is NOT good for you. It is self delusion and in fact it kills people every year. Just look at the people that let their own children die because they have some fucked up belief that if they pray hard enough their child will magically be better.
And let me stop you before you argue that SOME prayer can be helpful therefor it can't all be bad. That's like saying, "I've been smacking myself in the forehead for years and it's never hurt me so it must be good for me."
I would argue that the act itself is evil because it robs the individual of the imperative that THEY do something. They have now deluded themselves into inaction. They think if they just pray hard enough Baby Jesus (TM) will come down and make everything better.
I do love Ben Franklin's quote, "God helps those who help themselves." So in other words "God" magically helps people who are already helping themselves and ignores the idiots. Wow, that sounds like EXACTLY what I was saying.
So are you calling Ben Franklin an asshole or something? 'Cause if you are...
