Does anyone here seriously believe thoughts and prayers do anything at all for anything?

[stopbush]

Set aside the mass shootings, does anyone believe that offering thoughts and prayers is anything more than mumbling self-aggrandizing, naval gazing thoughts to oneself?

Embarrassing and useless.

[RKP5637]

1. Well said!!! "Embarrassing and useless." n/t

[manor321]

2. Nothing

They do nothing since that is not how the universe works.

One exception is that it might make the person doing the thinking and praying feel better, if they have a personality that responds that way.

[MineralMan]

3. They make the people who offer them

think they have done something, so they don't really have to do anything.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. This says it perfectly. That way, when nothing gets done, they can say "gawd's will".

[TheRealNorth]

23. This

"They make the people who offer them think they have done something, so they don't really have to do anything."

This is what I was about to say.

[Major Nikon]

4. It makes people feel less guilty about doing nothing

So basically it’s worse than doing nothing.

[VOX]

5. At this point, it's like saying "Bless you" after someone sneezes.

ANOTHER CHAPTER WRITTEN WITH BLOOD IN AN UNENDING SAGA OF MASS SHOOTINGS?
“Thoughts and prayers to you.”

[NCTraveler]

6. Yes, I do. Nt

[gratuitous]

22. Me too

I like to think a lot and often pray before making any major life decision, and for many minor ones. I've found thinking to be very useful, and prayer as a way of centering myself on my principles and ideals. I suppose for a non-religious person, the prayers might take another form, but most of the non-religious folks I know have many, many thoughts.

Maybe I don't understand the question.

[Codeine]

7. There are none more ignorant and useless

than they that seek answers on their knees, with their eyes closed.

[mythology]

8. It depends

If those thoughts and prayers lead to action yes they are useful. Whether you call it meditation or introspection or self-reflection, I believe that is how one actually learns to change and why they need to change.

If those thoughts and prayers are an excuse to do nothing, then they are useless.

[raging moderate]

11. Letter from St. James, chapter 2:verses 14-18: Faith without works is dead faith.

Last edited Fri May 18, 2018, 11:03 PM - Edit history (1)

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith and do not have good works? If a brother or sister is naked and without food, and you say to them, "Go in peace, may you keep warm, may you eat your fill," and yet do do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no good works, is dead....Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my good works."

We are not supposed to send only thoughts and prayers. You are right, and the Bible agrees with you: If those thoughts and prayers lead to action, yes, they are useful.

[TheRealNorth]

25. Right-wing Christians...

...would rather condemn them for being poor. They don't have to do anything other than kick someone while they're already down (which they also seem to enjoy)

[SDJay]

10. No. It's a Cop-out.

My parents and siblings are dedicated Catholics. I am not. When my wife and I have encountered some medical challenges in recent years, they've told me they were praying for us. I thanked them and told them that instead, they should send us 100 bucks. When they asked why, I said we'd get more use out of a hundred bucks than silent thoughts from 2,000 miles away. It pissed them off, but that was my way of telling them I didn't want to hear about their 'conversations' with their imaginary Sky Hippie Super Hero anymore.

When I see it in the face of real tragedy like today, I find it insulting.

[gibraltar72]

32. I can't count the times

some relation or other asshole has replied to me after I've called bullshit on racism or dishonesty with the words I'll pray for you. My stock answer has become I'd rather you spit on me.

[True Dough]

12. Back up the truck!

[juxtaposed]

13. To some victims families it may have some comfort. For ppl like myself it does nothing!

[TexasProgresive]

14. Walk the walk, don't just talk the talk.

It is meaningless because there is concrete action they can take but it's not politically correct from their point of view.

[Fresh_Start]

15. Prayers bring comfort to the prayee although they don't do anything else nt

nt

[meadowlander]

16. They enable people who fundamentally don't care to say something when confronted

with the devastating real life consequences of their callousness.

[XRubicon]

17. Indeed.

[msongs]

18. so their god could have prevented killings and chose not to. pray all you want nt

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

19. I saw this a while back and I

tend to post it with each new shooting:

[DFW]

20. They absolutely do!

They give Republican members of Congress time to stall and wait for any uncomfortable issue to fade far enough from the headlines so that they never have to confront it in Congress and actually DO anything about it.

[struggle4progress]

24. +

[cynatnite]

21. It's a hypocritical act of a waste of oxygen. n/t

[aikoaiko]

26. The phrase, at best, is an acknowledgment that someone is suffering.

For some that is a lot.

[slumcamper]

27. FUCK NO--and SO tired of that BULLSHIT. n/t

[Eliot Rosewater]

28. Sincere positive thoughts have been shown to have positive affects on people.

As an atheist I found that hard to believe but science says so, and it isnt about a god of course.

Their thoughts and prayers however are NOT sincere so nothing to figure out here, is there.

[thegoose]

29. Those assholes who offer them

Have absolutely no thoughts or prayers. They're lying hypocritical pieces of shit. Fuck them.

[EarthFirst]

30. There's always the MAGA hat and an American flag...

...when thoughts and prayers run out.

[nancy1942]

31. No.

[kimbutgar]

33. I don't want thoughts and prayers

I want these assault style weapons banned, laws strengthen for background checks and an increase and easy accessibility to mental health care professionals in schools and for those who are having mental problems.

[lame54]

34. The worst part...

I bet MOST of those prayers are actually never prayed

[Tanuki]

35. Dr. King certainly thought so.

http://thekinglegacy.org/books/thou-dear-god


..."“If you want to know the source of his dream and his courage, understand what he lived for and why he was willing to die for it, eavesdrop on King’s conversations with God.” --The Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr. Senior Minister Emeritus of The Riverside Church and President of the Healing of the Nations Foundation

"The prayers of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. carefully compiled in ‘Thou, Dear God’ speak to the journey and challenges of a prophetic spirit in the midst of turbulent circumstances. One of the most catalytic voices in history takes us on a personal tour that through the power of prayer reconciled sanctification with service, covenant with community and righteousness with justice. Martin Luther King Jr. had conversations with God. As a result, the world will never be the same again. " --Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference & Hispanic Evangelical Association"...(more at link)

[Thomas Hurt]

36. to those who believe in prayer, yes, a sense of we are in this together...