An Atheist’s Open Letter to Those Praying for His Son

[Heddi]

10. Why are you referring to yourself in your last line?

I understand you're going to weasel-out and claim that because you didn't use quotes, you're not actually QUOTING him, but you're attributing comments to him that he never made. He never called prayer worthless, he never used the term "diddly squat" and he didn't call anyone a useless hypocritical POS.


Here are his actual words


"There’s a reason that the sick go to hospitals full of doctors and nurses when they need healing, instead of seeking out faith healers or priests, or staying home to pray as their only means of treatment. It’s because most believers realize that prayer isn’t an effective cure for anything. Even so, the religious are so quick to thank their god when they or loved ones recover from illnesses rather than show their gratitude to the men and women who made it their life’s work to treat the sick. Let’s be honest, if an all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving god wants to heal the sick or let them die, what’s your prayer going to do? Aren’t you just telling him something he already knows? Aren’t you asking him for something he already knows you want? Isn’t your god going to do what he wants despite your pleas? Isn’t that your rationale when your prayers aren’t “answered”… that it was “God’s will”? So really, what’s the point? And that’s IF (a monumental IF) a deity exists and you’re praying to the right one, out of the >2000 that have been worshipped throughout human history."

"So now you’re thinking, “So what? What does it hurt that I want to pray for you?” It’s not that it hurts anything or anyone directly. Your prayers are your prerogative. By telling us you’re praying, you’re saying to us that you want to do something to help, and that’s appreciated. But the avenue of assistance that you’ve chosen is one that we feel is an ineffective one. You’re telling us, “I’m going to do something for you that has no value to you. I’m really doing it to make me feel like I’m helping.”

"So when you tell me you’re praying for Grayson, I’m going to be gracious and say thank you. But know this — your gesture does more to make you feel better than it does to comfort me or help my son fight for his life in his incubator. Everything does not happen for a reason, and my two children are anything but god’s plan. I feel grateful every single day for mankind’s scientific and medical advancements."

No "worthless," no "diddly-squat," no "useless hypocritical POS."

I mean, you can search the whole document. It's not there.

At least you let us know that anyone reading your post might appropriately regard your post as lashing out at any convenient target.