Why do human beings pray?

[JBrentonK]

This is a thread for a question to atheists. That's all. ... I find it astounding that you can possibly be an atheist as a human being, and hopefully I'll be enlightend as to how that is possible in this thread. But it's just a question, it should get pretty interesting.

Why do human beings pray?

I figure that's simple enough.

Good luck.

 

[Dywyddyr]

Asking atheists that question is like asking non-smokers why people smoke.

I find it astounding that you can possibly be an atheist as a human being

That's because you're essentially clueless.

 

[JBrentonK]

Perhaps you can fill us in then Dywyddyr?

 

[Dywyddyr]

Perhaps you can fill us in then Dywyddyr?

On what?
Given that my first reply was "Asking atheists that question is like asking non-smokers why people smoke" why do you think atheists know why people pray?
Atheists belong to that section of the human race that doesn't pray, and don't see any need for it[1]. Why, therefore, do you expect them to know why others do so?

PS: I fail to see what the (badly-spelt) thread title has to do with the OP.

1 Personally I find it not only ridiculous but also somewhat hypocritical - theists often claim that "god" has a plan, but somehow they also seem to think that asking will get that plan changed in their favour.

 

[JBrentonK]

On what?

Well non smokers know the reason why people smoke is from peer pressure, so that is what dywyddyr. You're making an amateurish assessment of that.

Given that my first reply was "Asking atheists that question is like asking non-smokers why people smoke" why do you think atheists know why people pray?

This part of your text is also "atheistic" if you don't mind me saying. Why? Why??? Well, people pray because it is a part of nature imho. But as an imho, it also stands as a fact.

Atheists belong to that section of the human race that doesn't pray, and don't see any need for it

I had no idea that was possible dywyddyr. Afterall, every human being prays, which is why the thread was actually started. It's in our nature, and if you don't see any need for it, you are defying that nature.

[1]. Why, therefore, do you expect them to know why others do so?

This is pretty obvious.

PS: I fail to see what the (badly-spelt) thread title has to do with the OP.

Spidergoat called my other thread a thread from the arguement from authority, so quite naturally again, that is what this thread is called.

1 Personally I find it not only ridiculous but also somewhat hypocritical - theists often claim that "god" has a plan, but somehow they also seem to think that asking will get that plan changed in their favour.

Dywyddyr, you're almost there, you can almost feel the truth of the arguements from the theists! You will get there one day dywyddyr, I promise!

 

[Dywyddyr]

Well non smokers know the reason why people smoke is from peer pressure

Then they don't know at all.
They're just guessing.

Well, people pray because it is a part of nature imho. But as an imho, it also stands as a fact.

And you're wrong here too.
Do animals pray?

I had no idea that was possible dywyddyr.

Then, obviously, you don't know anything about atheists.

Afterall, every human being prays

Completely wrong. Which part of "Atheists belong to that section of the human race that doesn't pray" did you not understand?

It's in our nature

This is an unsupported - and apparently self-evidently wrong - claim.

This is pretty obvious.

Um, no it's not. That's why I asked. Can you you actually answer?

Spidergoat called my other thread a thread from the arguement from authority, so quite naturally again, that is what this thread is called.

Got it. You're incapable of coherent thinking.

you can almost feel the truth of the arguements from the theists!

Really?
Pointing out that A) I find it ridiculous and B) I consider it hypocritical leads you to think that?

You will get there one day dywyddyr, I promise!

I doubt it, I value my rationality too much.

 

[JBrentonK]

Then they don't know at all.
They're just guessing.

Looks like we can leave the arguement of smokers out completely.

And you're wrong here too.
Do animals pray?

I am sure they do dywyddyr. But we will leave this out too, most likely, because praying belongs to rational. You have to use more than your heart to pray dywddyr, or did you forget that? You have to use your mind, which is a process that belongs to rational thinking.

Then, obviously, you don't know anything about atheists.

Completely wrong. Which part of "Atheists belong to that section of the human race that doesn't pray" did you not understand?

This is an unsupported - and apparently self-evidently wrong - claim.

Absolutely not. Prayer is a part of life, you're supposed to say your prayers before you go to bed for example. What is a prayer dywdyyr? A prayer is a rational thing, not possibily capable of being considered in terms of irrational. This is your self evidently wrongness dywddyr, not mine.

Um, no it's not. That's why I asked. Can you you actually answer?

Idk. See above.

Got it. You're incapable of coherent thinking.

That would be you and the rest of atheists.

Really?
Pointing out that A) I find it ridiculous and B) I consider it hypocritical leads you to think that?

No. That you consider God ridiculous just leads me to believe that you think prayer is a ridiculious act, which is A: Atheistic and B: Childish.

I doubt it, I value my rationality too much.

Perhaps you would like to change this to:

I doubt it, I value my atheism too much.

 

[spidergoat]

Do you agree that sometimes we get what we want without praying?

Yes? So, people are taught to pray, and their belief in prayer is reinforced when their prayer comes true. Is their belief in prayer negatively discouraged when their prayer doesn't come true? Interestingly, no. This is ignored or rationalized away (God works in mysterious ways). This is human nature, we have selective attention when it comes to reward, but a non-reward is not recognized as significant.

Another word for it is superstition.

 

[JBrentonK]

Do you agree that sometimes we get what we want without praying?

Another atheistic remark. You must recognize that you have to pray first, before you magically get what you want, because if you don't put praying first, you can't recognize that prayer must occur in order to get what you want.

 

[Sarkus]

Since when did the cesspool get so full that it flooded the religion forum?

 

[spidergoat]

Another atheistic remark. You must recognize that you have to pray first, before you magically get what you want, because if you don't put praying first, you can't recognize that prayer must occur in order to get what you want.

I get what I want sometimes.

 

[spidergoat]

Since when did the cesspool get so full that it flooded the religion forum?

Some little turds float to the top.

 

[Dywyddyr]

Looks like we can leave the arguement of smokers out completely.

Why? It's relevant - as illustrated by the wrongness of your claim.

I am sure they do dywyddyr.

In other words you're just making sh*t up.

most likely, because praying belongs to rational.

Nope.

You have to use more than your heart to pray dywddyr, or did you forget that? You have to use your mind, which is a process that belongs to rational thinking.

Um, one more time: atheists don't pray. Please provide evidence that praying involves rationality.

Absolutely not. Prayer is a part of life

You are, once again, wrong.
Praying plays no part in the life of atheists, for example.

you're supposed to say your prayers before you go to bed for example.

Why?

What is a prayer dywdyyr? A prayer is a rational thing, not possibily capable of being considered in terms of irrational.

This is incorrect.
Praying is nothing more than an appeal to an as-yet-unproven deity. One for which there is no evidence. it is also, as noted, hypocritical. Thus, it is NOT rational.

No. That you consider God ridiculous just leads me to believe that you think prayer is a ridiculious act, which is A: Atheistic and B: Childish.

Really? Didn't I actually say that?
I agree it's atheistic (which I said earlier). But could you explain why it's "childish"?

Perhaps you would like to change this to:
I doubt it, I value my atheism too much.

I'm not in the habit of writing what I don't mean, therefore no, I wouldn't like to change it.

 

[JBrentonK]

Since when did the cesspool get so full that it flooded the religion forum?

This is not a thread for atheists that flood the religion forum.

 

[JBrentonK]

I get what I want sometimes.

The magical question spidergoat, is do you truly?

 

[JBrentonK]

Do you agree that sometimes we get what we want without praying?

Yes? So, people are taught to pray, and their belief in prayer is reinforced when their prayer comes true. Is their belief in prayer negatively discouraged when their prayer doesn't come true? Interestingly, no. This is ignored or rationalized away (God works in mysterious ways). This is human nature, we have selective attention when it comes to reward, but a non-reward is not recognized as significant.

Another word for it is superstition.

I see you edited your post spidergoat. No you are incorrect about superstition as well sadly. We are rewarded based on the non rewards value as well. This is as I had stated to the atheist dywdyyr, a consequence of the word "prayer". Prayer is different than praying you know. And btw prayer is obviously religious, however not obviously religious a thing to atheists.

Which is quite halarious. Don't you agree?

 

[Dywyddyr]

No you are incorrect about superstition as well sadly.

Please provide some evidence, or, at the very least a rational coherent argument.

We are rewarded based on the non rewards value as well.

By whom?

Prayer is different than praying you know.

Please define the differences.

And btw prayer is obviously religious, however not obviously religious a thing to atheists

Since, as you have admitted, prayer is religious then why (again) do you think atheists know why it happens?
Oh, and atheists are well aware that it's a religious thing.

 

[JBrentonK]

Dywdyyr that was directed to spidergoat...

 

[Dywyddyr]

So what?
Can you answer the questions or do you wish to continue making unsupported and nonsensical claims?

 

[spidergoat]

The magical question spidergoat, is do you truly?

Yes. Everyone does sometimes. I thought this would be a given.

We are rewarded based on the non rewards value as well.

Yes, you can fool yourself into thinking that a non-answer is God judging that what you wish doesn't fit with his plan. I can also imagine some value in the delusion that someone up there is thinking about you. So we play all sorts of psychological tricks with ourselves.

Prayer is different than praying you know.

No, I don't know. Is this the fallacy that theist say, if your prayers don't come true, it was your faith to blame, not God? Another way to avoid the reality that god doesn't answer prayers.

In fact there is the famous Harvard Prayer Study that showed scientifically that prayers don't work.
http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/3_31STEP.html

And btw prayer is obviously religious, however not obviously religious a thing to atheists.

I know it's religious, otherwise it's just called wishing.

There could be some power in positive thinking, so if you are optimistic that your prayers will work, you might be more positive about doing the things required to make it come about on your own. But that doesn't have to be religious.