Why do people pray ?

[pablo]

People throw around the word "prayer" a lot these days. I see it all the time on FB, "I'll pray for you" or, "You're in my prayers".
I think a large percentage of people who say they pray rarely do or, don't do it at all.
It's become a convenience, a way of thinking (or pretending) you're doing something to help, without having to put much effort into it.
It's a cop-out at best.

[CiderThinker]

(05-07-2014 05:23 PM)pablo628 Wrote:  People throw around the word "prayer" a lot these days. I see it all the time on FB, "I'll pray for you" or, "You're in my prayers".
I think a large percentage of people who say they pray rarely do or, don't do it at all.
It's become a convenience, a way of thinking (or pretending) you're doing something to help, without having to put much effort into it.
It's a cop-out at best.

With regard to people saying it on social media and similar, I think it is often a substitute or synonym phrase for saying "I'm thinking of you"

[undergroundp]

I keep reading "Why do people gay" or "Why do people spray".

I have no answer for either.

[pablo]

(05-07-2014 05:28 PM)CiderThinker Wrote:  

(05-07-2014 05:23 PM)pablo628 Wrote:  People throw around the word "prayer" a lot these days. I see it all the time on FB, "I'll pray for you" or, "You're in my prayers".
I think a large percentage of people who say they pray rarely do or, don't do it at all.
It's become a convenience, a way of thinking (or pretending) you're doing something to help, without having to put much effort into it.
It's a cop-out at best.

With regard to people saying it on social media and similar, I think it is often a substitute or synonym phrase for saying "I'm thinking of you"

Yea I know, but rather than just saying "I'm thinking of you" they say "I'm praying for you" because they think it carries more weight and, it makes them part of the "club".

[Bucky Ball]

(05-07-2014 05:28 PM)CiderThinker Wrote:  

(05-07-2014 05:23 PM)pablo628 Wrote:  People throw around the word "prayer" a lot these days. I see it all the time on FB, "I'll pray for you" or, "You're in my prayers".
I think a large percentage of people who say they pray rarely do or, don't do it at all.
It's become a convenience, a way of thinking (or pretending) you're doing something to help, without having to put much effort into it.
It's a cop-out at best.

With regard to people saying it on social media and similar, I think it is often a substitute or synonym phrase for saying "I'm thinking of you"

I see that frequently in public venues. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to them", and now it's changed even further to "Our thoughts go out to them". It's a statement of empathy. Nothing more. (I've always thought when people say "Our thoughts and prayers are with you" .... (me) *Really ? And just HOW OFTEN do you actually do ANY *praying* ? They make it sound like they get up at 3AM like monks and spend hours in prayer, and portion out some of their VAST amount of praying to someone. Hahaha. They NEVER pray, for the most part, I would bet.

And why pray ? Gotta remind an omnipotent deity what it already knew what it was already gonna do. Makes perfect sense.

[Bucky Ball]

(05-07-2014 05:50 PM)pablo628 Wrote:  

(05-07-2014 05:28 PM)CiderThinker Wrote:  With regard to people saying it on social media and similar, I think it is often a substitute or synonym phrase for saying "I'm thinking of you"

Yea I know, but rather than just saying "I'm thinking of you" they say "I'm praying for you" because they think it carries more weight and, it makes them part of the "club".

It also is an attempt at "controlling the situation" (?). If the event was random, and unfortunate, it's a way of asserting some sort of (imaginary) control over something that is out of their control. If they pray, THEIR god (supposedly) controls the situation, and they pretend they can invoke that/some (imaginary) control.

[Anjele]

I think some pray (or claim to) because it's habit or ritual. Others because it's what they think is expected and the 'right' thing to do/say.

Regardless of the reason it's a waste of time.

[Rinpoche]

(05-07-2014 01:36 PM)Bucky Ball Wrote:  Is it because intermittent random reinforcement of a behavior is the very best way to reinforce a behavior ?

So my little brother is a natural with all the animals we have. We have a few goats, and sheep. The horses are my mom's business, so they have their own pro people, but he pretty much takes care of all the rest. It's been the thing (we think) that helped bring him out of his autism the most. So I asked him why he gives treats to the baby sheep, my dog, and the goats. He said "Duh", (of course). I asked him if he really knew why "treats" work. He said "Well they like treats". I explained to him the concept of "reinforcement" and told him about "Operant Conditioning" (in words he could understand).

Well if a random intermittent reward is the most powerful way to reinforce a behavior, I guess that must be why Jebus only listens to some prayers.
Crafty fella, that Jebus.

(It's also the reason that absolute cold-turkey is the only way to stop smoking ... intermittently randomly reinforcing a habit is the worst way to try to eradicate it).
(The habit that is, I suppose the nicotine withdrawal meds must work ??)

http://www.intropsych.com/ch05_condition...ement.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforceme...ent_theory

Yea ? Nay ?

Nay, people pray because their religion tells them so. Across cultures religion includes some kind of two way communication with God, and people pray to God in hope that he answers. It is in vain.

Om mani padme hum.

[CiderThinker]

(05-07-2014 05:50 PM)pablo628 Wrote:  

(05-07-2014 05:28 PM)CiderThinker Wrote:  With regard to people saying it on social media and similar, I think it is often a substitute or synonym phrase for saying "I'm thinking of you"

Yea I know, but rather than just saying "I'm thinking of you" they say "I'm praying for you" because they think it carries more weight and, it makes them part of the "club".

I'm not even sure that most of the time that distinction is even made. It's the same reason that people say 'bless you' after somebody sneezes - it's gone from a religious statement to a social and cultural norm.

[Taqiyya Mockingbird]

(05-07-2014 06:26 PM)Rinpoche Wrote:  Nay, people pray because their religion tells them so. Across cultures religion includes some kind of two way communication with God, and people pray to God in hope that he answers. It is in vain.

Om mani padme hum.

Precisely as useless and in vain as babbling incoherent nonsense like the above.