Atheist Debates - Nothing fails like prayer

[@youweechube]

Prayer is a great way for some to think they are helping when they're doing nothing. But then they have their conscience settled.

[@yorkshiremgtow1773]

Plus, it means they don't have to put their hand in their pocket and actually give something real.

[@danielharrisson]

But it is useful for changing ones own inner narrative. If you pray against yourself

[@2l84me8]

Funny how no one ever thought to end all disease, suffering, poverty, and wars with prayer.

[@jersydvl]

Much better to change your profile pic to a rainbow or something. 😂

[@davebeck7044]

"God helps those who help themselves." I remember hearing this a lot growing up. I came to realize that you can't tell the difference between you doing something on your own and you doing something with God's help. They are indistinguishable from each other. There is a longer story here, but this was one of the first and most important cracks in my faith's foundation that ultimately lead to me becoming an atheist.

[@inspectorbudget]

Exactly. I feel you all the way. Religious people act as if they don't understand this.

[@2l84me8]

Apparently god is so incompetent that we need to do his miracles for him and then give him the credit for no reason at all.

[@johnathanjackson7165]

If you did it yourself then why would ask God for anything?

[@Marcus_Caius]

@@2l84me8 I agree with you and I think the right term to use is *Utterly Incompetent* . Well wait...... there is NO god.

[@KK-de5ty]

God helps those who help themselves is not biblical. If you can help yourself God doesn’t need to help you. God helps the helpless.

[@osmium6832]

Prayer is entirely for the benefit of the person doing the praying. It's like signing an online petition: it gives you the feeling that you did something meaningful when you didn't. I had a family member who didn't visit me while I was in the hospital but told me afterwards that the reason they didn't was that they prayed for me instead. To me, that was worse than forgetting I was sick or not caring. because they did nothing but I was put in the social position where I had to thank them for it. By the way, I'm still sick and disabled 8 years later so you can't even make the argument "hey, at least it worked!"

[@jonathandavies1716]

I've never really known how to reply to "I'll pray for you". On the one hand they think they are doing something for you so thanks is in order. Conversly if some one told me they will indulge in sexual fantasies about me as a compliment to how attractive they find me I would neither thank them nor be expected to. I tend to go for a flat "ok" as ultimately they have informed me of a task they will perform later for their own benefit that has no bearing on me. Like a stranger telling me they'll be taking their trash out later.

[@bradzimmerman3171]

Prayer is the same as writing letters to Santa clause it really works I got an assault rifle for x-mas and killed God like it was wonderful just heavenly

[@shecklesmack9563]

“Instead of visiting you in hospital, we closed our eyes and talked to ourselves.” Th-thanks..

[@roal2879]

@@jonathandavies1716 Just inform them and direct them to this video.

[@Arkloyd]

I'm sorry that happened to you.

[@areafortyone]

I can't believe I fell for this stuff (prayer) most of my life.

[@alexanderblake3569]

Eric Von Wedel right! I’m 39 and I’m just waking up. Nearly fucking 40 and I’ve been talking to myself every night for 5 Minutes. Wtf?

[@fogs8153]

Prayer works like self hypnosis....did you ever keep track of your prayers and if they came true?

[@alexanderblake3569]

The Other Side it’s the strangest thing. When you stop making excuses for God then you’re left with a hard reality.

[@wibblemu9]

It's always interesting seeing comments like these, my experience is different. Even when I was a Christian I thought prayer was bs. I always thought that if God knows everything and he has a plan then praying was pointless. Honestly I credit my mom for being okay with me asking question

[@EvaneHadley]

As a Christian prayer always felt pointless because “everything goes according to God’s plan” and well... never felt like anyone was listening anyways

[@Martymer81]

I prayed for religion to go away. ... Wait...

[@blixx8931]

Well God told me he doesn't exist sooo..i have reason to be atheist

[@JacobHayden911]

@@blixx8931 If a god actually told you that he doesn't exist, then he(she or it) contradicted itself. Of course he exists if he blatantly came up to you and said that! 😂

[@blixx8931]

@@JacobHayden911 yeah i always thought of that as a joke. There is no god though

[@alexanderblake3569]

Martymer 81 fucking genius Over there

[@blixx8931]

@@JacobHayden911 yeah i meant it to be stupid

[@mistorWhiskers]

Maybe it's the mixed fabrics that are keeping prayer results at 50%. Delicious shrimp could be to blame as well.

[@mistorWhiskers]

ShadinCore fabulous hurricanes

Ah shit we're all going to hell for eating pepperoni pizza

[@MidTierVillain]

They pray to a God that preys upon them.

[@interlake2043]

Above Beyond the believers pray to God while the religious leaders prey on their children.

[@usaisanempire4365]

I like dis guy. He is da Best I tell ya, da BEST.

[@cognizantslave1296]

You say you will pray for me. You realize you ARE prey for me! - Reckoning Day, Megadeth

[@MidTierVillain]

Cognizant Slave ha! Good one! MegaDeth! I still try to wrap my mind around what Metallica would be like I Dave never left.

[@bobwatts3517]

Who put Matt in the corner??

[@cocodriloco7780]

There's a saying that I found Hispanic atheists making after the Mexico earthquake: "Cuatro patas que ayudan valen mas que mil manos que oran." Meaning: "Four paws that help are worth more than thousands of hands which pray. This was a reference to the rescue dogs which were saving people from the rubble being (obviously) more helpful then the thousands or millions of catholics or christians who were praying for the people of Mexico.

[@cecilcaudron2578]

Kamtuxutl I love that saying, though if I used it I think people would think I'm bashing their religion. *shrug* I've discussed this kind of thing before and people are weirdly defensive about it even if I just bring up objective studies and facts. If they think their word is gospel and always correct, shouldn't they wish to give their evidence so we all believe? Why not? Because their evidence doesn't exist in the first place.

[@humbleevidenceaccepter7712]

A similar take on that sentiment is "praying hands wield no tools."

[@stylis666]

I will take those sayings and use them. Thanks :)

[@mrcurly1147]

The dupers that propagate this shit must be laughing at the gullible believers as they get down on their knees and pray. They must be thinking "I can get these fuckwits to do anything! Maybe they will protect me when I get caught diddling little boys."

[@morpheas768]

Did they just imply that rescue dogs are smarter than most theists? Because if they did, then this is actually very hard to disagree with :D

[@brothercaleb]

Of all your videos, sir, this has hit home tremendously. Been a Christian pretty much all my life and theres no subject that has troubled me more than this one on PRAYER.

[@tctheunbeliever]

Don't forget George Carlin in the bibliography. "Whaddya want him to do, change his plan?"

[@rosiebanks5618]

tctheunbeliever i once asked a minister why we prayed if god knew everything. He said because the bible said to. Basically i realised it was begging to this god?!

[@joececchini8597]

But he love you...he love you and he needs money!!....lol

[@morpheas768]

Also: "What's the use of being God if every run-down shmuck with a two-dollar prayer book can come along and fuck up Your Plan?"

[@charlesatty]

Wrong, we a defective creature that can change the mind of a deity who already got the plan set. Silly human race.

[@jewiesnew3786]

But remember kids, pray ONLY to Joe Pesci! 'cause he's a great actor.

[@AZOffRoadster]

Theist: I'll pray for you. Me: And I'll think for you.

[@johndavid4831]

I use this one.

[@CelticVictory]

Well, you're horrible at thinking. They are better off without you.

[@Sammie551]

@@CelticVictory God is also horrible at answering prayers, he's better without them

[@CelticVictory]

@@Sammie551 No, this world is a horrible place. He's better with God.

[@Sammie551]

@@CelticVictory No, he's better without believing in a fairytale to bring comfort to him and actually make things happen for himself.

[@artgoat]

When some disaster happens, I flip a coin for them. It works exactly as well as prayer!

[@GeekyNeil]

Excellent video. Here's another thing: Somehow it's always the apologists giving the excuses for God and not God himself. He never says "I'm not answering your prayer because there's some sin in your life" or "your prayer isn't according to my will so I won't do it". Instead he leaves apologists to speculate about why it wasn't answered.

[@toughenupfluffy7294]

Yeah, god is the most selfish of them all.

[@robertpreston2220]

Robert Clary, from his wonderful memoir, From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes: "After I found out that none of my family who was deported came back, my prayers ended, and so did my belief in God. What did my parents, who were extremely religious, my sisters and the rest of my family do to deserve such an end to their lives? Where is the justice? These gentle people who tried to make decent lives for themselves - why would God take them away so cruelly? To teach a lesson? Nothing has been learned from their deaths. Man's inhumanity to man still exists."

[@natanunorthodox]

The holocaust and WW2 in general is one of the main reasons why I ran from god and everything that the bible stands for. I am truly sorry for your family, and how cruel I was and we all can be. I am not the same man that I was after watching videos and documentaries on the holocaust. It sickened me to my core, and I died along with those people mentally and psychologically. This did make me realize how cruel we all are, but this is not the way that it should have to be, for us to understand not to do this, in order or to see how cruel it is. If there is a god, then god let's it happen. I could never sit and watch this unfold. Your family has not died in vain, maybe for alot of ignorant fools who don't understand they have, but for me, no. Best to you now and always, anyone like Robert.

[@toughenupfluffy7294]

Don't you blame this on God! (There is no God...)

[@robertpreston2220]

@@natanunorthodox Very well said! Sorry I am just seeing this comment now for some reason

[@robertpreston2220]

@@toughenupfluffy7294 exactly

[@SiriusMined]

What always gets me is that if praying for something within God's plan, then God was going to do it *anyway*, so by definition, the prayer didn't help/

[@bowlsallbroken]

SiriusMined I remember that dog! Hope you're doing well (I'm a sub from a long, long time past).

[@SiriusMined]

I am, thank you! :-)

[@munstrumridcully]

SiriusMined And the inverse, if Christianity is true, would also be true: if what you pray for is _not_ in God's plan, no amount of prayer would make God change is plan. Not to mention that God us omniscient and omnipresent (so God exists in all tines and places all at once) for God there would be no past present or future, since God is everywhere and everywhen at the same time and being omniscient, even if God experienced time linearly, he already knows everything it will ever do, so no amount of prayer could change what God already knows it will do. This is actually a paradox because if God cannot do otherwise but what it knows it will do, then God lacks the _power_ to change anything, so is not omnipotent since it lacks a power. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong :)

[@shecklesmack9563]

The answer I always get is that it’s a way of proving your devotion-to an all-knowing being. You could literally be catatonic but conscious and God would know your intentions and “heart”. No church attendance/Bible-reading required.

[@fezzik7619]

That’s called the prayer paradox. Carlin spells it out well in one of his routines

[@MrYondaime1995]

I really hate when they say "well sometimes god says yes, sometimes he says no and sometimes he says wait". It's painful that they don't realize that this "answer" will be the same if i pray for any god or anything in the universe. And it is funny that if any other religion makes the same claim they'll denounce it, totally hypocritical. It just pisses me off.

[@乙-f1s]

Point them to the jug of milk: www.godisimaginary.com/video8.htm

[@atheistsfightclub6684]

I like the George Carlin line "I pray to Joe Pesci, and i get the same results i used to get from God when i was nine years old and i believed in the invisible man in the sky."

[@nacasius]

Just remind them that you get the same or even better answers from a magic eight ball

[@QueeferSutherland1]

Nacasius Ah you beat me to it lol

[@mrcurly1147]

I have dyslexia so I can't make out your name - but thanks for the link to that site.I will certainly be spreading the word.

[@nealfager9178]

I really like your low key one on one style of videos. It's really tough suffering through a full debate, or phone call listening to the same arguments I've heard all of my life, and that I used to make.

[@shedesires5627]

I have the same thoughts. AXP, for all its years, continues to entertain illogical and stubborn callers. I get tired of hearing the same ol', same ol' every Sunday, and now, Wednesday with Hang Up. I think, unless I'm bored, I'm going to steer away from those call-in shows and just look for content like this which is to the point and delivered so well.

[@Thormp1]

The reason why Faith Healers don't work at a hospital, is the same reason that Psychics don't play the lottery.

[@joebob4943]

They might but they are still hoping to win.

[@kaneashby487]

Science flys you to the moon and religion flys you into buildings

[@munstrumridcully]

I am sympathetic to this aphorism, but to be fair, science is just a tool that can be misused and religion, while unjustified epistemically not all religions encourage violence. So, hypothetically, one could come up with another pithy aphorism that contains as much truth but also omits some truth, like : Science gets you Hiroshima; religion gets you thursday night bingo Or something. My point is that the moon vs buildings aphorism is not really fair. And that comes from a science nerd who thinks science is the greatest tool for generating useful knowledge and religion is all unjustified dogma built around agenticity and fear of dearh, lol :(

[@bradzimmerman3171]

There is nothing wrong with destroying the bible you find in the motel or hotel room your staying in

[@thebabbler8867]

Nobody went to the moon. It's a HOAX.

[@elijahyoung11]

The Hammer No. you’re a HOAX

[@candecar000]

Science believe we come from rocks haha

[@DPK365]

The fact of the matter is that religious people don't care about what studies say about it....it's all psychological for them anyway and they will do it regardless of the study results. It's also the fact that God gets the benefit of the doubt no matter what. If they heal, glory to God! If they don't, then it wasn't God's will.

[@bibafortuna]

if they heal that is "supernatural" modern medicine cannot explain...so

[@stephengalanis]

People need to be watching this now. Magical thinking is no protection in a pandemic.

[@CertainCharism]

I haven't been to any hospital, doctor, haven't taken any medicine for almost a decade now, because of my poverty, no cov Vax either, but only by Jesus Christ's help guess who is still alive, 100% healthy and jovial, yea right, me 😊 Now tell me when was the last time you went to the hospital ?

[@stephengalanis]

@@CertainCharism I've never been seriously ill in my life actually. I had a mild fracture in my wrist playing volleyball in high school decades ago. Well, maybe Jesus protects atheists too. But that's not the interesting part. What really requires an explanation from you isn't healthy atheists, but sick and dying Christians. It's easy for you to talk about "Jesus Christ's help", but that's survivorship bias. Only the Christians who survive their preternaturally stupid rejection of medicine get to talk about it. Take a moment and think about that. We don't hear from Christians whose faith lead them to die... because we can't. I know a very religious former schoolmate of mine who moved to Florida (i'm not American, I'm South African) and was vehemently anti-vaxx. Last I heard was in 2020 when he was crowdfunding for a lung transplant, I'm fairly sure he died. But you're lucky, Jesus looks after you not all the other people. Aren't you special.

[@CertainCharism]

@@stephengalanis As suspected lol, the over the top cocky mind of an atheist which causes him to miss things and make a clown out of himself. What did I say ? Read again then ! I said that because of poverty, Because of poverty and circumstances I couldn't afford any medical aid

[@CertainCharism]

@@stephengalanis And you're a dumb one, if you have ever read the Bible then you surely would have known about the whole story of Job, God loved Job, then why did God gave Job all the catastrophical tragedies and illnesses ? Does it means God hated Job ? 😏😌 You see, that's how tiny and closed the mind of a cocky atheist is who thinks he or she knows more than a Christian.

[@CertainCharism]

@@stephengalanis And you're correct, Jesus Christ protects atheists too ! kzbin.infoSAySDNnEUO8?feature=share

[@ethansancti2864]

Prayer is a win-win activity. If a sick person gets well, that's the power of prayer. If he dies, then god has other plans or god moves in strange ways.

[@gdobie1west988]

Always nice to listen to Matt, he makes so much sense.

[@MichaelGroenendijk]

Prayed for over 30 years. Nothing Manifestate for 3 years 24-7. Nothing 🤷‍♂️ Helping people gaining knowledge. They turn against me. Here i am all alone without family or friends. Halleluja.

[@thereisnonegoodbutgodjohn363]

People often say, “I’m not hurting anyone so it’s ok to sin (lying, stealing, sexual sins, disrespecting parents etc)” The same God who said to love your neighbour first said to love Him to the best of your ability. If you carry on sinning, then you do not love God but are selfish like the devil so you will be joined to your father in hell or repent of your sins and believe in Jesus as God so Jesus adopts you as His child and you will join Him in Heaven forever.

[@northwestpioneer7057]

I have to admit, prayer was most definitely one of my biggest stumbling blocks when I reached early adulthood. I read books where prayer worked, I heard stories where prayer worked, I saw examples in the Bible where prayer worked. But I never saw any examples with my own eyes of a "big" prayer being answered. I honestly thought there must be something wrong with my ability to pray if my Grandma couldn't get better after her stroke. I don't doubt that moments of reflection and mindfulness are helpful when you are trying to accomplish a goal - but you have to ask yourself, was it prayer, or was it because you were just so focused?

[@tussk.]

I recently came across a believer who used the 'If you were right with god you would know thats not part of his plan' cop out. I asked if anybody knew gods plan and they replied, i swear to fuck, 'nobody knows his plan. thats why we pray' how can you possibly deal with somebody like that?

[@matthewlong3716]

Excellent video Matt ..these are verses and things I used to think about often and struggle with when I was a believer.

[@indo8794]

Hey Matt thanks for the video, i've tried speaking to my family about this time and again but they rely on prayer soooo much that it becomes self destructive...keep fighting the good fight Matt

[@lrs0620]

I was baptized into a church at 18 and believed it was the only true church. I followed the teachings to the best of my ability and truly believed. After 15 years, and a couple of organizational changes, it split up. I prayed hard for God to make the path clear to me…which way to go. No response. I understand that some prayers can’t be granted. For example, people can’t be healed forever, we all must die at some point. But for God not to answer a prayer for guidance on how to worship him….that I could not understand. That was 30 years ago and I haven’t attended church since. I’m a strong agnostic, borderline athiest.

[@NISSANZ33]

Is this Matt's official page? Didn't realize Im already a subscriber. Awesome to see some uploads! Keep spreading knowledge!!

[@debbietampasheher3682]

Steve G Welcome to the channel! He posts a lot but sporadically depending on his schedule

[@alexxxxxxxx]

Why is he sitting in a wooden container? Is he being shipped somewhere? Do the Christians hate him so much that he has to travel in a wooden crate?

[@Dave.Cooper]

Awesome video Matt... Keep them coming.

[@MichaelJonesC-4-7]

I use _my lucky, lucky chicken bone!_ ; )

[@AZOffRoadster]

How lucky was the source of a lucky rabbits foot?

[@ryanspangler4569]

And then dry fart 3 and a half times for good measure and such forth

[@jenniferwieman1444]

My mother has been "crying out to God in prayer" for several years to save my brother from hell fire because he is an Atheist. Now I'm an Atheist. I guess our mother wasn't praying the right way, or maybe she isnt right with God. 😂

[@roal2879]

Or God does not exists or he does not care.

[@spiritof6986]

Jennifer, what 'hellfire'?? If your dear mum's a Christian, she should know that 'hellfire' so called, has no place in the entire bible as a literal place. Hellfire is a metaphor. Hell is the grave. Sheol. That's all. Ask your mum to look into what the Jewish people consider hell to be. Then remind her that Jesus was a Jew. Advise her to take a look at Christian Universalism and to get a Youngs literal version bible. May be a good idea to remind her that Jesus is the saviour of all mankind. Not only those who believe. My oldest and closest friend is an athiest. He was athiest decades before it became fashionable. I really, really don't worry about him going to some imaginary pagan torture chamber simply because he doesn't believe in Jesus.

[@JeremyMacDonald1973]

@@spiritof6986 Thing is Jews don't believe in the Devil either but the Devil is central to Christianity.

[@anthropomorphicmonster9113]

So I was recently put on the spot and led a prayer in front of the entire congregation for the dinner following my mother's funeral. It was a beautiful prayer if I can say so myself. It has been probably 8 years since I've prayed. My first thought after saying Amen was "okay, here I am giving advice to God".

[@schubird43]

I prayed, then used essential oils, then got a massage, then my back felt better! Prayer and essential oils work!!!!! /sarcasm :p

[@rehan4223]

Lets form a new religion with essential oils as god.

[@esterrios5626]

I don't pray anymore, I just use my essential oils! I so much appreciate them I tell THEM! True healers!

[@kreadapelu8813]

Recently A Perfect Circle put out a nice little song called TalkTalk. It has become the background music that plays in my mind whenever I hear the thoughts and prayers line being used. While not exactly the same thing, your words here and those of that song compliment each other incredibly well.

[@kreadapelu8813]

Definetely not the same song. Talk Talk by A Perfect Circle and Talk Talk by Talk Talk are entirely different. The other song is pretty catchy

[@Innovativemagi]

At my med school they had an optional lecturer come in a month ago to talk about his experience with prayer and treating patients. It was difficult not to throw up sitting in the back row as this person talked about how people are predetermined to die at a certain time and medical care won't increase a persons life span a day more than god intends them to live (this was coming from a physician!). I couldn't believe someone who calls themselves a scientist would go around teaching students about how spontaneous remissions of cancers were miracles and how religious people live a longer and healthier life. Wish we could have had you there to offer some counter points

[@TheZooCrew]

Whomever brought that quack in should probably be fired.

[@maledikt]

What idiot had the idea to bring him in in the first place?

[@nacasius]

What do you call the guy that comes in dead last in his medical school? Doctor

[@MrDanAng1]

I work as a cardiac nurse, and have often patients where I have to adjust iv medications on the spot or they spiral into a vicious circle that will kill them. It is not any god who save them, it is the researchers who have made the medications and medical equipment that make it possible to diagnose, monitor and treat the patient, and the expertice among doctors and nurses to use the equipment and medications the correct way.

[@jilliansmith7123]

Daniel: vicious, not viscous. Viscous means sticky or gel-like.

[@nealfager9178]

"The bible is always crapping on tax collectors just amuses me"

[@yorkshiremgtow1773]

Slave-owners: bible's cool with them, but tax collectors: bastards!

[@ryanspangler4569]

Nothing like a good olde fashioned loose fart for austerity, and such forth

[@grainofsaltdashofinsanity9493]

My relationships 😂😂😂😂 fail like prayer!!!!

[@T.Rex33]

With my upbringing, everything is God's Will whether you get what you prayed for or not. The ole "he works in mysterious ways" was a family mantra.

[@inspectorbudget]

More excuses for God...

[@mwamussa]

@@inspectorbudget accurate

[@ianhinrichsendrummer2113]

Exactly - so it's God's will that a baby is born with a hole in its heart???

[@breanastaton7709]

This is great. Love listening to Matt always

[@usmale47374]

Very well said, Matt. Your words are like music to my ears.

[@perverse_ince]

I think the verses akin to "ask and you shall receive" could be interpreted in the context of being poor as a christians and still being able to fulfill ones mission. Meaning luxurious riches cannot be gained and punishments, personal chastisement and your earthly destiny/first death can not be avoided. The apostles surely prayed that the towns of Capernaun and Bethesda shall convert, but if god would do all the work for us and leave nothing of importance to us, no illusion of achievement or progress, one would surely become bored and depressed. Luke 12:22-24 & 27-28 NKJV Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? [...] Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? Hebrews 12:5-11 NKJV And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

[@vinskeeter]

Someone always asks for prayer on Facebook. I feel empathy for others and I hope they get well, of course, but what can I say? 1. Lie and say "I'll pray for them". 2. Say "I'll hope for them". 3. Say "prayer doesn't work, but I truly hope they get better anyway". 4. Say nothing and make it seem as if you don't care or are not willing to "Ask Jesus for help". 5. Say "let's all stop with the prayers, they don't work, even though you might think you're actually doing something".

[@vincesolis5389]

Matt, thank you forv all of your videos. I'd love to hear your comments on Alcoholics Anonymous; in a full video similar to these.

[@danielsnyder2288]

There have been studies that prayer for yourself can have benefits similar to the benefits of meditation. Nothing mystical, just you helping yourself

[@Jake-jo4ct]

I wasted 36 years of my life on pure delusions.

[@johndavid4831]

Any time anyone has suggested they would pray for me, I recognized it as the insult it is. I was never sick when it was offered, I simply didn't agree with their story. So, of course I needed their self-righteous prayers.

[@kennyg6159]

Story of my life, I lost my mom and most of my family to religion

[@PEYPLACE]

I don't agree with your conclusion, but I do appreciate your analysis. Everything should be scrutinized. Too often, we are cradle Christians who know nothing about our own religion. I'll tell you what I think. I think that, for some, prayer is a medicine that gives them hope. Hope it's everything for some. And, without it, many will sink into dispair and possibly commit suicide. I don't know if God answers prayers sometimes, only for the righteous or maybe for the persistent. To me, it doesn't matter. If someone, anyone, out there feels that they need something in order to survive, you must pray. You must pray until that prayer is answered, you no longer need it or until you die and can't pray anymore. Never give up and let hope be the last thing they take from you.

[@josephpostma1787]

If prayer makes you feel better, so be it, but do not let that keep you from helping others; visiting retirement homes and supporting better healthcare helps.

[@webbraham2768]

This is still the most helpful video for me personally 6 years later

[@thereisnonegoodbutgodjohn363]

People often say, “I’m not hurting anyone so it’s ok to sin (lying, stealing, sexual sins, disrespecting parents etc)” The same God who said to love your neighbour first said to love Him to the best of your ability. If you carry on sinning, then you do not love God but are selfish like the devil so you will be joined to your father in hell or repent of your sins and believe in Jesus as God so Jesus adopts you as His child and you will join Him in Heaven forever.

[@chaisclements6701]

This is great, Matt. Thank you!

[@petehjr1]

The one guy in PR that was "right with god" was praying for the Hurricane.

[@wolf1066]

I still can't understand the mental gymnastics of those who talk of "god's will" and then pray for god to do something. If "god" is going to do "his will" no matter what, there's absolutely no point in praying for *anything*. Hurricane's coming. If it hits and kills everyone: god's will. If it only kills half the population: god's will. If it misses and no one dies: god's will. No amount of praying is going to change that. You'll get people who believe god answers *all* prayers and then, when what they pray for doesn't happen, say "sometimes god's answer is 'no'." - Again, what's the use in praying? It's just another way of phrasing the "god will do his own will" argument while _claiming_ to believe the bits about "god answers all prayers" - 'Double-think' of the highest order. And you've got to wonder why a "loving god" would answer 'no' to prayers like "please don't let that hurricane kill all those children" or "please take that child's cancer away" - or why a "loving god" *sent* the hurricane or *gave* the child cancer in the first place. They'll claim "god does it to make us stronger" - yet if you went out and murdered someone and, at your trial, tried to claim "well, I was doing it to make his widow stronger and give her the impetus to be independent, raising her children by herself", you wouldn't get a particularly good response. People might well wonder what sort of *monster* would harm an innocent person just to teach another a life lesson - funny how believers don't apply it to the "god" they worship. "You gave my kid _cancer_ and burned our farm down with wildfires just to 'make me stronger'? WTF? You couldn't have made me stronger some _other_ way? Like, you know, just _making_ me a strong person at the outset?"

[@youaregodspursuit]

"Therefore everyone who confesses me before men, I will confess him before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father." Matthew 10:32-33

[@oldpossum57]

2:20. Matt accepts the Templeton study’s conclusion that recovering patents who knew folks were praying for them suffered because of STRESS. They felt an unhealthy stress to I prove because they did not want to disappoint those who prayed for them. This reflects a misplaced trust in methodological naturalism. This effect is also what we might expect if we suppose a maleficent god, as per Stephen Law. A maleficent god which heard intercessory prayer on behalf of another would tend to worsen rather than improve the patient’s health.

[@SansDeity]

So, in response to me accepting a possible natural cause, you propose a supernatural cause that wasn't considered and is just an ad hoc excuse. How pathetic.

[@oldpossum57]

@@SansDeity Hey, don’t be angry! I am just pointing out that the data support a maleficent god as well as a naturalistic cause. It was meant in good humour. I suppose most theists prefer not to accept maleficent gods, although there are some I think (Zoroastrianism? ) that accept a reasonably even-handed cage-match between good and evil forces, though with the-Spoiler Alert- guarantee that the good guy wins. Again, none of this is my wheelhouse. I have elsewhere pointed out that the odds of intercessory prayer are much better in college football games (at least 50:50) than they are in mostrefugee camps (1000s:1). Hence, God loves football?

[@Payne2view]

The verse about "whatever you loose on Earth, loosed in Heaven, bound on Earth, bound in Heaven" was a favourite among the "Spiritual Warfare" crowd in the 80s. People used it to construct an idea that we had a role in commanding spiritual beings etc. Very dodgy and not orthodox doctrine. Also if I get a job it is called an answer to prayer (even if low paid and unsuitable) and if I don't get a job I'm told that's because it was not the right one for God's will for me. If I loose a job I'm told it is because God has something better waiting for me. Okay I'm not an Atheist but the way prayer is dealt with by my friends is quite annoying to me at times.

[@jasongallman2032]

Loose and lose are not the same thing.

[@KoolT]

Prayer helps you relax and arrange your thoughts. 😮

[@exaucemayunga22]

So it's just therapy?

[@MaliciousMatt888]

I'm kinda in the middle of transition to being Atheist and that moment months ago when it hit me that god never existed and never listens to anyone's prayers was scary...i had the feeling of despair and eternal loneliness with no chance of being conscious some way after death. I'm getting over that feeling developing a new stable way of observing our universe but it still kinda hurts to know there is only 1 form experiencing consciousness and its the one were living right now, this reality and the short 80-100 year life span we come with is the only form of life we will ever experience.

[@ViableBurrito]

A message needed now more than ever

[@BobbyHo2022]

When 3 or more pray for lottery ticket numbers in my name, I will be there.

[@thereisnonegoodbutgodjohn363]

People often say, “I’m not hurting anyone so it’s ok to sin (lying, stealing, sexual sins, disrespecting parents etc)” The same God who said to love your neighbour first said to love Him to the best of your ability. If you carry on sinning, then you do not love God but are selfish like the devil so you will be joined to your father in hell or repent of your sins and believe in Jesus as God so Jesus adopts you as His child and you will join Him in Heaven forever.

[@nealfager9178]

"There isn't a believer on the planet, who hasn't been frustrated that in their moment of desperation, they have cried out to the god that they believe in, for something that feels essential to them, and they haven't received it." "When it comes to defending prayer apologists don't have one"

[@toughenupfluffy7294]

What kind of immoral god requires sycophantic prayers before he acts to quell suffering? A truly righteous god would do so long before anyone even thought to ask for it.

[@AZOffRoadster]

Dogma and Brazil are two of my favorite movies.

[@Martial-Mat]

Yeah, that verse was the start of the end of my faith at about 9 years old.

[@TyphoidBryan]

"We got to pray just to make it today." Famous rhyming preacher, MC Hammer, said this well over twenty years ago. After looking back at his claim, I feel I have discovered what he was intending to share with us. "Praying," in his case, considering the mood of the very late 80's and early 90's, was to mean people were supposed to dance in a sideways gallop whilst wearing incredibly flashy and baggy pants. By this, true enlightenment was to be found in the soul of each one of us.

[@EDogReviews]

It's funny, I remember being 11 or 12 back in my old youth group. I has asked my youth minister "Hey, if god knows everything that's going to happen and he won't deviate from his plan, then why do we bother praying for things?". His answer was: "Well, I don't have the answer, but why don't you pray and ask god why?". Well, at least he tried...

[@Raz.C]

Maybe we could generate a stigma around the word "pray/ prayer," if every atheist were to call it a magical wish, instead. So when they hear someone say- for example- "I'll pray for you," we would say "You mean you'll make a magical wish for me?" Or if they say "Do you pray?" We could say "You mean, do I make magical wishes?" Or when a politician offers "thoughts and prayers," an atheist reporter could retort with "you mean all you're going to offer is thoughts and magical wishes?" If everyone did this often enough, maybe theists would finally start to question "Why do they keep saying that?" Which could lead to them asking "Is prayer really like making a magical wish?" Eventually, the honest theists out there would come to recognise that a prayer really is a person trying to make a magic wish come true.

[@brettkelley443]

as an atheist for at least 15 years, i can attest to the efficacy of prayer. i kinda hit an atl over the last year, and it actually had me praying to a deity i only believed in those moments of my despair. i realize now that some of what i experienced were psychotic symptoms, but nonetheless, i felt relief when i prayed. does my testimony prove that deities exist? of course not. does it prove that prayer provides emotional relief? yes. that's it. is my testimony evidence for deities??.. yes, it is. Even though it is my belief now that my experience was a delusion brought about a major depressive episode, it is still possible that god was reaching out to me during an emotional low-point in my life. A christian would be right to point that out. However, it is just infinitely more likely that my ability to reason as i normally would was affected heavily by an emotional crisis I was suffering from at the time. Even if I would like to maintain a belief in god, as a skeptic, I cannot rule out mental illness. The whole experience really softened my heart for the sincerely religious people out there. 'cause mental illness, specifically major depression, is something that poisons all people at some point in their life and it doesn't care which religion you subscribe to. If you are someone who has experienced psychosis, or are a schizophrenic, and also happen to be devoutly religious, what tools does god give that person? If i'm a diagnosed schizophrenic, how do i know when god is communicating with me if it's spiritual relationship? what sets it apart from the other voices you hear?

[@Carramrod324]

Matt you brought up those verses Mathew 18 verses 16-18 and they bring a specific pain to me! I earnestly prayed for guidance on which church to go, pleading and literally crying to God to show which church was His true church! Those prayers led me all over the place maybe Catholicism, maybe Orthodoxy, maybe the Protestants were actually correct and brought the church back which led to a whole other mess of questions, ultimately those prayers led me to be an atheist/ non theist, but Catholics they abuse the hell outta that verse and have led many people to either subdue and convert or people like me with internal torment on which church was true! Thankfully because i used the Bible to try and find answers on that front I dug deep and found out about the shaky history of the Bible which again ultimately led me out of the faith altogether! If Christianity was the truest of truths, then why are there critical differences between each denomination? What I think i maybe found out is that the Bible is extremely confusing, and a lot of things are up to interpretation which is why there is a mess today! Thanks for all the work you do! I honestly didnt find out about you until I was out of the faith, but you’ve put a lot of my exact thoughts into more elegant and articulate words and sentences lol!

[@JM-ll5yj]

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew @ And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Mark @ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. John @-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it According to the Templeton Foundation prayer study, prayer doesn't work, so god is lying, he makes promises he does not keep; he is unreliable

[@nailonross416]

Most people ignore those parts. They say ask according to his will but ignore those other parts it's is pure garbage

[@drewjohnson4811]

Could it be simpler? Prayer to me is like asking a parent for something. My parents didn't always tell me yes, and I was more likely to get a yes if it was something that was in line with what they had going on. "Can we stop by the comic book store on the way to Walmart?" If there were time and no other competing priorities, I could expect a "yes". If I got a "no", they probably had something else to do that I didn't know about. However, if I didn't ask at all, the chances of stopping by the comic book store were slimmer.

[@robertpreston2220]

That part that says pray and believe you already have it is used by law of attraction people and "Abraham" Hicks who has a HUGE following!

[@Readrose8]

I do think the behavior of prayer increases people’s empathy and gives a communal way to offer commiseration- as well as I’ve seen it encouraging people to reach out and help the person they’re praying for. Also gives the opportunity to verbally express all the good one wants for another. I am making no claims on whether it has a supernatural effect, but from an anthropological perspective it definitely serves a purpose.

[@toughenupfluffy7294]

Um...no. It actually decreases the likelihood that anyone will reach out and actually help another, because why not let God take care of it? After all, we DID pray... No, what is really happening is that people are shrugging off their social contract to help those less fortunate than they are, by using prayer to bury their responsibility to help others in some substantially material way.

[@Fuckingboredrn]

​@Toughen Up, Fluffy prayer on its own might have that effect but I think religions do have something like the effect he was claiming, at the very least it creates another way of making a in group and creating consolidarity with your tribe and shared ethic.

[@thenightwatchman1598]

drugs have the same effect. dont see anyone advocating for the legalization of DMT or LSD...

[@garyhewitt886]

So true Matt you guys opened my mind to all this diatripe.

[@cazgerald9471]

Does positive self-talk help people? For example, a student has a big final coming up and every morning and every night they internalize a small mantra to be positive, to study hard, to avoid distractions, etc. Would that be helpful for some people? What if some of those people who would be helped by this are religious and did the same mantra but in their mind it was in the form of a prayer?

[@aditsu]

It may help people to some extent, by changing their own attitude/focus/state of mind. But when praying for things that are out of your control (which was kind of the point), there's no evidence that it has any effect.

[@MichaelGroenendijk]

I never get what i ask for. Never. Only knowledge. Nothing else. These knowledge is killing me. I know the thruth about the world. It's terrible.

[@Gasowsj8383]

I know how you feel. All of this is new to me. There is no God or any other higher power.

[@thenightwatchman1598]

@@Gasowsj8383 "prayer is useless" yet you love giving yourself affirmations over their being no god that you have no proof for.

[@thereisnonegoodbutgodjohn363]

People often say, “I’m not hurting anyone so it’s ok to sin (lying, stealing, sexual sins, disrespecting parents etc)” The same God who said to love your neighbour first said to love Him to the best of your ability. If you carry on sinning, then you do not love God but are selfish like the devil so you will be joined to your father in hell or repent of your sins and believe in Jesus as God so Jesus adopts you as His child and you will join Him in Heaven forever.

[@twelvestitches984]

When new universal ideas are given to primitives it's amazing to see them twist it into something that benefits and does more for them than what the original idea meant. The original idea of prayer was to give the scared little primitives (Who were afraid of everything) hope. But then the primitives twisted it into the idea that God, Jesus, and the angels would serve the primitives and give you what you want.

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

The problem with believers claiming that you cannot test God is the fact that, in the Bible, God sometimes does submit to tests. 1st Kings chapter 18 describes a competition between Elijah and the prophets of Baal over whose god would light a sacrificial alter. Elijah intentionally handicaps his own alter by having barrels of water poured over it, and God still comes through, demonstrating that sometimes God is just dandy with proving his existence to unbelievers.

[@twowardrobeswardrobes1536]

Prayer harks back to the animist origins of religion and our desire to affect things seemingly beyond our control. It makes no sense if there is already a ‘divine plan’ or even absent a sacrifice to buy the favour of a god … but it must’ve been a hard habit to break. So in Christianity now it’s kind of mixed into the general hodge-podge of ‘worship’, which must help disguise it but also scratch that animist itch.

[@bobkunkle4668]

Man, this video is so true. Just recently a youtuber with 50k subs was uploading videos saying he was going to the hospital. He had a paranormal cryptic channel but mixed in religion with it. Well, he goes to the hospital.and finds out he's riddled with stage 4 kidney and bone cancer. Anyway, loads of comments kept going on and on giving their prayers, comments saying their church prayed for him, having the blood of jesus heal this man. The guys father told him that he had a lot of fans that were praying for him so he had a decent shot. The guy himself said if he didn't believe in the power of prayer he wouldn't do it. A week later his daughter uploads a video using his account saying he slipped into a coma and died. Needless to say that video received tons of comments saying how they were praying for the family..Just glossing over how all their prayers failed in epic fashion and just kept going through the motions with more prayers. Nothing will get through to the majority of these people. I wished the family well and said I would donate to the burial and headstone costs. I could not give out false hope and after witnessing such a thing left an extremely negative taste in my mouth.

[@bobkunkle4668]

Brenton Sawin mysterious to search. It's all on there. He got such earlier this month and was dead in less than 20 days. It's a bit crazy how it's all documented. Anyone that wants a glimpse of the powerless nature of prayer watch those last 5 videos and read the comments.

[@dr.stevenlynne]

The argument is always true for both sides (see proof below)! The reason why prayer will always fail for an atheist and will work every time for a believer: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

[@SansDeity]

Prove it has ever worked for a believer. You said the proof was below, but you didn't include a proof, just another claim.

[@Soneelicious]

That’s not proof though

[@robertsweet9203]

If prayer worked we would all live in paradise.

[@johnnelligan7093]

And that's the goal. Prayer is an act to move toward communion with God.

[@Bianconero-ce2ky]

The old church i used to go to...people got married or entered into a relationship only if they believed it was "God's will" what they would do is read the bible and read it and try to interpret a verse to determine what God's will was regarding their prayer...for example Bob would pray "Lord, should i get together with this woman Jane? Let me know if this is your will" next thing you know he opens up his Bible and ends up reading "And the two shall become one flesh" and then boom in his mind he is fully convinced that God has approved of him to court this woman or even to the degree that God has willed for them to be even married....in the old church i used to go to they used to call it a "Quiet Time"

[@jeffsalsbury8689]

Actually Matt, I see one point in which you are wrong on this one. As a D&D player, I find that dice rolls are FAR more effective than prayer.

[@mrfanmade1]

If prayer worked we wouldn’t need surgery or medicine!

[@necko2529]

I have a somewhat of a story about a prayer... I was born and raised a muslim in Bosnia (Ex-Yugoslavia). I remember my grandma praying for little kids being "jinxed". We had this saying that if someone looks at a child in awe or surprise of child's cute looks or all around well being without thanking god, will somehow jinx the child. Now, my grandma would put the child in her lap and pray for hours, and she would have tears flowing down her cheeks and yawning, and this was the sign of the prayer doing something... There was this one Sura from Quran she would recite over the child repeatedly until child would fall asleep. I forgot to mention that the signs of a child being jinxed were just a crabby and crying baby/toddler... Now years later I had children of my own and being babies they sometimes just cry no matter what you do, so I thought I'd give it a shot and sure as hell, shortly into the praying I started shedding tears and yawning uncontrollably while the baby would calm down... Fast forward a few years, beginning of this year I became an atheist... The other night my youngest one, 2 years old, was really crabby and couldn't fall asleep. Now, being an atheist, I thought I'd just start reciting lyrics from Metallica, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and see what happens... Can you imagine the surprise when soon into my reciting I started yawning, shedding tears and the child started to calm down and fall asleep... It really helped to even further solidify my atheism!!

[@rich1azb]

This reminds me of the Indian rain dance and how it worked 100 percent of the time...turns out they simply danced until it rain no mater how long it took until it rained!

[@ianhinrichsendrummer2113]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👌👌👌

[@Datokah]

You have all our sympathies.

[@jameswest8280]

Subbed. Luv ya man.

[@saturnray1260]

SO often I hear Christians saying, "God told me this..." or "God showed me that..." as if they're actually having a two way conversation with the dude, but when pressed to answer questions that they could only know the answer to if they actually had a best friend who knew literally everything, they start admitting that they don't "actually" have two way conversation... instead they have "impressions" of what he "might want them to know (or do)" as if he's actually just some role model that they've never met before. I mean really, something is wrong with your conception of the world if Google knows more about it than your all-knowing imaginary friend. Trying it out is super easy too! Just shuffle a deck of cards and have them ask their favorite deity to tell them the correct sequence. A real friend can easily complete this task but an imaginary friend will never be able to consistently give them the right answer.

[@Sammie551]

Even muslims and Atheists receive miracles, no matter who you are. But when it fails, Christians will say God is all knowing and acting in mysterious ways, so why pray then?

[@OddityDK]

It’s also relevant what is being asked for. There’s a huge difference between asking for something which would only require changes within themselves, removing a head ache, or changes within nature, such a diverting a hurricane, to asking for something which would necessarily require God to remove the free will of others. Christians will readily ascribe the outcome of an election, a football match or a verdict in a court as an act of God and they will pray for those outcomes without realizing that in order for God to answer those prayers, he would have to control the voters, the football players and the jury. Considering how important the concept of free will is for Christians, I’m puzzled how they can think praying for the bank to grant them a loan or getting a good grade in an exam could possibly work.

[@dkgoolsby]

In Matthew 18 it begins by saying: " It was less than an hour later that the disciples came up to Jesus and asked: ‘Which [of us] will be the greatest....." Again, Jesus was speaking to his disciples not all believers of all times. It would appear that the empowerment of prayer and other supposedly supernatural abilities was reserved for a select segment of 1st century saints. Today's believers are pretenders who've asserted themselves and their generation into writings intended for a select few nearly 2000 years ago.

[@MrYondaime1995]

The problem with trying to "prove" prayer is that if it fails, the believer will just say that "you cannot test god". For me the best comeback is the "why doesn't god heal amputees?". God will make cancers completely disappear, but will not give a man a new leg. They just try to tiptoe around the issue saying that "god gave the intelligence to human kind to make prosthetics", but it makes no sense. My brother when faced with theses problems of petitionary prayer used to say: "Oh no prayer mustn't be to ask for things, it must be for you to have a relationship with god". As if talking to yourself is having a relationship. Then again he probably asks things in prayer, but denies it when the atheist points the finger at it.

[@MBarberfan4life]

Your brother is using a classical dodge. In the Bible, it clearly says that petitionary prayer is a thing. I bet your brother (like most others who use his defense) prays for things to happen.

[@MBarberfan4life]

Prayer: The failed hypothesis

[@乙-f1s]

whywontgodhealamputees.com/

[@LarsOlaArvidsson]

If God made humans intelligent, then why are there religious people?

[@MBarberfan4life]

The fact that humans exist is evidence against God's existence.

[@toughenupfluffy7294]

Even a selfish request for a million dollars would help others, by increased spending boosting the economy.

[@PeterMasalski93]

If praying could change the outcome of things, there would be praying corporations.

[@paulkal4909]

thank you for your wisdom sir

[@TheGreatAlan75]

Thanks for uploading videos of this kind. You are the ONLY one of the "5 Horseman" ( YOU, Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, Krauss) to do personal video uploads. Thanks again

[@teenspirit1]

prayer is like a discount a lottery ticket. The cost is your lucidity. You can't make people believe it doesn't work just like you can't make them believe lottery doesn't work.