Why Christians Will Never be Able to Explain Prayer

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

"I prayed and asked God for a bike, but I remembered that's not how God works; so I stole a bike, and asked God for forgiveness."

[@donatomarcelloradice]

That is not how it works, you godlss and souless idiot... but ye, I guess living in a materialistic society makes you a godless and souless idiot.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

@@donatomarcelloradice 🙄😆😅🤣🙃

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

@@donatomarcelloradice perhaps a little godless...but not souless. I been as far as the 5.2 spiritual dimension. Thats beyond the border of heaven.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

@@gothboschincarnate3931 Well if you think there is a creation and there is NOT a creator, than you are a western godless and souless idiot, who does not know where his morals come from.... Prove me wrong.

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

@@donatomarcelloradice Fortunately, I've had a few lifetimes in Asia. My morals were hard wired from many lifetimes of experiencing the shortcomings of not operating in a moral way. Watching people screw each other over all the time. Christians stabbing everyone in the back. Christians have always tried to corrupt me. At any rate I did see the great silver Orb once. even more surprising was that it was during a straight forward meditation. It didn't interact with me tho. was looking for Amadeus. Encountered the all that is, and Sandalphon too. it was an accomplished meditation.

[@karenlankford8558]

I freaked out a Christian once by suggesting that maybe God does not want me to believe in him and that my being an atheist might be part of the plan. Hence, trying to make me a believer might be defying God's will.

[@richardhildreth4471]

Doesn't freak me out. You can feel that way.

[@Bashbekersjiw]

​@@richardhildreth4471 why the Abrahamic One?

[@sorryifoldcomment8596]

That's my opinion. If God exists, then he obviously supports atheism - definitely more than any religion. Atheism is the only position God has provided any evidence for...and if God created us, then he created us as we were born & we are all born atheists, of course. God really couldn't do a better job of convincing me he doesn't exist. He couldn't possibly do less for people trying to convince others to have faith he exists. Every test & experiment by theists fail, and it would be so easy for God to make them succeed. He is actively choosing to make sure theists have absolutely NOTHING.

[@ruddiestmanx5116]

Lol they probably never heard something like that before XD

[@Carramrod324]

Stump most evangelicalAmerican Christians! But say this to a Calvinist they’ll just say “ya you prolly right carry on!🚶”

[@GenerationX1984]

Even as a kid growing up religious I kind of wondered how praying worked any better than not praying. It seemed like I always got the same results whether I prayed or not. Even as a kid I found that suspicious.

[@raycaster4398]

Exactly. A young Catholic school kid could figure it out.

[@jamespeterson2690]

I find it suspicious that you were taught to pray for results. I assume this was a Baptist or other fundamentalist faith? You realize they're just plain old venal American capitalists who broke from Christianity several centuries ago?

[@thefasterfox]

Even as a kid, even as a kid.

[@AdLockhorst-bf8pz]

Take a ballgame. Part of the audience wants one team to win, part wants the other team to win. Not a problem; just pray for the team who almost already won the game to win 😉 that's not cheating, it's just the same as what happens with the fulfilled prophecies.

[@felinechanel]

Because it’s just the law of assumption. You made an assumption that the prayer would work and it did, if you assumed it wouldn’t then it wouldn’t. Christianity and every aspect of it is the law of assumption

[@thedeebo410]

God wants a personal relationship with us, so naturally the way to make that happen is to have one-way "conversations" inside your own head. This is totally how normal relationships with real people work and not how small children interact with their imaginary friends...

[@dirtydish6642]

The same irrational people who would tell you that you aren't "listening" for God would also be the same rational people who would quickly dismiss another who says God is in fact talking to them and telling them to do things (likely immoral or illegal things).

[@jackrosario9990]

Well, if someone or something would start speaking to me in my head I would be sent to Bellevue!

[@michaelsommers2356]

Aren't prayers supposed to be spoken out loud, not silently in your head?

[@joshuaa7266]

@@michaelsommers2356 Both. There's the public, sort of ceremonial ones that I always hated (I used to be extremely shy) and the more "personal" ones done in silent. There is also a Bible passage about praying in silence, but most Christians appear to not take it too literally.

[@chickenfist1554]

Maybe if the religious just kept things like that inside their heads instead of letting it out of their mouths at every available opportunity the world would be a better place

[@hossmcgregor3853]

"I'll heal your cancer, you just have to ask. Oh, sorry, I decided 6,000 years ago that you weren't going to be healed. Sorry about your luck" How is this NOT an abusive relationship?

[@JosephKano]

FDV training was quite enlightening many years ago about the nature of the relationship between the claimed Christian gods and their followers.

[@timothywilliams8530]

It’s worse than that. Under most Protestant denominations your salvation relies on prayer. So god ordained that you NOT be saved because he decided YOU shouldn’t pray!

[@uncleanunicorn4571]

I already determined to deny your desperate prayer, because I want to be personal with my rejection of you.

[@JudgeHoldenUwU]

God be like: we do a little bit of trolling.

[@kayakMike1000]

You have cancer? That's terrible. Is it brain cancer?

[@scottgrohs5940]

The fact that one weekend of meditation at a Buddhist temple in South Korea made me feel closer to the hereafter than decades of in-church and at-home prayer ever did is one of the factors that led to my deconversion.

[@stevem.o.1185]

I always heard that prayer was the "speaking" part of the conversation while meditation was the "listening" part (generally from new-agey types). I'm not going to get into whether I agree with that or not, but just from observation of everyday life, toxic speech is a lot more common than toxic listening.

[@lilahdog568]

As a buddhist, meditation allows me to get in touch with my own inner thoughts and really work on myself as a person. It brings joy to actually work on your own life and take the power back instead of waiting for sky daddy to do it for you because you're a childlike cuck who can't do anything for themselves.

[@Gr3nadgr3gory]

I find meditation to always be better than prayer. I often find answers while meditating, never once have I found an answer by praying.

[@THESMOKERSHUT]

I believe it. Music has made me feel closer to the creator of this universe more than any verse in the Bible or any church service I’ve ever been to. Everyone has that thing that just pulls LIFE out of them😄. I’m proud of u.

[@XavIsOnline]

Yeah that makes sense, considering meditation is more focused on actually achieving both mental clarity and the self-induced emotional state that both christians and woo people attribute to the divine. Whereas prayer seems more about the habit building and feeling of dependence religion relies on.

[@TitusRedwind]

Prayer works all the time if you ignore all the times that it doesn't.

[@rainbowkrampus]

60% of the time it works every time.

[@dross4207]

He’s also a wonderful caring god if you handwave away all the times that he’s not.

[@SilverSixpence888]

@@dross4207 And the bible makes perfect sense if you ignore all the parts that don't (that would be a very quick read).

[@kayakMike1000]

Try Buddhist prayer. It's good for your brain, good for your spirit.

[@skidelrymar]

can i print it in a t-shirt?

[@rationalityrus7530]

I heard a talk once from a Christian believer who told the story of his daughter that was prematurely born. Very underweight and she had to be in the hospital for something like a year to two years. There was also a variety of operations that had to be done. All the while the parents were praying for the daughter to get better. At about her 5th birthday, and I cannot imagine what kind of stress and medical bills were suffered in those five years, she has become a normal 5 year old. Of course the speaker gave all the credit to god. How do these people not notice that if there is an all powerful, all knowing god, then that means he made her sick in the first place. Her being sick, the parents groveling for her survival, the stress, the near bankruptcy, would then have been part of his 'plan'. Excuse me, am I missing something here, doesn't this make god look like some kind of thug? Better I think to praise the medical staff and technology that allowed their daughter to survive, rather than some immoral myth.

[@o0o-jd-o0o95]

I saw the same thing while watching that show called mystery diagnosis where doctors would have trouble trying to figure out what was wrong with certain people it would turn out to be some rare disease and then at the end of the show they were thanking God that helped them get through it. my thought was "well what about the doctors?" if I was that doctor I'd be mad that you're thanking God for it when the doctor did all that work for you

[@richardmccart7426]

Yes, this exactly! Well said and this has also been one of my biggest frustrations with Christian thinking for years! Thanking god for healing your loved one or saving your loved one, when he caused or allowed them to be sick in the first place! And caused or allowed all the suffering in the parents, other family, such as you listed.. e.g. horrendous stress and worry, major debt from medical bills, etc. etc. These believers seem to freaking NEVER think of these things! These things which are SO obvious to you and I!! And I also hate how they NEVER thank the doctors, nurses, surgeons!! Infuriating.

[@YDV669]

It's actually worse than that. A century ago, their prayers, no matter how sincere, would've been for nought anyway because TECHNOLOGY didn't exist to save her. Same thing with all those epidemics that used to rumble through societies(well, still do), wiping out whole swathes of people. Of course people prayed then, too, but what did it help until VACCINES were developed?

[@CteCrassus]

It's actually more sinister than that: Had the child died, there's absolutely *no chance whatsoever* that the parents would've blamed their god for its apathy and callousness; Instead, there's a good chance they would've blamed the doctor's incompetence, maybe even sued. It's like that famous meme of Jesus guiding the surgeon's hands with the added words "If he lives I take the credit; If he dies you shoulder the blame".

[@josephpostma1787]

I am not sure how this god would have made her like that; I understand the god would know she would be like that though.

[@jabberwocky7745]

"You have not, because you ask not"... then when nothing happens: "you receive not, because you ask amiss." yep, it's always our fault when things don't go our way.

[@dale6613]

Tell them whatever just make sure they keep sending us Sheckles.

[@kenshiloh]

What did you ask God for? Thanks!

[@michaelstanet7453]

Prayer: God if it is your will, please do the thing, I am asking you do, that you knew I would ask you to do, before I ever existed, and whatever you do is part of your plan and is good no matter what, so just please continue to be the being you have always been and could never be different, I guess.

[@calonstanni]

I think you HAVE it!🤔

[@foppishdilletaunt9911]

🙏 Praying like Hell for Heaven.

[@ericvulgate]

Prayer is like the door close button on an elevator. Something to keep you busy while the elevator goes about it's perfect plan.

[@KianaWolf]

Yeah, that about sums it up. I remember asking about that as a kid... It was part of what caused me to a social pariah in the church, long before I left it.

[@kbtish]

Amen

[@bobmudge447]

Seems like asking a god with anger-management issues to change his eternal plan because you don’t like it would be pretty risky.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

Indeed... That why you be calmly... and Thanks he created you... Do not be a western godless and souless idiot which does not know where his morals come from.

[@thedarknessthatcomesbefore4279]

🤣👍

[@donatomarcelloradice]

@@thedarknessthatcomesbefore4279 Well if you think there is a creation and there is NOT a creator, than you are a western godless and souless idiot, who does not know where his morals come from.... Prove me wrong.

[@thedarknessthatcomesbefore4279]

@@donatomarcelloradice 🤣🤣🤦

[@dma8657]

😆

[@davepugh2519]

"God is beyond our understanding. Anyway, here's what he thinks."

[@adamc1966]

I love how they say that he is beyond time and space and our understanding but then they proceed to tell you about everything he is and what will please him.

[@jean-baptistedupont5967]

@@adamc1966 Spot on. And: "God is a mystery that we cannot comprehend. But because I have a degree in theology, let me give you a 1200-page catechism that we created, telling you what God is and what he wants. Now follow our orders and have faith!"

[@dasbus9834]

But if prayer doesn't work, how else are we supposed to find our car keys? 🤔

[@dragowolfraven3806]

Don't forget finding your lost dog or your favorite football team winning the game.😂

[@gothboschincarnate3931]

just use your hands....but i usually require a source of energy...like a battery. I guess i should try it again, since things have changed a lot recently.

[@dennisbast743]

Tile?

[@david2869]

Check under the sofa cushions.

[@dennisbast743]

@@dragowolfraven3806 Only if they credit him with every touchdown! On national television. To the cheers of thousands. Just like he told them to do. Matt. 6:5

[@IAMBDVX]

He wants to be personal so he wrote a book for us thousands of years ago and ignores us otherwise?

[@richardmccart7426]

And an extremely confusing and contradictory book at that!

[@darth-imperius]

One of the most vile books imaginable, too. 😐 What he needs to do is conjure up the best psychiatrist possible and spent a few billion years in therapy.

[@AdaTheWatcher]

@@richardmccart7426 god skipped writing class lmao

[@davidfitnesstech]

And that book is so vague it can be interpreted a thousand different ways.

[@tommerphy1286]

@iambdvx, he who fails to remember the past is destend to repeat it.

[@MrKyle81]

These were all nagging questions I had when I was still a Christian, and ended up being instrumental in my transition away from religion. Thanks for covering this topic!

[@donatomarcelloradice]

I know that you are western, godless and Souless wester (that is the logic, prove me wrong if you can or do not say anything please ☺) Atheism is mainly from the west, and west is rich, so people prefer to worship Money, and money produce a materialistic societies... Plus we westerns are very arrogants trhgout God, but we are the worst humans, we created so many wars, so much dengerous tecnology, imperialism and so on. So we think to be at the place of God, that why we do not him... Plus most of those people are youths and youths tend to be Godless and Souless, and they do not care that according to that idea system it makes you not have objective morality, they do not know where they morals come from (because they do not know where their morals come from, right??), plus the Atheism makes you believe you will be nothing once death, but you do not think about that when you are young and strong, but much you get older and closer to the death you become more religious because God and the idea of an Afterlife is the only thing make you go ahead... So basically you can not prove if there is a creation there is not a creator (can you??? Plaese answer this question with an answer not with another question if you can do) That why the West is so fucked up. Follow the money and bad church decision... Plus tell me where you morals come from (as anyone without a religion supposedly has different morals, please) May God Bless you ☺

[@MrKyle81]

@@donatomarcelloradice First, I believe our morals come from empathy and a desire to live peacefully among other humans. A belief in God is not a requirement for these feelings. Second, to answer your question, no. I cannot prove God doesn't exist, but I am not convinced that he does exist. That gives me no reason to follow a religion. Third, if I understand you correctly, you claim that aging causes people to become more religious. That statement is illogical. Living longer gives you more opportunities which may affect your religious faith positively, negatively, or neutrally. Your experiences are yours alone. The same can be said for anyone. And fourth, I will address the claims you made about the west being atheists and obsessed with money. It's a very narrow stereotype to place on roughly half the world. You seem to assume that I must be from the west, simply because I'm an atheist. I don't know where you're from, but it's likely that there is at least a small number of atheists in your country.

[@valivali8104]

@@MrKyle81 and that troll run away...

[@MrKyle81]

@@valivali8104 it seems all of his comments are gone. I was looking through other comments and there are other people posting replies to him. Maybe he was pasting the same reply to everybody's comment.

[@valivali8104]

@@MrKyle81 if I remember right, it was copy-pasting like spam bot. And according to many complains for posting same comment over and over again, I do 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@kevinroche5480]

So, have I got this right? Ask and it shall be given, or it won't. Don't ask and won't be given, but it might. Makes perfect sense to me.

[@LadyDoomsinger]

Nah. You're just supposed to grovel and beg, like a good little submissive for your Dom. Whether they grant you their favor or not is not the point.

[@GreyPunkWolf]

​@@LadyDoomsingerThat's not what subs do. Slaves, specifically, yes. But not subs.

[@LadyDoomsinger]

@@GreyPunkWolf I think I know what I do...

[@bloorb0569]

"Shit just happens don't ask me, the omnipotent all powerful one"

[@Jdudec367]

luck does exist

[@georgem2334]

Nothing fails like prayer.

[@davidbudge8359]

Musk buying Twitter comes close.

[@lars_larsen]

Maybe someone long ago prayed and asked "Dear lord, I ask that you ignore almost all prayers from this day forth, such that your influence will be indistinguishable from random chance." and the lord was like "Superb, all is going according to plan." and answered their prayer.

[@jopezu]

...except random chance

[@hifijohn]

Prayer; the last refuge of a scoundrel lisa simpson

[@davidh5020]

@@davidbudge8359 He seems to be doing a good job with Twitter.

[@iomis2001]

I love the mental gymnastics it takes to fit God into reality. Usually the simple answer is the correct one. The one that requires such an out of the way answer is usually wrong.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

I know that you are western, godless and Souless wester (that is the logic, prove me wrong if you can or do not say anything please ☺) Atheism is mainly from the west, and west is rich, so people prefer to worship Money, and money produce a materialistic societies... Plus we westerns are very arrogants trhgout God, but we are the worst humans, we created so many wars, so much dengerous tecnology, imperialism and so on. So we think to be at the place of God, that why we do not him... Plus most of those people are youths and youths tend to be Godless and Souless, and they do not care that according to that idea system it makes you not have objective morality, they do not know where they morals come from (because they do not know where their morals come from, right??), plus the Atheism makes you believe you will be nothing once death, but you do not think about that when you are young and strong, but much you get older and closer to the death you become more religious because God and the idea of an Afterlife is the only thing make you go ahead... So basically you can not prove if there is a creation there is not a creator (can you??? Plaese answer this question with an answer not with another question if you can do) That why the West is so fucked up. Follow the money and bad church decision... Plus tell me where you morals come from (as anyone without a religion supposedly has different morals, please) May God Bless you ☺

[@blastphantomgames6369]

I mean god created it is technically simplar then requiring a degree in quantum physics on how reality came to be

[@hainleysimpson1507]

@@blastphantomgames6369 No physics is the objective study of what the world is made up.pf and how it works. God did it, is a mafe up answer that requires twisting the mind endlessly.

[@jasonmichael3108]

Occam's Razor

[@probablynotmyname8521]

Prayer has always struck me as part of the way that you prove you are part of the group. You go to church and you stand in a group and mumble incantations to prove to everyone else that you are part of the in crowd. What has always irked me though is when people say they will pray for “x” when they blatantly dont.

[@Uryvichk]

Which is really weird for Christians, considering Jesus told them to pray in secrecy.

[@KianaWolf]

That also erks me, but what really, really pissed me off when I was a believer was when people would loudly pray for completely inane things. For example, my step-mother loved to loudly and theatrically pray to god for *parking spaces* and would repeatedly drive around the lot, calling out to the sky, until "god answered." She would do this despite never praying for an end to war, or an end to starvation, or to heal the sick or injured. She would never pray quietly in her room, only loudly and with an audience. It always struck me as similar to humble-bragging. It was a performative act to try garnering attention and praise, while hiding behind a false veil of virtue (be it humility or piety, though I no longer regard piety as a virtue).

[@ajclements4627]

@@KianaWolf My ex fiancé excelled at Christian humble bragging, just couldn’t stop talking about good deeds she did, even when I literally was watching her do the good deed! She’d bring it up in the car on the way home, and just to hammer home how much of a good Christian she was, she cheated on me.

[@c.guydubois8270]

@@ajclements4627 my x told her cheating was God's will. Ya I'm sure she was using the capital G.... Bless her heart...

[@dross4207]

@@ajclements4627 It’s kind of like when you make a comment to someone about their dog, and their first response is “he’s a rescue”. Hmm, I don’t remember asking if he was rescued or not.

[@jarrod752]

I've read the Bible. I'd prefer God _didn't_ get concerned about me.

[@Mouse_007]

🤣🤣I agree.

[@robertfindley921]

I find it absolutely hysterical that these people can describe 'God' to the Nth degree, in ultra-detail, what he wants, what he does, etc. with a straight face.

[@bouldersoundguy]

By this guy's thinking, if I don't pray it's because God decided I wouldn't pray.

[@angelmendez-rivera351]

Zod did state this multiple times in the video.

[@cadestekly6410]

Yeah, these people don’t understand free will, the fallen nature and our mortality in relation to God.

[@angelmendez-rivera351]

@@cadestekly6410 I doubt you understand it either.

[@hainleysimpson1507]

@@cadestekly6410 How would an abstract fall? It's abstract and not subject to decay or gravity how would it fall.

[@apokalypthoapokalypsys9573]

​@@cadestekly6410you can't give a logically coherent explanation either. Just self-justifying cope.

[@jannuary831]

I am a parent of 2 daughters and I am certainly a vending machine. I am delighted to help them in any way I can. It’s what loving parents do.

[@0125AR]

God is not a vending machine he's more like a gumball machine....a really cheap gumball machine. one that dosnt always put out gumballs all the time, sometimes they get stuck and you have to come back later and try again for it to another answered prayer, I mean gumball, get stuck again.

[@MDHilgersom]

@@0125AR reminds me of an experiment where scientists put people in a room full of buttons, levers etc. At random intervals the people would receive a reward, which wasn't influenced by the controls in the room, yet people kept interacting with the controls.

[@whysoserious8666]

@R but then she would be the favorite

[@candybracelets]

​@user-qz6nk1le5n no no no, you can't just punish your daughter for her mistake, you have to hold her sister and all their future unborn descendants accountable for her mistake too. That's true love!

[@rudra62]

@@candybracelets Yeah, and don't forget to kill her puppy too.

[@nativeamericancowboy5028]

My dad is the pastor of a church and my mom is a choir director. They are constantly reinforcing their beliefs. If they're not going to a physical church program, then they are watching church on TV. If they're not watching church on tv, then they're watching it on the internet. If they're not watching it on the internet, then they're talking on the phone with another Christian about church and Jesus. They make sure the walls around that bubble remain thick and reinforced. They're some of the most boldly frightened people you'll ever meet.

[@zarthemad8386]

and now you know what a cult is.

[@MoreEriksson]

Ah yes, prayer. The idea that you have to beg God to do the thing He was already going to do because of His perfect plan that has been laid out before you existed, where the prayer was predestined but doesn't violate free will even though it would be impossible to not follow through without changing God's plan.

[@ericvulgate]

Apologist counter argument- 'nuh-uh!'

[@thegollyer903]

Unless answering the prayer doesnt go against his will nor helps it.

[@maki49574]

No, not even close.

[@tricoolaz7188]

@@maki49574 then explain why

[@davidhoffman6980]

The celebrity analogy has a huge problem: the celebrity is only in one place at a time. And doesn't love everyone. This means that part of the thrill of meeting one (if not the entire thrill of it) is the exclusivity of it. If everyone on earth met this celebrity and he/she loved everyone equally, then it wouldn't feel special when they meet you and tell you they want to be friends. In his analogy, he even said this hypothetical celebrity skips over everyone else and singles you out personally. God is more like a mass text or email to every on his contacts list that tells everyone "You are my best friend" except everyone who got it knows that everyone else got it.

[@valivali8104]

They don’t seem to think like that; theists talk and act like fans of celebrity. Even christians who claim their god to be like you described it - everywhere at same time and loving everyone equally (if we forgot bible and some other claims christians make...), basically being more like mass text/email - act like their personal "relationship" with their god is special. Seems that they want to have their cake and eat it. Same way as they want to think that their god is all-powerful but also want to think that their god sacrificed itself as its son-self to save people from damnation 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@Mouse_007]

Yes, god is one of those mass spam emails that says " If you don't pray and get ten friends to pray bad things will happen to you". I just delete those emails, and just like prayer, the outcome is the same either way.

[@Mar-dk3mp]

Why God send people to hell? Simple because he create this universe and you too no matter you will deny it (as any typical Godenier 🥴), so one of your site is to believe in the Ten Commandments, in Jesus Teachings and in Him (God). If you be against them well he as final Judge will decide what to do with you... Now that I have answered your questions... Can you Godless and Souless people answer mine (no game please). You western godless an Souless people (because of course you are from west.. what to do with God when you live in a rich and Ealthy Society?) really think the Universe, the Galaxies, the stars the Planets, come out in a chaotic process, you come from a batteria, so it happen you to be a Human to being (that mean you by chance you are a human being, but you could be a lizard, a Giraffa, a Lion, a whale, a shark, a fish and so on), you do not know where your morals come from (what is right for someone is wong for someone alse and what is wrong fro someone is right for someone alse... Just see the different legislations made by humans (for example Zoophilia is right in Brazil but not someone alse)... You also think that from 0 (as before the Bing Bang you think there were nothing, for us, there were God) can come something... (Can you tell me what comes from 0 without an external Intervention???)... You also think you will be Nothing once death and that once who knew you you will be nothing it is like ou never existed and rarely they will remember about you (once for us, we think the life will be forever even after life)... Does it all make sense to you??? Please godless and Souless western person answer to all those questions without playing the game, as some hypocrites, that will also other questions instead to answer. Plus, you really believe all in the humanity (cheating, lieing, slaughtering, beating, wars, battles, stealing and so on?) I mean even me I believe in humanity, but I am careful to say that all the humanity take good decition and be always good... So? Do you believe all the science is always good (Bombs, weapons, military tanks, atomic bombs)? Science is good but in its limits, you can not believe all comes from human, science too, is always good, right? If we could just follow the 10 commandments and the teaching of Jesus we could live in a better society. Prove me wrong :) How I know you are a western (westerns as we know, imperialism, racism, I and I world War and now denying God are the most arrogant people in the world, prove wrong about that to) well be a godeneriers without proposining anything better is the so called Decay of the West and its people... Right? Surelly you may be young, usually young people are naive and see their death far, that why they deny God, but as longer the get closer to their own death they believe in God, as it is the only think they have, prove me wrong about that as well, please. May God bless you and the peace of Christ upon you☺ (waiting for you answer if you can). 😉.........

[@Mar-dk3mp]

@@Mouse_007 Why God send people to hell? Simple because he create this universe and you too no matter you will deny it (as any typical Godenier 🥴), so one of your site is to believe in the Ten Commandments, in Jesus Teachings and in Him (God). If you be against them well he as final Judge will decide what to do with you... Now that I have answered your questions... Can you Godless and Souless people answer mine (no game please). You western godless an Souless people (because of course you are from west.. what to do with God when you live in a rich and Ealthy Society?) really think the Universe, the Galaxies, the stars the Planets, come out in a chaotic process, you come from a batteria, so it happen you to be a Human to being (that mean you by chance you are a human being, but you could be a lizard, a Giraffa, a Lion, a whale, a shark, a fish and so on), you do not know where your morals come from (what is right for someone is wong for someone alse and what is wrong fro someone is right for someone alse... Just see the different legislations made by humans (for example Zoophilia is right in Brazil but not someone alse)... You also think that from 0 (as before the Bing Bang you think there were nothing, for us, there were God) can come something... (Can you tell me what comes from 0 without an external Intervention???)... You also think you will be Nothing once death and that once who knew you you will be nothing it is like ou never existed and rarely they will remember about you (once for us, we think the life will be forever even after life)... Does it all make sense to you??? Please godless and Souless western person answer to all those questions without playing the game, as some hypocrites, that will also other questions instead to answer. Plus, you really believe all in the humanity (cheating, lieing, slaughtering, beating, wars, battles, stealing and so on?) I mean even me I believe in humanity, but I am careful to say that all the humanity take good decition and be always good... So? Do you believe all the science is always good (Bombs, weapons, military tanks, atomic bombs)? Science is good but in its limits, you can not believe all comes from human, science too, is always good, right? If we could just follow the 10 commandments and the teaching of Jesus we could live in a better society. Prove me wrong :) How I know you are a western (westerns as we know, imperialism, racism, I and I world War and now denying God are the most arrogant people in the world, prove wrong about that to) well be a godeneriers without proposining anything better is the so called Decay of the West and its people... Right? Surelly you may be young, usually young people are naive and see their death far, that why they deny God, but as longer the get closer to their own death they believe in God, as it is the only think they have, prove me wrong about that as well, please. May God bless you and the peace of Christ upon you☺ (waiting for you answer if you can). 😉.......

[@Mouse_007]

@@Mar-dk3mp all your questions have been answered, but you don't really want answers, you want a fairy tale where you live in a wonderful place and everything is good. In other words, god is for people who are too afraid to look at the truth. You are wrong in everything you assumed about me, and everything you said about science, but thats what people do who don't understand the difference between facts and imagination, they assume. You wouldn't understand evidence if it hit you in the head. Now run along, talk to your imaginary friend about me, tell him i been a bad boy and he should torture me forever and ever..

[@wintermoonomen]

'Your free will is controlled and preplanned.' - God

[@grapeshot]

The question is why should I have to pray to him when supposedly he already knows what I'm thinking before I thought it.

[@rainbowkrampus]

It's an abuser tactic, YooHoo is trying to build co-dependency.

[@YDV669]

He wants to see you grovel and reduce yourself to a crying, begging wreck.

[@davidcattin7006]

He likes to hear us beg. It's nothing but a power play.

[@ianalan4367]

Christianity has never claimed you have to prey so God knows what you want. We pray to get to know God, and ourselves. “Be Still”

[@adamplentl5588]

@@ianalan4367 Prayer doesn't help you know any deity.

[@DeEnDubleyoo]

"Prayer is part of the good works that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Puts a pretty dark perspective on the whole "thoughts and prayers" response to certain recurring tragedies.

[@oscargordon]

Yes, it is the thanks we give to God for the actions of the mass murderer.

[@Mar-dk3mp]

@@oscargordon Why God send people to hell? Simple because he create this universe and you too no matter you will deny it (as any typical Godenier 🥴), so one of your site is to believe in the Ten Commandments, in Jesus Teachings and in Him (God). If you be against them well he as final Judge will decide what to do with you... Now that I have answered your questions... Can you Godless and Souless people answer mine (no game please). You western godless an Souless people (because of course you are from west.. what to do with God when you live in a rich and Ealthy Society?) really think the Universe, the Galaxies, the stars the Planets, come out in a chaotic process, you come from a batteria, so it happen you to be a Human to being (that mean you by chance you are a human being, but you could be a lizard, a Giraffa, a Lion, a whale, a shark, a fish and so on), you do not know where your morals come from (what is right for someone is wong for someone alse and what is wrong fro someone is right for someone alse... Just see the different legislations made by humans (for example Zoophilia is right in Brazil but not someone alse)... You also think that from 0 (as before the Bing Bang you think there were nothing, for us, there were God) can come something... (Can you tell me what comes from 0 without an external Intervention???)... You also think you will be Nothing once death and that once who knew you you will be nothing it is like ou never existed and rarely they will remember about you (once for us, we think the life will be forever even after life)... Does it all make sense to you??? Please godless and Souless western person answer to all those questions without playing the game, as some hypocrites, that will also other questions instead to answer. Plus, you really believe all in the humanity (cheating, lieing, slaughtering, beating, wars, battles, stealing and so on?) I mean even me I believe in humanity, but I am careful to say that all the humanity take good decition and be always good... So? Do you believe all the science is always good (Bombs, weapons, military tanks, atomic bombs)? Science is good but in its limits, you can not believe all comes from human, science too, is always good, right? If we could just follow the 10 commandments and the teaching of Jesus we could live in a better society. Prove me wrong :) How I know you are a western (westerns as we know, imperialism, racism, I and I world War and now denying God are the most arrogant people in the world, prove wrong about that to) well be a godeneriers without proposining anything better is the so called Decay of the West and its people... Right? Surelly you may be young, usually young people are naive and see their death far, that why they deny God, but as longer the get closer to their own death they believe in God, as it is the only think they have, prove me wrong about that as well, please. May God bless you and the peace of Christ upon you☺ (waiting for you answer if you can). 😉.......

[@Mar-dk3mp]

Why God send people to hell? Simple because he create this universe and you too no matter you will deny it (as any typical Godenier 🥴), so one of your site is to believe in the Ten Commandments, in Jesus Teachings and in Him (God). If you be against them well he as final Judge will decide what to do with you... Now that I have answered your questions... Can you Godless and Souless people answer mine (no game please). You western godless an Souless people (because of course you are from west.. what to do with God when you live in a rich and Ealthy Society?) really think the Universe, the Galaxies, the stars the Planets, come out in a chaotic process, you come from a batteria, so it happen you to be a Human to being (that mean you by chance you are a human being, but you could be a lizard, a Giraffa, a Lion, a whale, a shark, a fish and so on), you do not know where your morals come from (what is right for someone is wong for someone alse and what is wrong fro someone is right for someone alse... Just see the different legislations made by humans (for example Zoophilia is right in Brazil but not someone alse)... You also think that from 0 (as before the Bing Bang you think there were nothing, for us, there were God) can come something... (Can you tell me what comes from 0 without an external Intervention???)... You also think you will be Nothing once death and that once who knew you you will be nothing it is like ou never existed and rarely they will remember about you (once for us, we think the life will be forever even after life)... Does it all make sense to you??? Please godless and Souless western person answer to all those questions without playing the game, as some hypocrites, that will also other questions instead to answer. Plus, you really believe all in the humanity (cheating, lieing, slaughtering, beating, wars, battles, stealing and so on?) I mean even me I believe in humanity, but I am careful to say that all the humanity take good decition and be always good... So? Do you believe all the science is always good (Bombs, weapons, military tanks, atomic bombs)? Science is good but in its limits, you can not believe all comes from human, science too, is always good, right? If we could just follow the 10 commandments and the teaching of Jesus we could live in a better society. Prove me wrong :) How I know you are a western (westerns as we know, imperialism, racism, I and I world War and now denying God are the most arrogant people in the world, prove wrong about that to) well be a godeneriers without proposining anything better is the so called Decay of the West and its people... Right? Surelly you may be young, usually young people are naive and see their death far, that why they deny God, but as longer the get closer to their own death they believe in God, as it is the only think they have, prove me wrong about that as well, please. May God bless you and the peace of Christ upon you☺ (waiting for you answer if you can). 😉.......

[@o0o-jd-o0o95]

Yes I never tell people that I pray for them or anything. I might tell them that I wish them better times but not about praying or anything

[@SonOfTheDawn515]

I just thought it was people virtue signaling.

[@pjosephlthewonder5082]

At a month before I was tossed from the religious cult, we were in the 'indoc class catechism and the nun teaching handed out a sheet of paper, explained that one of the things we needed to do for our relation with god to work was to write down our deepest prayers, and let the church collect them for god. I sat there for the time allotted for this, wrote nothing down, and turned in a blank sheet. when asked why it was blank I replied 'He as you pointed out knows everything about me, then he knows the wishes as well, and that is the personal relation he and I have.' For some reason this was wrong and got me pulled out of the class and halled to off to the headmasters office, where I sat till it was time to leave the place and go home. My mother was explained what went on and told I had homework to do. I did after being forced by my parents to do so wrote down three 'prayers'. they did not go over all that well. Peace

[@garlottos]

That's actually the view of prayer of Jesus. "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." Matt 6:8 KJV His prayer he tells his followers to say is simply asking the Lord to fulfil his Divine Plan and keep them in mind as He does so

[@pjosephlthewonder5082]

@@garlottos KGV is among the funniest translations of the fables I have read. Peace

[@JamesRichardWiley]

Religion creates childish dependency and prevents critical thinking. No logic allowed when discussing the invisible bully hiding in the clouds.

[@garlottos]

@@JamesRichardWiley Someone has never read Aquinus

[@pjosephlthewonder5082]

@@JamesRichardWiley Ever wonder why it was illegal to eat from the tree of Knowledge?

[@knutthompson7879]

If you pray and it happens, it is because you prayed. If not, well, sometimes God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

[@donaldnumbskull9745]

Prayer is the gateway drug to confirmation bias.😉

[@wilberwhateley7569]

It’s like things just happen and we come up with rationalizations as to why later…

[@jimd6641]

Win-win for God!

[@lornajames]

So this basically renders prayer useless yeah you can see how that logic reaches it's absolute conclusion

[@davidfitnesstech]

Yep; I apologists can explain anything.

[@AlexPBenton]

The ‘celebrity walks past everyone to talk specifically to you’ analogy breaks down instantly, because god supposedly *doesn’t* walk past anyone, he’s supposed to be omnipresent, and loves all of us equally. Additionally, it’s more analogous to the entirely fictional Hatsune Miku, who can seemingly greet a crowd, but in reality is just a constructed image of a personality designed to appeal to a large demographic.

[@DHPersonal]

On Reformed theology, God does only go to certain people to regenerate them to hear the message of God’s salvation. The other people in the room are technically “dead” in spirit, unable to have a conversation or even recognize God as a celebrity.

[@tamatebako_yt]

God is Hatsune Miku confirmed!

[@IfYouInsist]

@@tamatebako_yt this is the better takeaway here for sure.

[@hainleysimpson1507]

@@DHPersonal So basically god is allabout it's own ego. Since he wasn't getting special consideration he ignored everyone else. Also why does being stupid make you eligible to be approached by such a being.

[@peachy_lili]

my parasocial relationship with a kpop band has given me more emotional stability than decades of trying to have a personal relationship with big G god.

[@chickenfist1554]

It always reminds me of the meme of Jesus holding a starving African kid and saying, "I know you're starving and all but I have to go. A spoilt Mormon girl has just lost the keys to her Jetta" Hahah

[@christophergibson7155]

"A proud and haughty man- “Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride." (Proverbs 21:24)

[@aerrae5608]

@@christophergibson7155 Describes Christians perfectly.

[@christophergibson7155]

@@aerrae5608 No. It describes the prideful and hardened heart. (Proverbs 21:24) "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18

[@aerrae5608]

@@christophergibson7155 Right, Christians. None of you can agree on what Christianity means. Is it okay with gays? Is Christianity about love or punishment? Do you work to go to heaven or is it just a reward for baptism? Any Christian who believes they have the answer, is prideful. And because of that, the only way to be a Christian that is not prideful, is to be meek and not to flaunt verses around like you're the authority. You guys can't even figure out the book yourselves and you expect everyone else to buy it. Utter foolishness. If Christianity was clear then there would be only ONE type of Christianity.

[@christophergibson7155]

@@aerrae5608 You have limited understanding mostly because you don't know what the Word of God, The Holy Bible is saying to you. I will answer your inquiries in order: Homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9) God is love, but God hates sin. He is Holy, therefore sin is so contrary to His nature. Jesus will return to judge the world in righteousness. (Acts 17:31) "even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." (Galatians 2:16) So no one will go to the kingdom of Heaven based on their works. Water baptism is just an outward sign of the inward work of the Spirit of God coming to dwell in you. I am not prideful. I have taken that plank out of my eye long ago. I have the authority of God's word, and have been made an ambassador of Christ after I was born again. You have a wrong conclusion about why I shouldn't "flaunt verses around". Every born again believer in Jesus is called to preach the word, and share the truth of the gospel of the kingdom of God. My mind is being renewed daily by the Word of God. I don't know all Bible knowledge at present. But I trust and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ every day. As truth is made known by the Holy Spirt new church groups start to form. And it is usually the older more established denominations that tend to reject the present truths being made know. Alas, all the denominations. But we are to follow Jesus.

[@Quinn2]

Thanks for covering this, Zod - this exact issue was the inciting spark that led me down the rabbithole that is deconstruction. In my church we were taught that prayer changes the pray-er (the person praying) because it strengthens your relationship with God, but it doesn't change his mind on things. So I never prayed for specific outcomes, only that God would do more vague things like "give me strength/peace/comfort in this difficult time." It makes for a pretty weak and wishy-washy God, and even as a high schooler, I realized the irreconcilability of our conception of God with our conception of prayer.

[@josiahvonb3426]

"Give me strength/peace/comfort" though vague is still asking this god character to change something in its ultimate plan to change.

[@c.guydubois8270]

You cannot petition the Lord in prayer! J. Morrison

[@matthewnitz8367]

Yeah, I had a similar explanation that God wanted us to pray for things that aligned with his will, which he was going to do, as that would bring us closer to God. Which actually does basically work out as a viable explanation l, but only because it doesn't make any verifiable claims that you can see an effect from. Realizing that I had taken extremely bold claims about prayer that were made in the Bible and twisted them so I didn't have to test them in any way they could be shown as false was one of many such realizations during my deconversion that I'd developed a convoluted theology that didn't really match the Bible and whose sole benefit was being unfalsifiable. That combined with the fact that I realized this idea had led me to pray for things like people coming to faith in God, which obviously would be God's will, and I didn't see any effect from that. If praying for people to go to heaven wasn't in line with God's will, then what the heck was he even doing?

[@DHPersonal]

I actually came about to a similar line of thought a while ago but from a different direction: prayers I made were so regularly going “unanswered” that I started self-regulating what I asked for to increase the likelihood that what I wanted would match reality.

[@richhutnik2477]

If the churches that keep harping on being a Christian is a personal thing, really push that, they can close the doors and go home. But hey, during a pandemic, they push the need to meet. Apparently it stops being personally when it means no more money. On that note, I need to hunt down the song Cash Cow by Steve Taylor.

[@rudysega]

Prayer: Believing you can change the world by talking to yourself.

[@garlottos]

Believing you can chang _yourself_ by talking to _the All_ you seem to be viewing prayer through this 'prosperity gospel' evangelists push nowadays

[@garlottos]

@@handlessuck777 Nice responce m8, very informative "Set not up treasures for yourself upon the Earth"

[@britnicox3929]

It says a lot about how the Christian upbringing sticks to you that, during my whole journey of leaving the church, prayer itself never struck me as odd lol

[@BeeMarzipan]

Recently I had really bad death anxiety and it led me to do something I hadn't done in many years: I prayed Not necessarily because I believe in God, but because prayer for me, even as a Christian kid, was meditative, it relaxed me and helped me sleep or reduce anxiety/panic

[@davidbudge8359]

If this anxiety is getting to rule your life please get some medical help as even talking therapy could help you through this. May you be well soon

[@valivali8104]

Wouldn't singing help? Or other meditation methods?

[@samuelkeystone]

30 minutes of meditations at least 3 times a day keeps me in the game when it really counts and I have to be there for others.

[@drlegendre]

This may well be the one, truly :effective use of prayer. I was also raised Christian, and sometimes do this as well. Honestly, I'm not really sure that I'm speaking to anyone but myself - but it does seem to help me process things, and bring a sense of calm.

[@DaveCM]

I can understand the prayer thing when you can't sleep. I've been an atheist for a a while now yet I have the impulse to pray when I can't sleep. A lifetime of indoctrination is hard to get rid of.

[@HoneyTone-TheSearchContinues]

Whenever I hear believers talking about their god thingy and its powers/abilities, I can’t help but think of ComicCon fans earnestly engaged with each other about their favorite superheroes. SMH.

[@KianaWolf]

Every theological debate does seem to echo "who would win between Goku and Superman?"

[@adrianinha19]

A woman once got mad at me for not wanting to pray for her husband to find a job. I told her maybe it was god's pland for him to be unemployed.

[@garlottos]

You're probably right. Maybe he had something to learn from unemployment and struggle. Pray instead that All will be fulfilled according to the Law

[@lornajames]

@@garlottos yikes dog

[@garlottos]

@@lornajames What?

[@Abyzz_Knight]

@@garlottos or God could've just liked watching him suffer, maybe God just doesn't care, or maybe the husband is on a waiting list behind all the people on prayer premium who are also praying for a job. Who can know, God works in mysterious ways after all. Christians don't even have much of a consensus on God, his characteristics, or his rules.

[@garlottos]

@@Abyzz_Knight "There were two souls, after passing through life, that were given the option to be reborn or to pass into the next life. One said, 'I wish to be reborn, as there is this lesson I wish to learn'. The other says to him, 'My friend, I love you so much, that I will be reborn with you and serve as your adversary, that you might learn this lesson'" I cannot speak to what Christians believe, as I am unfortunately not one, but is it not written "And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?"

[@grapeshot]

Praying you might as well be Wishing Upon A Star for all the good it does. I never got anything from praying I had to get off my behind and go get what I wanted or needed to get.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

Ye, ye that is the same mistake Western Godless and souless idiot living in a materialistic society think about praying. you do not always pray to receveive something back but to thank God, who create you. Do not be selfish and ignorant.

[@visaman]

That was His answer, to get off your butt and get it yourself.

[@Dan_C604]

God knows what we need already, but he wants to hear us BEG..! Lol

[@dolfuny]

Dare I say it... Kinky

[@LadyDoomsinger]

I'd definitely be more inclined to join religious services, if they'd just admit they're into BDSM.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

@@dolfuny I know that you are western, godless and Souless wester (that is the logic, prove me wrong if you can or do not say anything please ☺) Atheism is mainly from the west, and west is rich, so people prefer to worship Money, and money produce a materialistic societies... Plus we westerns are very arrogants trhgout God, but we are the worst humans, we created so many wars, so much dengerous tecnology, imperialism and so on. So we think to be at the place of God, that why we do not him... Plus most of those people are youths and youths tend to be Godless and Souless, and they do not care that according to that idea system it makes you not have objective morality, they do not know where they morals come from (because they do not know where their morals come from, right??), plus the Atheism makes you believe you will be nothing once death, but you do not think about that when you are young and strong, but much you get older and closer to the death you become more religious because God and the idea of an Afterlife is the only thing make you go ahead... So basically you can not prove if there is a creation there is not a creator (can you??? Plaese answer this question with an answer not with another question if you can do) That why the West is so fucked up. Follow the money and bad church decision... Plus tell me where you morals come from (as anyone without a religion supposedly has different morals, please) May God Bless you ☺

[@brainwashedbyevidence948]

@Dolfuny oh beg for it, I know you don't deserve my intervention but beg and it might happen(spoiler, it won't). 😂

[@nola3058]

😆😆😆

[@jannettb7930]

The idea that this infinitely powerful being can only do things that are logically possible, that he can't break the laws of logic that he supposedly created, but somehow can break the laws of physics seems like a giant hole in their argument.

[@FishHeadSalad]

When it comes to vending machines vs god and prayer, I pretty much know that the vending machine will absolutely give me what I want if I put my quarter in and that it will not (after puttingmy quarter in) show me a sign that says..."as to your item... *_yes your item will show up in the slot, or maybe it will, or maybe it won't. But either way, know that I know that you put the quarter in._*

[@FishHeadSalad]

@Wolf-dog Cat-dog 2.0 At least you can see through the glass that the machine is actually doing something unlike prayer or god. ;-)

[@trichinosis333]

Prayer is basically a fancy term for talking to yourself.

[@MegCazalet]

It’s surprising to me that there’s SO much variation of understanding amongst Christians regarding the purpose of prayer and the nature of God. It shouldn’t be surprising, but it just is. I was raised Catholic (now long lapsed; I quit Confirmation class as a young teen) and was taught that prayer is not supposed to be asking for things to happen like “please let me an A on this test”, “please get rid of my strep throat, this is misery”, “please grant me an Xbox for Christmas”, etc. I was taught we are supposed to pray for specific kinds of help sourced from within us. We have free will, so we are supposed to determine our own choices and outcomes. Prayer is to ask for extra concentration and confidence in order to study better and pass the test, to ask for courage and strength to handle suffering, and I don’t know, uh . . . the ambition and commitment to save up for an Xbox. Basically don’t ask for material things or for miracles, but for access to inner traits and strengths to help us bring about what we want to achieve. Maybe it’s a little like what kids these days call manifesting, but with a middle-man. Or in the case of the Saints, asking for an additional intercessor to put in a good word with the middle-man. It’s probably scandalous to refer to the Christian (Catholic) God as “the middle-man”. Anyway, that is the type of relationship to God I was taught, and how prayer worked when I was a kid. My mom particularly loves the Serenity Prayer, which was big for a lot of my family when my uncle was going through rehab. “Grant me the serenity to accept the thing I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” God or not, I also like the lesson in that prayer, because it’s very similar to lessons from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy I’ve gone though for my depression, anxiety, and PTSD from ongoing medical trauma since birth. Serenity, courage, and wisdom: all extremely useful, be they cradle gifts from fairy godmothers, or power-ups from some fatherly all-powerful authority figure, or qualities we can concentrate on nurturing within ourselves. My formal prayers as a kid were usually for courage because I was afraid of recess, because I was afraid of getting hurt, afraid of thunderstorms, afraid of my loved ones dying at any moment. Praying to be healed of my disability, praying that there be no thunderstorms, praying that my family become immortal, never occurred to me. But my mom definitely taught me prayer as a coping skill, a self-soothing strategy, and probably hoped raising me religious would help with my crippling fears and anxieties. It helped until it didn’t, but now that I can recognize the strong similarities between what I was taught in religious practice and in therapy, and how the functions and outcomes are VERY SIMILAR. I confess to clinging to one weird little Catholic ritual: I recite a prayer to St. Anthony to help me find something I’ve misplaced, like my keys or sunglasses. I see it as refocusing my mind, calming me, and helping me slow down and make a more strategic, smarter, and usually thus more successful search. It almost always “is answered”, to the point where my husband, who was not raised to believe in any God and certainly not to pray, uses the little rhyme too. “Dear St. Anthony, please come around, [such-and-such] has been lost and cannot be found.” It’s not even a great little ditty! But we like it. Prayer is so many different things to so many people.

[@ninagrace-lee8323]

I agree with this. There’s a diversity of beliefs in Christianity so it’s always interesting to see videos like this. Christians are not a monolith, probably moreso than any other religion. My beliefs around prayer are like yours. It’s about discipline to consistently show love towards God. And if I ask something, it’s usually praying for goodwill towards other people and building character. I can ask for specific traits like courage, love, discipline, self control. I cannot really pray for material things and God doesn’t have to give them to me. The “God’s plan” part is that by living my life and practicing good Christian ethics, what is supposed to happen will organically happen. And no matter what, be grateful for what you have. Pretty simple to me

[@darkstarr984]

What you do with prayers is so simple and lovely and it’s very similar to what I do with spell casting.

[@DodgaOfficial]

The problem I see with this kind of prayer is that traits like courage and discipline can only come from practicing having courage, from building up discipline, lots of people miss out on so much personal development because they are waiting for God to change them, because they have never been taught how to change themselves.

[@Bojan12]

@@DodgaOfficialYou can change yourself how what God can do is completely on different lvl. I taught my life was extremely hard until I did not start to follow Jesus than I learned what true looks like and transformation that brings. Life that I had before is almost easy mode in comparison

[@cuzned1375]

Prayer was the first nagging thing that i just couldn’t reconcile with the other things i’d been taught. Even just reciting the Lord’s Prayer, i was like, “Wait, ‘please do this, but only if it’s what you want to do anyway’? Then why ask?” And once i took a step back and looked with fresh eyes, i saw that almost everything i’d been taught was equally nonsensical. That was the start of an interesting journey.

[@joemama1132]

I pray at night just to thank God for whatever happened that day. If I had a bad day, I can still go "I had that chocolate bar today, and I got to visit my grandma and enjoy time with her. Thanks for that." And then the day doesn't seem that bad anymore. Remembering to be grateful for the little things in life keeps me going. Just my personal reason for praying.

[@0The0Web0]

Always going through the positive things of a day keeps you in good spirits. Its healthy. You could thank yourself for doing that.

[@sorryifoldcomment8596]

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I'm adding my perspective (and I mean no offense with this comment; it's not really a reply to you specifically). ~•~•~•~ The experience you describe is something lots of atheists do. It's even an assignment you'll get in many rehabs & recovery centers for addiction & mental illness, etc. (I speak from personal experience lol. They had me fill out a gratitude sheet every day, to help focus on the positives.) Except they don't feel the need to call it "praying" & insert a God. It's kind of sad to me that some people have to frame it as "thanking God." Totally dependent on an invisible evil being who isn't actually responsible for anything you're grateful for...and if God existed & *was* responsible for the good things, then he'd be responsible for an even greater amount of suffering...to such an insane extent that this being should disgust & horrify you - definitely not deserving of anyone thanking it. /end ramble, sorry 😅✌

[@joemama1132]

@@sorryifoldcomment8596 the way i've come to understand God is like a parent who's let their kids (his kids being humanity as a whole) "fly the nest." If he comes down and solves everyone's problems, they wont have the need to grow as people or a species. Its our job to help one another, but because of free will, humans create unjust systems and do horrifying shit. Before I ask "why isn't God helping us?" I ask "Why aren't we helping each other?" I never blame God for cancer or natural disasters or anything outside of people, cause it's nature, and its got a mind of its own. Nature isn't evil, it's just surviving. In that same breath, I will admit though, thanking him for the good things would also be kinda redundant, depending on how you look at it. But I do it anyway because it works for me. If it doesn't work for others, then fine. Maybe I don't believe in God the same way other religious folks do, its more like how some scientists believe in their work, but also believe in the concept of a creator.

[@WisteriaDrake]

@@joemama1132Never understood why believers are hung up on the "need to grow" aspect. Who says we need to grow? If God comes down and solves everything, then we don't need to grow. I don't see a problem in that, sounds like a blast. Let's do it. After all, that's what the Garden of Eden was supposed to be, right? If it's good enough for God, it's good enough for me.

[@joemama1132]

@@WisteriaDrake Yeah, that's what the garden is. Maybe that's what Heaven is too, idk. But humans were kicked out for lying to God's face after being tricked into eating the forbidden fruit. So all we can focus on now is doing better as a species, which so far, we sure as hell haven't. 90% of human suffering is a fault of humans ourselves, it only makes sense that we're the ones to fix it.

[@Czar_Moss]

"if you dont pray, god wont do what you want or maybe he will. if you do pray, he wont do wjat you want or maybe he will. thats why you should pray"

[@theflyingdutchguy9870]

also even if he isnt "all-powerful" he is still "creating" millions of things every second. making millions of things happen every second. and if he doesnt get effected by time he should have no problem getting anything done at any time from our perspective. he is just trying to make sense out of God not being powerful or good enough to fix everything while trying to keep the attributes he wants to give to God. wich obviously doesnt work. its one giant contradiction.

[@sgtcrab2569]

Could be "she"!

[@dethspud]

He makes prayer sound like a lottery ticket.

[@mikenash7049]

I remember, years ago, being in a Bible study group where we were talking about this. One of the older chaps in the group said that at the end of each prayer, we should add, "if it be thy will". Even though I was a keen Christian then, I said to the group, "That strikes me as a cop-out."

[@enzoaraya4796]

If any of you want an accurate representation of the biblical god in anime form, Ywach from Bleach is a great representation of him. For any fellow fans in the comments this is just straight up spot on as we all know.

[@Nocturnalux]

Enel from One Piece is a great example of an anime analogue to a “god”. He is a physical god and, interestingly enough, does not even get defeated but floats off into sheer irrelevance. Oh and there is always Jesus Yamato Kira from Gundam Seed.

[@trhooks00]

Nice finding a Bleach fan down here.

[@peachy_lili]

[spoilers for RahXephon] fun time to bring up a show I voice acted in. •ᴗ• the most overt 'god' of RahXephon is inspired by Aztec mythology; she/he/it is participating in a sort of time loop manipulating humans, attempting to get a certain outcome to pass in order to 'tune the world'. but in the end you realize It has always been powerless to do this alone, and that just because that outcome is what It wishes, doesn't mean that's what is best for the world. power doesn't equal goodness or correctness

[@dragonhealer7588]

When I added up all the time I was required to pray over the course of my life, I realized that huge amount of time could be better spent saving the world. So I did. You're welcome.

[@carlpierce2486]

Religion becomes a pile of nonsense The second you ask even simple questions.

[@ahlerstb]

As a christian; I can honestly say that prayer does nothing but calm us down in times of hardship. That's I don't pray when I want/need something; only to say thanks for what I do have. (also a way of calming myself down when I'm stressed.)

[@jmparker78]

I appreciate your honesty.

[@demitrijones6922]

So A Christian gets stressed. What good is your powerful God if you get stressed.

[@ahlerstb]

@@demitrijones6922 Yeah, the bible doesn't say that christians don't/can't get stressed; only to pray to our deity when we do feel stressed. For example; when I'm stressed, I say a prayer of thanks to put the stressful siruation into perspective and it goes away.

[@brainwashedbyevidence948]

@Social Justice Wookiee if you only pray when you're stressed, you should ask yourself, why am I in this relationship if I get so little. Also, I would recommend self-talk therapy and breathing exercises, works wonders

[@ahlerstb]

@@brainwashedbyevidence948 You don't get to decide that for me. My path is my path; do you see me criticizing yours? No, cause I'm not a hateful piece of shit trying to control other's lives.

[@JamesRichardWiley]

Prayer is talking to yourself with wishful thinking and worshiping a mass murdering monster.

[@aaronchandler2380]

Holy shit I do love the way you hit the nail squarely on the head!

[@jabberwocky7745]

Before I lost my faith, I had reached the point where I considered the purist form of prayer to be "God I don't know what I need. Please give me whatever is best, because you know best." When you start tearing apart this stuff, I think that's the only logical place you can go. An old preacher said that prayer doesn't change God, it changes US. Not sure how, except that it makes us resign ourselves to whatever happens next, and takes it out of our hands - we're no longer responsible for our own futures.

[@elegantoddity8609]

This is the stage of Christian thought I like to call "Everything is fine, nothing can go wrong." When the defense-mechanisms Christianity has developed over the years are seen from the wide angle, there is no reason to concern yourself with anything. After all, god knows best, and has the power to do best, so whatever happens is naturally the best thing that possibly could. Someone dies? They're either in Heaven, which is mercy, or in Hell, which is justice. It's all part of the inconceivably complex plan, so anything you'd want is short-sighted and probably selfish. At best just follow the commands I guess, but don't sweat getting em wrong, he'll forgive.

[@scottgrohs5940]

Problem is “God, I don’t know what I need,” leads one to feel out of control of one’s life, leading to an existence spent just sort of drifting and never developing or exploring any passions in one’s formative years.

[@davidcattin7006]

@@scottgrohs5940 Exactly. People need to take responsibility for their lives. Take action, or nothing is going to happen.

[@davidcattin7006]

Exactly! If we don't take responsibility for our lives, there's only one person to blame. Waiting to hear from a god is a joke, and only gives you a lame excuse (by blaming god). I met some neighbors who immediately told me god told them to move here, they love Jesus and trump, Hillary should be in prison, and he (the man) had a gun. I decided to leave at that point.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

I know that you are western, godless and Souless wester (that is the logic, prove me wrong if you can or do not say anything please ☺) Atheism is mainly from the west, and west is rich, so people prefer to worship Money, and money produce a materialistic societies... Plus we westerns are very arrogants trhgout God, but we are the worst humans, we created so many wars, so much dengerous tecnology, imperialism and so on. So we think to be at the place of God, that why we do not him... Plus most of those people are youths and youths tend to be Godless and Souless, and they do not care that according to that idea system it makes you not have objective morality, they do not know where they morals come from (because they do not know where their morals come from, right??), plus the Atheism makes you believe you will be nothing once death, but you do not think about that when you are young and strong, but much you get older and closer to the death you become more religious because God and the idea of an Afterlife is the only thing make you go ahead... So basically you can not prove if there is a creation there is not a creator (can you??? Plaese answer this question with an answer not with another question if you can do) That why the West is so fucked up. Follow the money and bad church decision... Plus tell me where you morals come from (as anyone without a religion supposedly has different morals, please) May God Bless you ☺

[@corvinredacted]

I can't believe he didn't notice the glaringly obvious problem with his celebrity in a crowded room analogy. God wouldn't single you out. He would feel the same way about you as literally every other person in the room. Even the horrible ones.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

I know that you are western, godless and Souless wester (that is the logic, prove me wrong if you can or do not say anything please ☺) Atheism is mainly from the west, and west is rich, so people prefer to worship Money, and money produce a materialistic societies... Plus we westerns are very arrogants trhgout God, but we are the worst humans, we created so many wars, so much dengerous tecnology, imperialism and so on. So we think to be at the place of God, that why we do not him... Plus most of those people are youths and youths tend to be Godless and Souless, and they do not care that according to that idea system it makes you not have objective morality, they do not know where they morals come from (because they do not know where their morals come from, right??), plus the Atheism makes you believe you will be nothing once death, but you do not think about that when you are young and strong, but much you get older and closer to the death you become more religious because God and the idea of an Afterlife is the only thing make you go ahead... So basically you can not prove if there is a creation there is not a creator (can you??? Plaese answer this question with an answer not with another question if you can do) That why the West is so fucked up. Follow the money and bad church decision... Plus tell me where you morals come from (as anyone without a religion supposedly has different morals, please) May God Bless you ☺

[@corvinredacted]

@Donato Marcello Radice Honestly, I don't believe in any gods simply because I don't see any reason to think they actually exist. It's that simple. I've never seen (or heard) anything to convince me that such a thing is real. It appears to be entirely fictional.

[@elzoog]

"He would feel the same way about you as literally every other person in the room." How do you know this?

[@corvinredacted]

@Brian Dean Because the whole "God loves you and covets you and wants to have a personal relationship with you" spiel traditionally applies to all of his children. It's especially obvious when a youth leader is telling that analogy to an auditorium full of people, intending for every single person to see themself as the "you". If God loves everyone infinitely, he loves everyone the same. If the analogy was accurate, God would be spurning far more people than he'd be singling out for his attention. Chances are you'd be ignored rather than coddled, along with 99% of the population. Of course, there are contadictory messages in the Bible. Sometimes God loves everybody, and sometimes he hates people. I'm just going with the most common interpretation that is presented alongside this particular type of analogy.

[@corvinredacted]

@Brian Dean Even ignoring what the Bible has to say about God's nature the guy presenting the analogy clearly has no specific person in mind. He uses "you" to mean his listener. Any and all of his listeners. The analogy breaks down because for God to single you out, he would have to pick one person and ignore the others. The whole audience can't be the special singled out person.

[@buttersquids]

To paraphraseto paraphrase NSC: "What do you mean my sacrifice to myself to appease myself didn't work" This was about the resurrection but applies similarly to Jesus' prayers

[@PurpleRhymesWithOrange]

Another flaw with his celebrity analogy. He said they come in, sit down, and start talking to me. It would make a huge difference if God came and started talking to me, as opposed to the years I spent talking to him without any indication he did anything but ignore me.

[@SkTzO76]

Yep! An omnipotent being EXPECTING a flawed, frail and faulty creature such as perpetually evil, wicked and sinful humans are somehow supposed to reach GOD status by begging, praying for decades and nothing BUT silence. No prayer EVER answered...and then one day GOD comes to me at a bar. Woooo, Id have a lot to say and nothing friendly at that point. Ignore me my entire childhood, teenage years and most of my adulthood AND THEN you want to be my dad/friend. GTFOH!!!

[@PurpleRhymesWithOrange]

@@SkTzO76 As a teenager I prayed for God to tell me he was there and I should not try to terminate myself. I never received any sign. I made two attempts to terminate myself. The only result from those incidents was showing me my physical shell is more resilient than I thought it was.

[@heteroclitus]

Listening to this guy talk about how awesome God is makes me think of the prayer from Monty Python's Meaning of Life: Oh Lord, oooh you are so big. So absolutely huge. Gosh, we’re all really impressed down here I can tell you. Forgive us, O Lord, for this dreadful toadying and barefaced flattery. But you are so strong and, well, just so super. Amen.

[@rooboy69]

The more you try and understand god, the more he ends up fitting the devil....

[@britaom3299]

In the church I used to attend, there would be weekly prayer requests sent out to the entire congregation for all the (mostly geriatric) members who were having upcoming surgeries and procedures. Well, let's just say the success rate of the prayers was pretty dismal, we're talking single digits. Case in point: one congregant had a serious issue with his esophagus, so the typical prayer request went out to pray for a successful surgery. Well, right after the surgery, things seemed OK, so the church secretary sent out an email "Praise Jesus! Prayer works!!! AMEN!!" But then an hour later, complications developed, and the guy ended up being rushed back into intensive care because the esophagus reopened and filled up his lungs with blood and other fluids and he damned near died right there and then and is still in the ICU. Ooops. So then the secretary sends out an update email, informing the congregation what happened, and added "Sometimes God's ways are mysterious to us! But continue to trust in the Lord and in the power of prayer!!" (LOL: yeah it sure is a "mystery" why the success rate of our prayers is in the single digits! But just keep praying and trusting that it works!!!) During the same week, however, another congregant goes in for, in his very own words, a simple, routine procedure. That simple routine procedure went well, he was in and out of the hospital the same day, and what was his and the church's response?? JESUS IS LORD!!! SEE THE POWER OF PRAYER!!!! GOD REIGNS SUPREME!!! HUGE WIN FOR JESUS AND PRAYER!! (What, so we are up to 10% on the prayer success rate?!) So this God is able to handle a simple, routine medical procedure? Yet an invasive and dangerous operation on somebody's esophagus is apparently out of God's control to fix?!? I mean, isn't it kinda crazy (not to mention presumptuous and narcissistic) to be chalking up success in a simple routine medical procedure to JAYSUS and the Power of PRAYER!!!! ...when, that very same week, you had somebody else in that same church had HIS operation FAIL and he's still in the ICU!?! And also, what about all the other people in those hospitals who ended up dying on the operating table? What about all the other people all over the world who died of starvation, disease, accidents, suicides during the same time these operations were taking place ... I guess Jesus didn't bother with them, but he went out of his way, apparently, to ensure that this one person's "routine medical procedure" in my former church turned out ok?? How special he must be! The sovereign of the entire UNIVERSE has HIS BACK!!! But those tens of thousands of other people at the same time who suffered painful deaths?? Guess they didn't count. They weren't "special." Again, at the end of the day, this is nothing but childish narcissism, arrogance, and presumptuousness, and that's what's behind all Christian "humility": ego and narcissism.

[@britaom3299]

BTW, the person who went in for a routine medical procedure: another question I would ask about that: Why not skip the routine and go straight to Jesus??? After all, if Jesus himself "has his back" and, apparently, wants him to continue living ....um, why not just skip the rigmarole and have Jesus take care of it himself? Why mess with hospitals, doctors, nurses, and all that expensive medical technology??? Doesn't Jesus consider the high cost of medicine these days?? Why not just save everyone some money and POOF heal the person in question without any medical procedure?? (It also seems, in the narcissistic worldview of the Christian, that none of those doctors, nurses, and medical technology ultimately matter for a successful outcome! Nope, it's all ME AND MUH JESUS!!!)

[@David-vz9ov]

Prayer builds the inner you. It’s not magic to give you the things that you crave! It is to give you understanding and comfort that all of us must suffer because we live in a world that has been destroyed by our innate selfishness. All of us have ruined this world and suffer disease and death because we have no care for anyone above ourselves. Free will is to choose what is best for others before our own selfish needs. All illness,all suffering is very short compared to eternity which is really just an illusion that really does not exist. The past,present, and future co-exist. There is no such thing as time! It’s sad that you have such bitterness within yourself and blame god for your disappointment of this life, but God gave this world to us through Adam with the most central pillar of free will in which we can choose to do whatever we do through our choice, which is a god decision making process, but thankfully without the actual power of God. Murder and mayhem and rape and torture and war . We can choose! What idiotic creatures we are! Fortunately GOD knows that we are idiots and keeps control!

[@alohaohana901]

I think Christians will tell people not to concern themselves with the fact that God is all-knowing. They will say God understands that a human is limited, and that fact in no way diminishes the fact that God is all-knowing. Therefore people should pray because God is fully aware of people's limitations.

[@drlegendre]

"God has the power to do whatever he wants, and he doesn't need people to accomplish that." Unless he needs a box, or a boat, or a book, or a building, or ..

[@franklinbarrett4630]

..or a starship

[@Preservestlandry]

Or an arc. Noah had to build that for him.

[@garlottos]

I hate this comparison. If He created the entire universe and a boat ends up in it, He made a boat, roundabout or no

[@drlegendre]

@@Preservestlandry The arc of Noah could fall under either "box" or "boat", as it is both of these things. Good comment, though.

[@drlegendre]

@@franklinbarrett4630 What does God need with one of those?!

[@monodescarado]

Tim Minchin’s ‘Thank you God’ is such an amazing takedown of prayer. Must hear/watch if you haven’t already.

[@ParaSpite]

The difference between god and a vending machine (aside from that the latter actually exists) is that a vending machine usually gives you what you want (and when it doesn't, it's a malfunction, a scam, or both).

[@corwin32]

Intercessory prayer brings to mind another logical question I don’t think I’ve ever heard addressed-can a being with perfect omniscience and omnipotence intervene to change events even if they wanted to? Since all moments are known to god, does that effectively pre-empt their ability to intervene? Or do they have the power to manifest change, thereby rendering the future, at least to a small degree, unknowable?

[@Mouse_007]

You're asking if a perfect, all knowing, all powerful being can change it's mind? No it can't change it's mind and still be all those things. Although, because it can't change it's mind, it fails to be all powerful. Very good, I don't think I ever heard that idea addressed either.

[@Uryvichk]

Process Theology permits the mutability of God, so in theory maybe God's mind could be changed and course corrected there, since God is basically action-in-time rather than being.

[@visaman]

That would be called fatalism, the belief that everything is set in stone, and, nothing can be changed. In that case, prayer is useless.

[@domecrack]

Technically first, although I think KZbin has muted my comments for mentioning a certain internet browser

[@dickottel]

no? what is the forbidden browser 🤣Mozzarella Forestfox? Intermusk Eloner?

[@ajclements4627]

It’s not Muskagoogle?

[@KiaraCameescu]

Mr. Prophet this hit me hard No matter how you turn the issue of religon you cannot make it make sense! Truly thankful for reviving some of my old thoughts! I love your videos man! Keep up the work

[@randolphphillips3104]

The short circuit cause by cognitive dissonance between "Gawd is omniscient" and "Gawd has a plan", with a little seasoning of "avoid saying free will".

[@DHPersonal]

It gets weirder: Christians pray because they believe that God can make changes in the world, but they ignore that this reasoning means the world we live in is perfect, determined by God, exactly as it should be. Why ask God to change what God determined was best?

[@donatomarcelloradice]

I know that you are western, godless and Souless wester (that is the logic, prove me wrong if you can or do not say anything please ☺) Atheism is mainly from the west, and west is rich, so people prefer to worship Money, and money produce a materialistic societies... Plus we westerns are very arrogants trhgout God, but we are the worst humans, we created so many wars, so much dengerous tecnology, imperialism and so on. So we think to be at the place of God, that why we do not him... Plus most of those people are youths and youths tend to be Godless and Souless, and they do not care that according to that idea system it makes you not have objective morality, they do not know where they morals come from (because they do not know where their morals come from, right??), plus the Atheism makes you believe you will be nothing once death, but you do not think about that when you are young and strong, but much you get older and closer to the death you become more religious because God and the idea of an Afterlife is the only thing make you go ahead... So basically you can not prove if there is a creation there is not a creator (can you??? Plaese answer this question with an answer not with another question if you can do) That why the West is so fucked up. Follow the money and bad church decision... Plus tell me where you morals come from (as anyone without a religion supposedly has different morals, please) May God Bless you ☺

[@donatomarcelloradice]

Not always... Actually most of time is to thanks who created us... So why are you lieing wester godless and souless person that does not know where his morals come from?

[@dehsa38]

It's not a matter "explaining", it's a matter of faith. Faith needs no explaining. You know it when you have it.

[@ProphetofZod]

It depends on the person. That Nate guy thought it was worth explaining, and I responded accordingly. Other people are willing to believe in things with no evidence or explanation. Not great, but it’s up to them.

[@lorenzodicapo6305]

I love how he spends a long time explaining how God is super this and omni that, but then when you pray, he's just a person.

[@ryancagerbaker]

In my personal opinion prayer is more of a self motivator or way to bring your goals to fruition. Some of us do better personifying the universe or whatever term chosen and others do better without the personification.

[@jonathanallard2128]

Man you're good at expressing complicated notions. Love your stuff!

[@keinegotter573]

Great video, man. Very succinctly addressed.

[@clemstevenson]

There isn't a shred of supporting evidence for biblical claims, regarding the alleged supernatural powers of Jesus Christ. Indeed, there isn't a shred of supporting evidence for any of the claimed supernatural events in the bible. Without the blind acceptance of biblical supernatural claims, the bible serves no purpose. Religious people would have to prove to me that the biblical supernatural claims are factual, rather than demand that I believe them to be factual.

[@CoyTheobalt]

in going back and watching the faceless POZ.... I'm a much bigger fan of your face. makes it feel more relatable

[@user-qb4eb8vq5u]

It's stuff like this that pushed me away even further from Christianity. I'd get excited at first, about these supposed responses. And then I'd listen, and see the huge holes everywhere, even more glaring than when I first entertained these questions. And while othes would sit there and nod glassy-eyed, satisfied with these non-answers...I'd look at everyone & internally scream, HOW IS THIS SUFFICIENT?! it made less & less sense. And I lived in cognitive dissonance for years until I've had enough insulting my own intelligence..

[@southernsal3113]

Prayer, is just another form of hope, except, with hope, there's no extra step of believing something more powerful than I, will actually give me what I want when I want. I except these terms, because, to ask something nonexistent to give me something tangible, is ludicrous at best, and delusional at worst. Thanks for this. Me needed it.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

I know that you are western, godless and Souless wester (that is the logic, prove me wrong if you can or do not say anything please ☺) Atheism is mainly from the west, and west is rich, so people prefer to worship Money, and money produce a materialistic societies... Plus we westerns are very arrogants trhgout God, but we are the worst humans, we created so many wars, so much dengerous tecnology, imperialism and so on. So we think to be at the place of God, that why we do not him... Plus most of those people are youths and youths tend to be Godless and Souless, and they do not care that according to that idea system it makes you not have objective morality, they do not know where they morals come from (because they do not know where their morals come from, right??), plus the Atheism makes you believe you will be nothing once death, but you do not think about that when you are young and strong, but much you get older and closer to the death you become more religious because God and the idea of an Afterlife is the only thing make you go ahead... So basically you can not prove if there is a creation there is not a creator (can you??? Plaese answer this question with an answer not with another question if you can do) That why the West is so fucked up. Follow the money and bad church decision... Plus tell me where you morals come from (as anyone without a religion supposedly has different morals, please) May God Bless you ☺

[@lornajames]

So it just base on emotion and feelings... ok

[@katalytically]

I had a headache earlier and it was improving, but I shouldn't have listened to this guy try to explain the value of prayer, because now I need at least 2 more acetaminophen.

[@adrianblake8876]

Remember kids, if a random stranger doesn't approach you, and you have to seek him out, and he withholds candy from you so that you have to beg for him to give you some, it means he wants to have a relationship with you and you must do all of those things; also, he's your father... Wait, that came out wrong somehow, is that seriously not how people socialize with each other!?

[@Chuck_EL]

It's not really shocking how rampant pedophilia is in the Catholic Church, Islam, Judaism, and Mormonism I mean they're telling kids to kneel to a man and beg for his love

[@LadyDoomsinger]

To a BDSM enthusiast, the concept of prayer (or begging) often serves as a display of submission, whether you expect your Dom to grant you a favor or not, you do it because you take pleasure in the act of self-degradation - or your Dom derives pleasure from your subjugation. In other words: Prayer is a sexual fetish. And frankly, I can respect that. I'd just wish religious people were honest about what kind of "relationship" they want with God.

[@MrRezillo]

Before I even watch this, your first paragraph says it all (well, not all, or I wouldn't watch the vid, LOL). Anyway, I'm always blown away by how Christians never seem to get the implications of omnipotence and omniscience and procede to worship a god "in their own image". Love your vids, P.O.Z. Your calm and serene rationality is such a strong antidote to the loud, Bible-thumping gasbags.

[@robhurlocker7040]

The biggest objection I have to evangelical prayer is how unfalsifiable the claims always are. You prayed and were healed? See, God answers prayers!!!! You prayed and weren't healed? Well, God's ways are not our ways... maybe you were saved from something worse... maybe you don't have enough faith... maybe there is a sin in your life... they're in a better place... [etc. etc. etc.]

[@laurajarrell6187]

Prophet of Zod, lol, I'm only about 9 mins in, and I can hear George Carlin saying, "what good is having a plan, if just anyone can come along and f£@k it up?". And now he's saying God doesn't need humans? But, he can't seem to make anything we can! Yet we can now make what he can? It sounds like God just needs adulation and worship! So.. narcissist? LMAO I guess that explains the words of 'the lords prayer!' Great job, as usual. 👍💙💙💙🥰✌

[@davidbudge8359]

Worship the Sun but pray to Joe Peshi.

[@laurajarrell6187]

@@davidbudge8359 LOL!👍💙🥰✌

[@ajclements4627]

Pesci can get things done, just him and a baseball bat.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

@@laurajarrell6187 Narcisism is be atouched to another western godless and souless idiot... that what narcisism is... and do not believe in God is another act of narcisism because you put yourself first... but you change always your mind, and I do not think you as a person for that are trstful at all...

[@laurajarrell6187]

Warning All There! There appears to be a bot here, the Donato channel. Just know, any response, it gets paid! 🙄🥰✌

[@bibulousape]

Summary: God won't change his mind based on your prayers, but he wants you to beg anyway.

[@garycraig6506]

Only to not answer it. It would do just as well to pray to “the Man on the Moon.” Do just as well.

[@mikebeagley]

Okidooley, so need to get myself a sock puppet to converse with about whether the light switch is, or isn't. Love your work PoZ

[@galloe8933]

You're a good man, and your videos are fantastic.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

Ye sure... to make all those western and souless godless young people to come here and make stupid jocks, to realize once older and closer to the death God exist.

[@galloe8933]

@@donatomarcelloradice Wut?

[@nm1915]

@@donatomarcelloradice is your only experience with atheists the movie “gods not dead” because you don’t seem to know anything about us.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

@@nm1915 I know that you are western, godless and Souless wester (that is the logic, prove me wrong if you can or do not say anything please ☺) Atheism is mainly from the west, and west is rich, so people prefer to worship Money, and money produce a materialistic societies... Plus we westerns are very arrogants trhgout God, but we are the worst humans, we created so many wars, so much dengerous tecnology, imperialism and so on. So we think to be at the place of God, that why we do not him... Plus most of those people are youths and youths tend to be Godless and Souless, and they do not care that according to that idea system it makes you not have objective morality, they do not know where they morals come from (because they do not know where their morals come from, right??), plus the Atheism makes you believe you will be nothing once death, but you do not think about that when you are young and strong, but much you get older and closer to the death you become more religious because God and the idea of an Afterlife is the only thing make you go ahead... So basically you can not prove if there is a creation there is not a creator (can you??? Plaese answer this question with an answer not with another question if you can do) That why the West is so fucked up. Follow the money and bad church decision... Plus tell me where you morals come from (as anyone without a religion supposedly has different morals, please) May God Bless you ☺

[@nm1915]

@@donatomarcelloradice whole lotta words for not a lot of sense. I’m soulless because everybody is soulless. The concept of a soul is incoherent and based on ancient misunderstandings of the world. I am godless because I am an atheist, I don’t believe in any gods. However, one could argue that everybody is godless, seeing as how no evidence exists for a god. Atheism is more prominent in the west because the west is notoriously accepting of different ideas and worldviews. Here in America it isn’t as great as some places, but generally speaking I won’t be killed for being an atheist, as I would in other places. Its not surprising at all that more people identify as atheists in places where they won’t be put to death for it. Now, the west has many problems. Atheism is absolutely not one of them. Here in America, there are almost no openly atheist politicians. In some states you cannot be sworn into office without a belief in god. The church is one of if not the most influential power in our politics. I don’t see how any atheist group can compare. You make a lot of assumptions about us. You don’t know many atheists I’m sure, so why do you think you can accurately describe our mentality and world view? I promise you, gods not dead is not a good representation of atheists, you should branch out to different media sources. And finally, my morals are subjective. Your morals are subjective. Everybody’s morals are subjective. You, unlike me, pretend that your morals are objective, when that’s demonstrably false. Much of the Bible contains moral proclamations that we as a whole consider immoral nowadays. You see, all morals are societally constructed. You’ll see different morality depending on which culture you look at. There are general, basic moral understandings we developed as a result of evolution, which we as a social species need in order to survive together. From there, our morality became more complex as our cognitive abilities progressed. I know you won’t read any of this, but I figured I’d show you and anyone else reading just how wrong you are.

[@markdennison1524]

I laughed out loud at the sock puppet comment. Oh god that's funny. I'm definitely using that one going forward!

[@57cactus1]

That was the funniest part of the video.

[@davidfitnesstech]

GREAT VID P.O.Z. I prayed that it would be sunny the FOLLOWING day. Instead, God made it sunny 6 days later. So that's proof that my prayer was answered; God just took his time doing it. God is indeed awesome.

[@Ironsuaba]

Pray? I'd rather meditate. At least that wouldn't be about talking to someone who's not there.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

I guess even aliens and the stars never found only because we can not see it, is not there??? Why those godless and souless idiot are so stupid? For real.

[@Ironsuaba]

@@donatomarcelloradice Please write in a way that is readable and makes sense.

[@donatomarcelloradice]

@@Ironsuaba Only for a youth godless and souless perosn, who have not reletionship with God, but that will change his mind once older and closer to his death... (But can not admit now)...

[@Ironsuaba]

@@donatomarcelloradice I'm not interested in your favorite fantasies. Go away.

[@jaymz010]

I had a similar discussion with an Islamic Friend when he described Allah as “all mighty”. I mentioned the fact that the Quran refers to Allah’s followers as “slaves”. Why would someone omnipotent need slaves? What are we forcefully doing for him, for free that he can’t do himself? 😅

[@pub652]

Praying is pretending to do something without doing anything.

[@meamme8]

"BuT, bUt FreE wiLl!"

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

So God wants...but he doesn't need? How does He have a want then? A desire represents a lack of something. What could an omni God possibly lack?

[@smol-one]

God wants you to pray because he likes it when you beg. That's his kink.