Rasa

hunterinabrowncoat:

rasa2013:

hunterinabrowncoat:

I really don’t understand why everyone seems to react to prayer as though it’s some kind of disease; why when someone offers to pray for another, they are up in arms about ‘forcing your beliefs on other people’. Because, to me, prayer is one of the most beautiful things someone can do, especially…

People believe in lots of faulty things that they think are “helpful,” but we generally don’t feel obligated to give them free “goodness” tickets for it. 

I am not vehemently opposed to prayer or anything, but my point is that what you say isn’t a good enough reason to celebrate it from my (and many other people’s) perspectives. It’s more of a reason not to be too negative about it, which bears no relationship to whether we should appreciate it.

Example: my grandmother from Mexico is superstitious and believes some pretty ridiculous stuff. I’m not about to celebrate her “medicinal interventions,” which don’t actually do anything useful just because she thinks she’s helping. And I’m definitely not celebrating her ignorance. 

I don’t expect anyone to see those who pray as inherently good - a lot of people who pray aren’t good people. But there is value in prayer, whether you believe in its power or not.

I don’t want everyone to celebrate it. I think it’s amazing, but I’m fully aware most people don’t. But I do want people to appreciate it for what it is, rather than be afraid/ignorant of it, and get defensive about differing religious views. I think for something that is supposed to be such a beautiful and powerful thing, people tend to get mighty offended over it. And I want people to understand - prayer isn’t something to be offended about.

If it’s enough that I’m not terrified or angered by prayer (generally), then I think we agree. 

hunterinabrowncoat:

I really don’t understand why everyone seems to react to prayer as though it’s some kind of disease; why when someone offers to pray for another, they are up in arms about ‘forcing your beliefs on other people’. Because, to me, prayer is one of the most beautiful things someone can do, especially…

People believe in lots of faulty things that they think are “helpful,” but we generally don’t feel obligated to give them free “goodness” tickets for it. 

I am not vehemently opposed to prayer or anything, but my point is that what you say isn’t a good enough reason to celebrate it from my (and many other people’s) perspectives. It’s more of a reason not to be too negative about it, which bears no relationship to whether we should appreciate it.

Example: my grandmother from Mexico is superstitious and believes some pretty ridiculous stuff. I’m not about to celebrate her “medicinal interventions,” which don’t actually do anything useful just because she thinks she’s helping. And I’m definitely not celebrating her ignorance.