SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic

Posted: May 14 2011 05:45 am

does anyone pray anymore? im not being facetious, im being quite serious.

i was raised catholic, so growing up, i would pray every night before falling asleep. i wouldnt kneel before my bed and pray, i would just lay there & pray. i would recite the lords prayer & a hail mary & several other prayers my mother taught me & then go to sleep.

now that i feel im agnostic/atheist, i dont pray. i see it more as a placebo effect.

im not trying to denigrate those that do pray, so i apologize if i appear condescending or even insulting, but i was just curious as to what others do here.

so, do you still pray?

Joined: Dec 06 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11244

Yes, but not in some way that was ever explained to me or demanded. Once in a while, I think about the things I have, have done, and have yet to do. Thanks for the good, the ability to get through the bad, and request for peace as the rest comes forwards.

I have never prayed on my knees though. I always kinda figured that since god is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, the mere thought of respect, if it is sincere, out weighs any physical actions.

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

I don't get on my knees either. I believe in God, just not one who cares what I eat, how I stand or who I fuck.

So yes, I do pray.

Posted: May 14 2011 11:20 am

I was also raised Catholic, and now I only pray for things I know for sure that I can get. For example, a delicious burrito or for certain people to go away. I am a very spiritual person, but I just don't think praying is necessary. I have replaced it with meditation, for the most part.

Posted: May 14 2011 11:39 am

I was raised and still am Mormon. I do pray still, actually more than I used to as a child. I may not be the best on other aspects of my spirituality, but I like to pray. Even if God isn't hearing, it's kinda of therapeutic for me to talk aloud about my thoughts.

Posted: May 14 2011 12:20 pm

I still do.

Posted: May 14 2011 02:27 pm

I fall into the same catagory as Username here, raised catholic and confirmed as a catholic i actually no longer go to church and participated etc etc. But i do sometimes pray for others when tragedy strikes

Title: Titlating Joined: Dec 17 2007 Posts: 5042

I'm just going to move this to general since it's fairly safe for work. If it gets out of hand just move it back to the NWO.

Joined: Mar 13 2009 Location: Arlington Posts: 467

I was raised Catholic, left for a while and I guess I came back. I never really got into saying the pre-fabricated prayers outside of church, but I do still pray.

Posted: May 14 2011 04:36 pm

I pray. Mostly for world peace, fiscal solvency, and a few more Wii games to pad out my dangerously small collection.

Title: That VN Guy Joined: Apr 29 2011 Posts: 3

SnesGuy wrote:

I fall into the same catagory as Username here, raised catholic and confirmed as a catholic i actually no longer go to church and participated etc etc. But i do sometimes pray for others when tragedy strikes

A lot of people do fall into that category. Raised Catholic, but never really attended church. It feels kinda weird to be the only atheist in your circle of friends. I figure the same if roles were switched around.

Joined: Jun 29 2010 Posts: 1818

I don't exactly pray, but when something deserves positive energy of any sort, I'll usually do something while thinking about it, like charity, helping people, etc. I ´prefer to think a thought isn't enough, actually, as I have way too many petty/destructive thoughts to feel confortable with them having any sort of power.
...I'm weird, yeah. Oh, and I was raised with no particular religious creed. My parents bounced around from religion to religion, and by the time they settled on one, I no longer had to go to church with them. So, I guess I'm agnostic. Or a Heathen. I dunno, somewhere in between. Razz

Posted: May 14 2011 06:02 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

I pray. Mostly for world peace, fiscal solvency, and a few more Wii games to pad out my dangerously small collection.

Posted: May 14 2011 06:30 pm

I pray all the time, but sometimes I get confused halfway through and think Aren't you omnipotent? What are the odds you know where I'm going with this before I fully realize what I'm getting at in the first place? ANSWER ME!

Posted: May 14 2011 07:02 pm

I still pray, usually as a way to give thanks to my blessings.

Posted: May 14 2011 11:03 pm

I am also a recovering Catholic. My wife and I joined the Episcopal Church when we got married. I don't pray every day and I don't pray for myself, but I like to think that it's a way to help someone in the smallest of ways, even ifit turns out praying doesn't really accomplish much.

I also pray to Mishakal to heal the wounds of my friends.

Wizard Joined: Jun 12 2009 Posts: 4209

I am an atheist. So no, I don't pray... but I have my own form of it, usually at 2 AM when I'm outside walking. I just think about recent events that have happened to me and ask myself what I can do to make it better. Food for my brain.

Posted: May 15 2011 03:29 am

I'm a big fan of the Serenity Prayer, helps keep things in perspective.

Posted: May 15 2011 12:41 pm

I used to pray like this when I was young.

Posted: May 15 2011 01:40 pm

I prayed for a very short time in my life, but due to some disagreement with the church early in my life I pretty much completely stopped by age 10 or thereabout. Since then I can't say I've prayed once because I really don't believe in Christianity at all anymore.

Posted: May 15 2011 04:53 pm

Blackout wrote:

I'm a big fan of the Serenity Prayer, helps keep things in perspective.

eh, that serenity prayer is alright.

i hate when people get it as a tattoo. i dont know why, it just drives me nuts.

Wizard Joined: Jun 12 2009 Posts: 4209

My mom has a tattoo of a cross on her neck, it angers me.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

I think this goes back to what I presented in the "things that piss me off thread". I guess a lot of it is what I feel is more "belief" than "faith". I know a lot of people who believe in God, but don't follow up their lives in a way in order to live their lives to His example, and what I mean by that is not the example provided through going to church and that sort of thing, but more along the lines of just being a spiritual person in general. And I know, a lot of what you say you are can be regarded as internal faith, but sometimes people can see through that and assume you're saying that to make yourself feel good.

I spent a great deal of my life going to church and doing what was expected of me, so maybe my interpretation of what someone should be is different than what is out there, but at the same time, I've seen a lot, and I mean a lot of people who put on a front of being a Christian, and turning around and leading a completely different life. So in a lot of ways, I think it goes beyond praying in general.

At this point in my life, I'm agnostic, but I lean towards thinking there is something beyond us. I had a 3 hour conversation with a very good friend of mine yesterday about what lives we lead, especially since he's had his religious awakening, I can literally see the difference within him, as I have with other people who have turned to faith, so I don't think it's all bullshit.

Posted: May 15 2011 07:44 pm

I grew up Methodist, now I'm Presbyterian. As far as praying goes, I only do it after I do something horrible, though I should do it more.

Drew Linky wrote:

My mom has a tattoo of a cross on her neck, it angers me.

I find tattoos of crosses ironic and kind of funny. Leviticus 19:28 says, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord."

But then again, Leviticus has some very strict and bizarre laws, and I know a lot of religious people who basically ignore the entire book.

Joined: Oct 01 2009 Posts: 5316

I don't get why this is both in General and NWO?