Question for all non-theists

[achilles12604]

Honestly, do any of you catch yourself praying? Maybe just on the inside?

If you don't want to post it here I'd gladly take a PM. I am simply very curious.

[realthinker]

I talk to myself to give me strength (yeah bad syntax I know) In trying situations I simply analyze my situation and talk myself through what ever it is. Thus I have no use for an imaginary friend called God.

I do still unconsciously say "bless you" when someone sneezes. I'm trying to make myself switch to "Salud" or "Geshundite" though. Just because our culture expects some kind of acknowledgement when they sneeze. I don't think that really qualifies as a prayer though.

What's funny about that is the origin of that cultural custom.

The custom of saying "God bless you" after a sneeze was begun literally as a blessing. Pope Gregory the Great (540-604 AD) ascended to the Papacy just in time for the start of the plague (his successor succumbed to it). Gregory (who also invented the ever-popular Gregorian chant) called for litanies, processions and unceasing prayer for God's help and intercession. Columns marched through the streets chanting, "Kyrie Eleison" (Greek for "Lord have mercy"). When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed ("God bless you!") in the hope that they would not subsequently develop the plague.

I don't acknowledge a sneeze at all. It's just another bodily function. I don't acknowledge someone else's coughing, farting, burping, blinking, fidgeting. Their sneezes can go unanswered as well.

[Fallibleone]

I don't really want to type this, because it annoys me when I see 'it depends what you mean by...', but it depends what you mean by praying. When I hold an envelope in my hands which contains my examination results, my strong desire for them to be good results comes out as 'Oh please, please, please, please let them be good'. Is this praying? I'm not really addressing anyone in particular, and certainly not God.

[Pazuzu bin Hanbi]

I understand that, but I would still count that as a supplication of sorts: some people address it to the universe if not god. If you have no particular deity in mind then why do it? It simply has turned into a habit and you should probably break that. Or do you, somewhere deep down and perhaps unacknowledged by you, offer up the supplication to any passing supernatural agency that might hear it and grant it for you?

[GrumpyMrGruff]

Honestly, do any of you catch yourself praying? Maybe just on the inside?

If you don't want to post it here I'd gladly take a PM. I am simply very curious.

When I was in grade school, I remember occasionally appealing to God to help boost my test scores (because my parents would buy me stuff to reward good grades ). I felt I was "hedging my bets" in case God actually decided to intervene.

Interestingly, the few times I perceived that I was danger as a child (tornado warnings, seeing funnel clouds, etc.), I never thought to pray. Instead, I dealt with my nervousness by cracking jokes.

I don't pray anymore; I haven't since I was was thirteen or so. I will occasionally string together obscenities that include "God" or "Jesus," but for me that's just another way to express frsutration. I don't actually expect God to damn and/or copulate with the source of my annoyance.

[Antagonist]

Well I do say things like 'Oh my God' a lot and I say things like 'oh please don't do this to me'.... But that is because I got used to saying that sort of stuff.

I have prayed once after turning away from Christianity. but that was because my ex-girlfriend was Christian and she sayd like 'come on just try' and i was like 'whatever'. didnt make me feel any better anyway.

[olivergringold]

I do use the old standby phrases "for the love of God," "Goddammit," and everbody's favorite, "Jesus Christ tap-dancing on the business end of a pogo stick!" I do it basically because the phrases have just become expressions of exasperation or comedic relief that many, including Theists, take for granted.

But prayer? Like, asking Providence to spot me a fiver? No. Stopped doing that even before I stopped believing in God.

[catalyst]

Honestly, do any of you catch yourself praying? Maybe just on the inside?

If you don't want to post it here I'd gladly take a PM. I am simply very curious.

NO... I don't, but to me prayer means specifically asking some "god" for something.

I do have inner monologues with myself though as to what I personally want and need and expect of myself and after this self analysis, if the decision I made was good or a negative outcome was the result, I OWN the positive or negative outcome, rather than "praising" or placing blame elsewhere.

As a christian though, I prayed and in hindsight, I see prayer as an "out" clause and nothing more. It was so much easier to pass the buck when the "bad" happened because I was able to avoid taking responsibility for my OWN actions. It either came down to "oh...that was satans influence or just "gods plan".

Diminished responsibility is no longer my trump card so prayer in reality means ZIP as far as I am concerned.

[ShadowRishi]

Honestly, do any of you catch yourself praying? Maybe just on the inside?

If you don't want to post it here I'd gladly take a PM. I am simply very curious.

I used to be a very religious Christian, so for a month or so after I 'converted' to atheism, I subconsciously prayed on occasion.

However, it's been a long time since I've even thought about prayer. Prayer never really did a lot for me.