Prayer

[POI]

For Debate: Is prayer just talking to yourself? If not, why not? Sure, prayer may make one feel satisfied/other, but there is likely no agency, on the other side, facilitating such desired response(s).

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People pray to many differing god(s) and/or other. Statistically speaking, many god(s) and/or other aren't answering, as many of these god(s) and/or other likely do not even exist. Hence, at least in part, many are merely talking to themselves in prayer. If many of the desired result(s) can happen in prayer, without any agency actually responding, because such agency does not exist, then it's quite plausible this is the case for all prayer.

[Wootah]

Self talk is very powerful. If that is all prayer is then I think secularly speaking it is wise to do it.

[POI]

Self talk is very powerful. If that is all prayer is then I think secularly speaking it is wise to do it.

Is this all you think prayer is?

[TRANSPONDER]

My thought is that prayer, like religion itself, is an evolved instinct and serves or served a survival purpose, so it may have individual and social value, or it may not. It may empower people to do their best, or it may lead them into doing foolish things, like that missionary effort to Sentinel island. It may encourage people to work for betterment, or it may lead them into deprecating or even destroying this life in hopes to get a better one after death, it may encourage people to want to help or it may delude people into thinking that prayer is doing something useful when it is doing nothing, and religion might inspire a desire for peace, but I see it much more as a tribal, divisive and dangerous dogma.

So prayer may have uses (I use meditation techniques myself) but it is best understood not used as though it was some kind of magic or messages from aliens.

[Wootah]

Self talk is very powerful. If that is all prayer is then I think secularly speaking it is wise to do it.

Is this all you think prayer is?

For me prayer is a conversation with God.

[POI]

Self talk is very powerful. If that is all prayer is then I think secularly speaking it is wise to do it.

Is this all you think prayer is?

For me prayer is a conversation with God.

Many people think that, who believe in a differing god or god(s) than you. How do you know that you too are not just talking to yourself, and that the god you think you are conversating with, is not really there at all?

[Wootah]

Self talk is very powerful. If that is all prayer is then I think secularly speaking it is wise to do it.

Is this all you think prayer is?

For me prayer is a conversation with God.

Many people think that, who believe in a differing god or god(s) than you. How do you know that you too are not just talking to yourself, and that the god you think you are conversating with, is not really there at all?

Remember self talk is beneficial.

I know my theology and I am praying to God.

I do believe they are praying to their gods. Scary thought.

[boatsnguitars]

Remember self talk is beneficial.

I know my theology and I am praying to God.

I do believe they are praying to their gods. Scary thought.

This is incoherent. You say you are:
1. Talking to yourself.
2. Talking to God.

It sounds like you are saying, "Hey, I truly believe God exists (because if I say I question God's existence - even silently - He might get mad at me and drink my milkshake) - but, putting aside my irrational belief in God, it's rational to talk to oneself, regardless. So either way, I win."

Or, put another way, you are simply saying "Talking to oneself is beneficial, and that is ultimately what prayer is in Reality, but I do have a fantasy that God actually exists and so I use that fantasy as the impetus to talk to myself."

[1213]

For Debate: Is prayer just talking to yourself? If not, why not? ...

No, because it is directed to someone else. However, is the someone else listening is a different issue and seems to be matter of belief.

[TRANSPONDER]

But talking to yourself is like talking to someone else. I know as i talk to and argue with myself at times. But I know it's me. I'd say the evidence that the believer is talking to themselves and not to a god (Name your own- I do not credit the idea that the Christian is talking to a real god and all the believers in other gods are not ) is shown by the phenomenon known as 'God hates the same people I do', which I saw with an opponent on a former board who changed his mind about Hell, and so did the god in his head.