That Atheist Blog

fantastic, Ive gone though all these enteries and enjoyed them greatly. When I get, "Ill pray for you" from people, I think, Ill take any help I can get, go right for it if it makes you happy. Religion is subjective at best but there is some power behind strength of thought, beleif can be an intense power no matter what means its used for. If someone tells me Im in their prayers, I enjoy knowing that there is positive energy being put forth into the world on my behalf and move on. What makes me mad, is when people assume I need to be saved, I need to find something, follow them and push their thing. My response to comments about needing to be saved are a bit more creative like, Ive already been saved, I was at a party, almost sober and my friend brought me another drink. Saved by another fun memory with a friend that knows what a friend needs, when they need it.

@Ivy - i LOVE your response. That was great. Saved by a friend with a drink!

@HH that was a totally legit question, I'd want to know where he flew to and what he did too! Pigs are very noble creatures, I knew of a woman in Texas that had a pet pig named Jeffrey Jerome and he actually saved a child from drowning. So if you do come back as a pig - well you'll be in good company and hopefully on a vegetarian farm that won't eat you!

i see and understand your point of view. thanks for sharing.

@Glenway - thank you for your input - very appreciated!

hola como estas

@Natalia-luna - muy bien! y tu?

If you are in a car heading for a cliff, you'd want someone to to warn you and help you. That is what christians are doing when they "knock on doors". and praying for you. Their hope for you to let the HOLY SPIRIT change your heart and accept CHRIST (for HE is the only way to be saved). For GOD wants none to perish. It is up to us to accept CHRIST, for GOD will not force you. There can never be enough prayer for anyone!!!

@Vixen - I find prayer just incredibly lazy and selfish. For the most part I see people saying "I'll pray for you" when something bad happens to someone else because they want to appear they care but really it would be too much trouble to actually do something. Or people pray for a better job, extra money and wait on God to deliver.

And of course it looks like it works, all prayers are answered in the form of "Yes", "No" or "Wait" and if you wait long enough it will appear your prayer has been answered or if not, of course it was "God's will" or "God's plan".

And no matter what - he's oddly silent about the entire deal.
But my biggest issue with people praying is that it comes off really hypocritical.
If God has this "Divine Plan" that he dreamed up for you, why are you asking him to change it by praying for something else to happen than was originally planned for you?
People need to get off their butts and do something instead of hoping God will miracle in some kind of help.

nah ! I would greatly mind it if I was asked to tithe in return for their prayers

@Jerie you make me smile with every comment ! :)

As for me I like when people pray for me because the enemy is always out to get you and pray helps and there is no harm in them praying for me also you never know what is going to happen in your life or what tomorrow will bring. Praise God for those who pray

@Dolores - That's cool you feel that way and I'm glad you feel it helps you. I get really annoyed when people tell me they are praying for me, especially when they tell me they are praying I will find Jesus.

nice post

Good on people if they want to pray for others but remember our Lord said go into your closet but bless there souls for there kind intentions
PRAYING BY GOD’S RULES
[God’s Prayer Rules are Simple but Not Easy]

Few subjects in the Bible are more mysterious or less understood than the subject of prayer. Few indeed know how to pray or what to pray about. And what is the proof of that statement? The proof is that most prayers are never answered. Hundreds of millions of people a day pray in vain. They get no answer to their prayers. Why is this? Is there an answer as to why most prayers go unanswered? Absolutely, there is. Will most people accept the only and true Scriptural teaching on this subject? I’m afraid most will not.

There are many cliches regarding prayer, and some are absolutely true. It is said that God has one of three answers for all prayers: "Yes, No, or Later." This is basically, albeit not totally true. This one might be closer to the truth: "Your way, My way, or No way."

There is an interesting essay on prayer in which it is stated: "I got nothing that I asked for, but everything that I could have ever hoped for." That may make for a nice sentiment, but few would ever believe such a thing deep in their heart. Most people do not believe that they got everything in life that they could have ever hoped for.

Christians and heathens alike, ignorantly and stupidly believe that they can change the mind of a Sovereign God Who always knows long in advance how He will fulfill His perfect plan and purpose under every and all circumstances. Many imagine that answered prayer is when God changes His mind with regards to the way things were going in your life. In other words: You change your ways to please God, and God will change His mind and begin blessing you. NOT TRUE. God never, ever changes His mind about anything.

This subject of unanswered prayer is so incredibly simple that a child can understand it, yet many learned theologians and clergymen have not even a clue as to the ultimate Scriptural statement regarding prayer. I will first give you the number one pre-requisite to having prayers answered, and then I will give you a most amazing second witness from a Scripture that is preserved in very few Bible translations.

THE GREATEST DRAMA OF THE AGES

If you like drama, then Matt. 26:36 is the place to find it. Few pay close attention to what is really going on in these few verses of Scripture. The humanity of Jesus is brought into direct conflict with the will of His God and Father. First I will jump ahead of our story slightly so that you understand the setting of this greatest of all prayers in the history of the universe. After praying for one hour Jesus returns a short way back to His Apostles and says:
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41).
Was the "flesh" of Jesus any stronger than that of His apostles? No, it was the same flesh. Paul tells us that, "…there is ONE kind of flesh of men…" (I Cor. 15:39). Jesus was given this same "one kind" of flesh (John 1:14 & Rom. 1:3). And so the flesh of Jesus was just as "weak" as that of His Apostles. Jesus instructed His apostles to stay awake and pray with Him for one hour. None of them could do it. None of us could have done it. They just ate a meal and they were now sleepy (not only physically sleepy, but especially spiritually sleepy). Now back to the beginning of this great drama:
"Then comes Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and says unto the disciples, Sit you here, while I go and pray yonder [over there]. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John] and began to be SORROWFUL, AND VERY HEAVY. Then said He unto them, My soul [His fleshly, conscious humanity, not His spirit] is EXCEEDING SORROWFUL, EVEN UNTO DEATH [spirit doesn’t die, it is our flesh that must die]. Tarry [stay] you here, and watch with Me.
And He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed saying, O MY FATHER, IF IT BE POSSIBLE, LET THIS CUP [this cup of death—being beaten beyond recognition, being made sin offering, and crucified for the sins of humanity] pass from Me: NEVERTHELESS, NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS THOU WILL" (Matt. 26:36-39).
"And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:43-44).
I doubt that any of us can ever fully appreciate what unfathomable human trauma and agony was taking place for those three hours in the garden that night two thousand years ago. The eternal destiny of the entire human race was at stake, and Jesus KNEW IT! And believe me, Jesus’ Father was agonizing right along with His Son:
"In all their afflictions, He [GOD] was afflicted… in His love and in His pity He redeemed them…" (Isa. 63:9).

"Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He SUFFERED" (Heb. 5:8).

And oh how Christ was suffering that night in the garden! But right there in the garden is the answer to all prayer. "O MY FATHER… nevertheless, not as I will, BUT AS THOU WILL." Jesus not only prayed that way; Jesus thought that way:

"I can of Mine Own Self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not My Own will, but the WILL OF THE FATHER WHICH HAS SENT ME" (John 5:30).

And again:

"For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine Own will, but the will of HIM THAT SENT ME" (John 6:38).

Did Jesus pray as earnestly as it is possible to pray that God would "let this cup pass?" YES, He did.

Did God grant Jesus His desire to "let this cup pass?" NO, He didn’t.

But, did Jesus get His prayer answered? YES, He surely did. How so? Because Jesus’ greater desire was that His Father’s will be done, rather than "let this cup pass." This example from our Lord is the answer to answered pray and it is also the answer to unanswered prayer.

great post on prayer

Thanks Melanie!

nice post

I find it offensive when a group with a certain view, which ever one it may be, uses it to bash another group with a different point of view. Your perception of them may be wrong and their intentions pure but you judge without knowing. It's a bit irresponsible. Atheism is a religion where the members make themselves gods and value their opinion above others. Nice option.

You can't base the results of prayer base on a crack house survey. Look at real science instead of self understanding.

Pierre Godin - 2 things I feel compelled to point out to you.
(1)Atheism is not a religion. It is the answer to a single question : Do you believe in a God(s). If you answer no, you are an atheist.
And if you are aware of anywhere science has successfully proven religion, hook me up :) I'd love to see.
Thanks for your thoughts.

Praying is just a form of wishful thinking! And it is always sooooooooooo much easier to pray than actually DO something! I mean come on...how much easier is it to THINK of something? :)

nice

These 25 responses make my day :-)

very grat post very good