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xxkayxx · 03-23-2008, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by to_hobbes

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxkayxx

Well, I'm not quite sure if this is the best place to post this, but i feel like i really need to get this out there. Anyways, today i was faced with a situation, food poisoning perhaps, and it got to a certain point where I just wanted the pain to stop and actually prayed to god. This isn't a daily thing for me , keep in mind, and right after i actually felt a sort of shame that I was in a way "forced" to go against what i believe, and do that. I then realized that in the past, even though i was an atheist, when times got hard, I'd make "bargains" with "god" thinking that perhaps it might have an effect on things, if in fact he did exist. This is all very confusing to me, and i realized if god did in fact exist, and putting me through pain was a sort of way for him to get me to "acknowledge" him, then i really dont want anything to do with him. This experience has definately made me question my beliefs, and think about how brainwashing might go even farther than i had originally thought.

I'm not sure when it was, but at some point in my life I came to the realization that God doesn't answer prayers, no matter what religion you use to do it. And people who think He does answer prayers are just fooling themselves into thinking the prayers were answered. Some of the atheists I have spoken with have a very good way of explaining how prayers seem to be answered even if they are not (check this video, about 8 min.).

But I know, sometimes when you are in pain, like you have a stomach ache, or you get injured in some way, and you feel like you just need the pain to stop and you have to appeal to something, anything, that could help.

When that happens, I don't pray. I have come up with a few ways of dealing with those situations. Since prayer is just talking to yourself, I figure talking to yourself helps ease the pain. Not necessarily out-loud, but if I am alone, I do that sometimes.

I think it's because pain is in your mind, and if you can just distract your mind, or do something to make your mind ease-off the pain, it is very helpful.

LOL, that was one of the funniest videos i've seen in awhile. I'm sure it has many devout christians very upset

And thanx for the advice about keeping your mind distracted to ease pain. I'll have to remember that next time i guess. Prayer, i've never actually personally believed in, but i guess now i can see why it can make you believe you're doing something to make a difference. I think the last part of the video was alittle final though.