I lived in a small town that had a rodeo. When they held the rodeo, they would open the rodeo with a prayer. Of course, if anyone suggested that they should not offer up a prayer the cry would be those damn atheists trying to impose their values on us Christians. And so, they would pray for the safety of the participants. Ironically at that point they would not send home the ambulances that were there at the rodeo in anticipation of serious injury. The bulls and the horses had a strap tightly cinched around their lower extremities irritating their genital areas which cause these animals to buck. Of course, they found it easier to pray for the safety of the participants rather than simply loosening the straps that would’ve calmed these animals because we all know there wouldn’t be much of a rodeo without it.

When the hurricanes approach all the good Christians dropped to their knees asking for deliverance. To suggest to a Christian not to pray would automatically characterize you as an atheist. The obvious solution to the hurricane problem is to either move to someplace like Colorado or come to terms with the risk that goes with living in a coastal area and build accordingly.

When going to town Council meetings they habitually started each meeting with a prayer. To suggest that opening a civil governmental meeting with a prayer as inappropriate would launch a tirade against those damn atheists. If the governmental meeting was held in a community in Utah the prayer would be a Mormon prayer that is typical for the area. It would probably alienate Catholics, Baptists, Moslems, Unitarians, Buddhists etc. however the animus of the community would be directed toward those damn atheists if anyone suggested that the prayer was inappropriate.

Freedom from the imposition of religious belief is not a position attributable to atheists but is attributable to the Constitution of the United States. Mormons pray like Mormons, Moslems pray like Moslems, Jews pray like Jews, Catholics pray like Catholics and atheists don’t pray at all. Just because a request is made that no prayers be offered has nothing to do with atheists. If instead of an opening prayer an individual was called upon to offer a three-minute recitation of why a belief in God is stupid, that would be consistent with and atheists’ position. However, by simply not having an opening prayer it simple means that we are respectful of the differences between individual beliefs.

Pray at home until your roof caves in but don’t jam your Christianity down my throat. Allow me as well as people of other belief systems to have theirs without dragging it into my civic life.

Well explained.

No prayer at all is the best way to respect all views. Christians probably would not like someone praying to Satan or Thor at public events, let alone some atheist explaining that we must help ourselves instead of calling on a sky god.

They can pray in their heads and hearts all day long in public.
I wonder if they feel that making a spectacle of prayer pleases Jesus because that they are willing to be subjected to ridicule.
I wonder if they feel Jesus is pleased when they complain about other people demanding the same opportunities to speak in public about their beliefs.
Never mind that praying for something God already has planned out seems futile. It's like they are pleading with God to change His mind in case they don't like what He had planned was going to happen.
Never mind how bizarre it is when they pray to thank Jesus for afflicting their neighbor and not them this time (think tornadoes).
Never mind how disrespectful it is that the ambulance and medical teams will be the ones who actually assist, prayer or no prayers.

It's a waste of my time when they have to do their prayer performance at so many public things. It's a way of demanding to have control over others to subject everyone to any religious practice.

I used to think that way, too. Totally understand your perspective. It can get old. I think it's the tribal aspect of the prayer thing that still rubs me wrong. But, I do appreciate the social cohesion apparent in those rituals and I don't mind, actually I enjoy, being outside the tribe.

We're all one community, the community of nothing

I believe in god, but i'm real shy and never pray or preach in public. I just pray in my thoughts that my family doesn't die anytime soon

That seems to be what a sincere believer would do, and IMO, deserves respect.
That is respectful to others while keeping as close a connection through prayer as one wishes.

I did the same thing when I was Mormon. I would pray in my thoughts about anything I felt I wanted to pray for (usually help or protection). I never thought I had to make a spectacle of praying since I believed I could talk to God privately at anytime. That kind of view makes god seem accepting and open to one's heartfelt intent.

I have to wonder about a God who demands public attention using prayer. Worst is the God of Islam, not only demanding when one must pray, but what direction and with rear in the air. Why would anyone pray to a god like that? Fear and demonstration of control.

A controlling god that needs EXACT words to be spoken just so, like in the Mormon sacrament prayer, is another red flag that the god is a controlling psychopath.

Prayer and the rules about it tell a lot about the qualities a person associates with their god.

dagny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------


> I have to wonder about a God who demands public
> attention using prayer. Worst is the God of Islam,
> not only demanding when one must pray, but what
> direction and with rear in the air. Why would
> anyone pray to a god like that? Fear and
> demonstration of control.
>
Matthew 6:5 denounced the concept of making a public display of prayer.

KJV
"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites. are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and. in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men."

The Higher Power that controls supernovas and black holes wants you to wave a white hanky a certain way when a temple is dedicated, and to shout hosanna ...

It turns out that it's quite a ritual, with a solid history to it!

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1973/09/q-and-a-questions-and-answers/what-is-the-hosanna-shout?lang=eng


It's not very hard to see that the deeper one's dive into mormonism as a practitioner, the easier it is to understand the reflex to move away from ghawd is worth talking to. INMO