Heartfelt Prayers to Jesus

[MineralMan]

A carpenter's prayer upon striking his thumb, instead of the nail: "Jesus H. Christ!"
A coed's prayer: "Jesus Christ! Don't let this test be positive!"
A take-out diner's prayer of thanks: "Jesus, this is good pizza!"
A young man's prayer, after discovering a parking lot dent: "Holy Jesus! My father will kill me!"

I often wonder if the name of Jesus is used in that sort of prayer at least as often in other sorts.

[Cattledog]

1. Billions of times more!

[guillaumeb]

2. At least as often?

I do not wonder.

[3Hotdogs]

3. 93.4 % of the time, when the name of Jesus is invoked, like above,

it is in no deliberate attempt to communicate with the make believe spirit of some poor bugger who was executed by Romans.

[marylandblue]

4. But the question is, does it count as religion?

Are they prayers or exclamations? Because we use we might say "fuck" in those same situations without thinking about sex, and when having sex, we might say "Oh God," without thinking about God.

[MineralMan]

5. They're prayers, even if said unconsiously.

One would not say those things without having them deeply ingrained in the mind.

Exclamatory prayers are still prayers. They reflect a person's mindset. When you utter a sudden statement like those, it comes from a part of the brain that holds only the deepest, most often used language. That part of the brain also deals with sexual things, which explains the other word your referenced.

It's interesting to think about, I believe.

[marylandblue]

6. Sure, they might be deeply ingrained, but they don't necessarily carry the same meaning at all times

I've heard atheists and Jews say "Jesus," but never prayed to him. They just say it because other people say it.

[MineralMan]

7. You would never hear it from me.

I use other words to make exclamations.

[marylandblue]

8. Do you say the atheist prayer by Hemmingway?

“Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be nada in nada as it is in nada. Give us this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we nada our nadas and nada us not into nada but deliver us from nada; pues nada. Hail nothing full of nothing, nothing is with thee.”

[MineralMan]

9. I say no prayers.

Instead, I do my best to make things happen. I'm actually pretty serious about my atheism. It's not funny to me.

[marylandblue]

10. Oh well, I still love Hemmingway.

[MineralMan]

11. And he still spelled his name with just one "m"

I love him, too. I've read everything he wrote. But, then, I'm an English major with a focus on American Literature

[marylandblue]

12. Thanks for correcting my error, haven't had my morning coffee

[Major Nikon]

13. Just don't forget all those helpless sperms who have been sacrificed in the name of the Almighty

Without even the benefit of a decent Christian burial.