I'll pray hard for you

[Az]

Just came back from doing escort service at a women's health clinic. A comment the protestors kept using was "I'll pray hard for you". They would say this to each of the women entering the clinic (amongst a lot of other lies).

I found myself pondering what they meant by the statement. So I asked some of them what the difference was between praying and praying hard. I mean is god particularly hard of hearing? Does he not respond to prayers if they are not hard prayers? Does the petitioner have to submit multiple prayers? Whats the criteria?

Of course my questions were met with blank stares.

[Book Lover]

1. Thank you for escorting

I used to escort in NYC - always interested me that people would drive hundreds of miles to scream at women going into a clinic, only about half, if that, of whom were actually undergoing the procedure.

When I was a Catholic, I found that praying hard meant squeezing my eyes shut and pressing my hands together harder, as if the physical affected the spiritual.

(Maybe the folks you encountered today were articulating their disrespect for organized healthcare in a ritualized equivalent to prayer.)

[A HERETIC I AM]

2. If the xtian god is everything they say it is, then prayer is by

definition, ineffective.

If god knows everything, is in control and is all powerful, then asking for something in prayer suggests the praying person can change gods mind.

And that is heretical, isn't it?

I asked that to a fundy i was having a conversation with one time.

"Can you change the mind of god? Do YOU actually think you can get god to change his mind and do something different based solely on what you are praying for? His answer was confused, at best.

We all have seen the bumper stickers that say "Pray until something happens". If you pray for an elephant to fly long enough, it just might happen, but it won't have anything to do with any god.

[onager]

3. "Oh God...Oh GOD...OH GOD...O-O-O-H GOD...!!!!"

:evilgrin:

[arwalden]

4. Oh Dear!

[Book Lover]

5. Best. Reply. Ever.

:rofl:

[Tafiti]

6. Perfecto!

:rofl:

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[PinkUnicorn]

7. Praying hard?

Unfortunately you probably used big sounding words and hence they went into the "deer in headlights mode" as their collective brain cell seized.

Just tell em "Thank you. I'll think hard for you in return"

[Az]

8. One of them was a Doctor

Though when one believes in prayer and faith as such I wonder what they sought in studying to be a Doctor. It seems to indicate a lack of faith.

Incidently most of the lies concerning abortion and the development of the fetus seem to come from this Doctor. As an escort we are supposed to remain neutral and just see to it that the women get to the clinic safely and without being blocked. But when the lies start flying we tend to fire back (the other escort working with me has a degree in psychology).

[PinkUnicorn]

9. *sigh*

Thats one of the things I cant work out about fundies. Despite them praying till they are blue in the face, reading their books about 'god providing', claims they can be bitten by snakes and so on, they still rush to 'godless materialism' when they have a problem. If they were in hospital for treatment and a witch doctor showed up at the ward, shook rattles, chanted "Ooga Booga", did a little dance, and cut up chicken guts they would scream for him to go away and for a real doctor to look at them. Funny how the one primitive tribal religion is laughed at and yet another primitive tribal religion is taken seriously.

Still if they actually practiced what they preached you could ask this 'doctor' for his car, his credit cards and house and if he followed the teachings he would _have_ to give them to you. Then give him a vial of snake poison to drink. If he doesn't, he's a hypocrite.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

10. I've never understood the desire to pray

If god is really omniscient, omnipresent and benevolent, is there any need to pray? Many people who pray are desperate and lack self esteem. Religions have become very good at converting the desperate folks with low self esteem.

Omniscient: One having total knowledge.

Omnipresent: Present everywhere simultaneously.

Benevolent: doing or producing good or intending or showing kindness

[PassingFair]

11. Praying has always seemed a singular conceit to me.

Even as a child, I wondered at the folks that think they can control things via mind-power.
They must think they are very powerful on some level. To think that they can control, or even make suggestions to their supreme omnipotent godheads. Conceit.

[Kolesar]

12. Some people actually benefit from the prayer state

They concentrate deeply, focus on what they want to do, and get a peace of mind once they envisage what their action will be. My hunch is that they are actually meditating but are telling themselves that they are in communication with "Him". There was a segment on meditation and breathing on Keith Olbermann/Countdown this year. I wish I could I could achieve such peace, but I have never tried meditation. I expect one could control one's heartrate and anguished signals from the brain to the endocrine system to turn off production of adrenaline and other hormones that put one into a vigilant state.

Maybe put on some Tangerine Dream, too.