Could you discuss your arguments for and against this statement please? Please give reasons- just saying 'your right' is no use to me, give a reason for agreeing or disagreeing. Need some different arguments for an essay I'm writing.
"Praying Achieves Nothing In Life"
- Thread starter Gundog48
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It can help you to focus on what you want to achieve and in turn help put you in the right frame of mind to actually carry out what actions may be done in order help you do so.
Some people call it praying, some other people may call it meditation, others maybe just sitting down with a cup of tea and thinking. Depends on how you approach it.
Some people call it praying, some other people may call it meditation, others maybe just sitting down with a cup of tea and thinking. Depends on how you approach it.
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It does achieve something. If it gives people a feeling of satisfaction, or any kind of happiness, then does it not serve quite a noble purpose and achieve 'something'?
The idea that partaking in the act of praying leads to an intervention in the material world, or any alteration whatsoever is absolute nonsense though.
If it makes you feel good, go for it, but don't expect me to think you're doing anything more than talking to yourself.
The idea that partaking in the act of praying leads to an intervention in the material world, or any alteration whatsoever is absolute nonsense though.
If it makes you feel good, go for it, but don't expect me to think you're doing anything more than talking to yourself.
I would disagree with the statement and I am agnostic in general with a strong disbelief in the Abrahamic God. While it doesn't seem to actually acheive any real divine intervention the act of praying itself will allow the person praying to visualise and clarify what their problems are in life. It can also give the person comfort, the belief that God is looking out for them.
Hmmm, praying is entirely subjective.
It would be impossible to determine whether it achieves anything for the individual or not without finding out the reason they are praying, their state of mind, what benefit psychologically they perceive they get from it.
Prayer may help motivate someone, or offer support to those with faith in times of need.
If prayer gives hope to the individual who is to say that hope doesn't help them in some way, be it false hope or otherwise.
In many ways prayer is no different to many of the idiosyncracies we have for support, be it lucky charms or superstitions, and so on.
In short, prayer can be either good or bad depending upon the individual and it is far too subjective to really give an argument for or against which will be relevant to any but the individual it relates to.
It would be impossible to determine whether it achieves anything for the individual or not without finding out the reason they are praying, their state of mind, what benefit psychologically they perceive they get from it.
Prayer may help motivate someone, or offer support to those with faith in times of need.
If prayer gives hope to the individual who is to say that hope doesn't help them in some way, be it false hope or otherwise.
In many ways prayer is no different to many of the idiosyncracies we have for support, be it lucky charms or superstitions, and so on.
In short, prayer can be either good or bad depending upon the individual and it is far too subjective to really give an argument for or against which will be relevant to any but the individual it relates to.
Unfortunately it is harder than bullet pointing the statements! I just need a range of opinions and arguments I can expand on to write my essay with!
Thanks loads for all the comments, very useful!
I call it contemplation and use some time to reflect on some of my actions and ponder what I should be doing and how I should be doing it. It most certainly achieves piece of mind and sometimes a sense of direction. So I would say it works.
I done some contemplation yesterday on the pros and cons of completing tasks set by the wife.
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It's always going to be difficult, if not impossible, to prove that prayer has a direct influence on what happens. However like a number of people in many circumstances I don't think it can hurt either, particularly if it clarifies the situation for people and they use that to allow them to take positive action. The mind can be a tremendously powerful thing and positive belief that something good will happen may make it more likely to occur - actually proving that one caused the other is where you struggle.
If prayer is used in place of something that is proven to work e.g. praying for someone to recover from malaria rather than using the appropriate drugs then I'd have rather more of a problem with it.
If prayer is used in place of something that is proven to work e.g. praying for someone to recover from malaria rather than using the appropriate drugs then I'd have rather more of a problem with it.
I done some contemplation yesterday on the pros and cons of completing tasks set by the wife.
You’ve already done some penance for Friday. Are you in the clear now?
It depends what you mean. If you mean reciting some pre-ordained religious tripe then I believe it is a waste of time. If you are praying for stuff to happen in your life etc then I think it's just a form of thought and most achievement begins in the head.