Can an Atheist Pray?

[no-body]

I'm in agreement that true prayer ='s meditation

Anything else is just wishful thinking and the most juvenile sort of prayer. Like a kid asking santy clause for all the toys in the world.

Though I suppose it could be a stepping stone to serious prayer for some people to live in the here, now.

Deities or the supernatural have nothing to do with it, it is just a mantra to focus on like "OM" but mostly placebo. Seriously if you truly make yourself belief that the bible is real and that your daddy is the biggest, best, toughest and really only guy around of course you will (think you) "see" results.

 

[painted wolf]

Prayers of thanks are good for keeping you mindful and respectful for what you have. People tend to take too much for granted. Like the fact that they rely on the death of other living things for their survival.

wa:do

 

[Danmac]

Prayers of thanks are good for keeping you mindful and respectful for what you have. People tend to take too much for granted. Like the fact that they rely on the death of other living things for their survival.

wa:do

You mean like big macs?

 

[logician]

Prayers are to supposed deities. Atheists don't believe in deities.

 

[Danmac]

Prayers are to supposed deities. Atheists don't believe in deities.

I'm so confused.

 

[LuisDantas]

I suppose the best prayer that an atheist could pray would be for God to prove himself to that particular atheist. He will accept the challenge.

Sound very unlikely and more than a bit weird to me. I wonder why you feel that it is so.

As for the OP: sure, an atheist can pray. Why not? Depending on how exactly he does it and how he feels about the act, that may be a sign that he is not so much an atheist anymore. That is allowed, however.

By the same token, I don't believe that prayer is necessarily directed towards some entity, divine or otherwise. As Engyo and others pointed out, there are other approaches, including attaining a certain mental state and reminding oneself of his highest goals and values (my favorite practice). It is perhaps misleading to call that "prayer", but some people do.

 

[Azakel]

I paid big money for my membership.

I'm sorry to tell you this then but you got ripped off.

 

[Danmac]

I'm sorry to tell you this then but you got ripped off.

Bad joke on my part

 

[Danmac]

Sound very unlikely and more than a bit weird to me. I wonder why you feel that it is so.

As for the OP: sure, an atheist can pray. Why not? Depending on how exactly he does it and how he feels about the act, that may be a sign that he is not so much an atheist anymore. That is allowed, however.

By the same token, I don't believe that prayer is necessarily directed towards some entity, divine or otherwise. As Engyo and others pointed out, there are other approaches, including attaining a certain mental state and reminding oneself of his highest goals and values (my favorite practice). It is perhaps misleading to call that "prayer", but some people do.

Prayer then can serve one of two purposes:

1) To obtain help from an all powerful God

2) To gain some kind of confidence.

So who or what are they praying to?

 

[LuisDantas]

It is all in how you define prayer. I don't particularly agree with your definition - the first item does not really demand an all-powerful god, or even a god at all. Why would prayer necessarily have to be directed to someone anyway?

 

[Danmac]

It is all in how you define prayer. I don't particularly agree with your definition - the first item does not really demand an all-powerful god, or even a god at all. Why would prayer necessarily have to be directed to someone anyway?

So why pray?

 

[fatima_bintu_islam]

I am an atheist, but I have recently had urges to pray. Can atheists pray? To know more of what I am talking about, check out my blog: Praying Atheist: Old HabitsÂ*DieÂ*Hard | Mhiggs's Blog

Quran ( 2: 186)
[SIZE=+1]186. And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad

) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.


Quran ( 7:189-190)
[/SIZE]89. It is He Who has created you from a single person (Adam), and (then) He has created from him his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her. When he had sexual relation with her, she became pregnant and she carried it about lightly. Then when it became heavy, they both invoked Allah, their Lord (saying): "If You give us a Salih (good in every aspect) child, we shall indeed be among the grateful."190. But when He gave them a Salih (good in every aspect) child, they ascribed partners to Him (Allah) in that which He has given to them. High be Allah, Exalted above all that they ascribe as partners to Him


i.e they prayed while they were not believers.

Quran( 10:22- 25)

22. He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea, till when you are in the ships and they sail with them with a favourable wind, and they are glad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think that they are encircled therein, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him Alone, saying: "If You (Allah) deliver us from this, we shall truly be of the grateful."23. But when He delivered them, behold! They rebel (disobey Allah) in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allah) is only against your ownselves, - a brief enjoyment of this worldly life, then (in the end) unto Us is your return, and We shall inform you that which you used to do.
24. Verily the likeness of (this) worldly life is as the water (rain) which We send down from the sky, so by it arises the intermingled produce of the earth of which men and cattle eat until when the earth is clad with its adornments and is beautified, and its people think that they have all the powers of disposal over it, Our Command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean-mown harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday! Thus do We explain the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, laws, etc.) in detail for the people who reflect.
25. Allah calls to the home of peace (i.e. Paradise, by accepting Allah's religion of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds and abstaining from polytheism and evil deeds) and guides whom He wills to a Straight Path.


i.e They were unbelievers

 

[opuntia]

Is it urges to pray or urges for an answer to some deep longing? There is no point in praying if there is no true inner desire on some deep level, for that is the true nature of prayer--the seeking for the beyond whether physical or spiritual. A content person will not pray; but discontent drives some to prayer.

 

[fatima_bintu_islam]

I want to add another verse , with the recitation of the Surah containing it and its translation, as it is a very important chapter for the question, especially the beginning of it:

Quran ( 16:52-54)

52. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and (all that is in) the earth and Ad-Din Wasiba is His [(i.e. perpetual sincere obedience to Allah is obligatory). None has the right to be worshipped but Allah)]. Will you then fear any other than Allah?53. And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help.
54. Then, when He has removed the harm from you, behold! Some of you associate others in worship with their Lord (Allah).


This is the link for the whole Chapter which I highly recommend to read the beginning of it until this verse and after it a bit:


Translation of Surah An-Nahl - NobleQuran.com


And a recitation of it with the translation : ( Part 1)

[youtube]3xzxjB4sx0Y[/youtube]
YouTube - ‫ما تيسر من سورة النحل 1 ماهر المعيقلي رمضان 1430‬‎




Part 2:


[youtube]dgPyd6L_Mf4[/youtube]
YouTube - ‫ما تيسر من سورة النحل 2 ماهر المعيقلي رمضان 1430‬‎


Part 3:


[youtube]BKI07rxKXWg[/youtube]
YouTube - ‫ما تيسر من سورة النحل 3 ماهر المعيقلي رمضان 1430‬‎


Enjoy

 

[Smoke]

Prayer then can serve one of two purposes:

1) To obtain help from an all powerful God

2) To gain some kind of confidence.

If that's what you call prayer, I don't pray. Very rarely prayed like that even when I was a Christian. I never had much patience with people who treated God like Santa Claus.

 

[Danmac]

If that's what you call prayer, I don't pray. Very rarely prayed like that even when I was a Christian. I never had much patience with people who treated God like Santa Claus.

I do not believe God to be Santa. I do believe that tragedies can be divide into two sub groups.

1} Some problems can be solved with human resources. We have the power to solve said problems with those resources. No divine intervention is necessary.

2) Some problems cannot be solved with human resources. After all human efforts are exhausted, and the problem still remains, God invites us to call on Him, so that He can assist us.

Ps 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

Ps 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Ps 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

 

[mhiggs]

A content person will not pray; but discontent drives some to prayer.

So I'm not content? Lol. Okay, that makes sense. So every religious person that prays is discontent? I guess I could buy that.
But If you read my blog post you would know that I was not praying because of discontent, but just for certain things that were outside of my control.

 

[ChristineES]

I pray when I am happy, too. I pray to thank God for every day I am here and able to make a difference. There is a lot of suffering in the world, but there are a lot of good things, too.

 

[Meow Mix]

I pray when I am happy, too. I pray to thank God for every day I am here and able to make a difference. There is a lot of suffering in the world, but there are a lot of good things, too.

Right on! I think it's healthy for people to be thankful they're even alive at all, regardless of whether they're thankful to a god or force or just happy in general about it. Frubals!

 

[Midnight Pete]

Indeed they can. And, it's just as effective as when theists do it.

Who would an atheist pray to? And how could it be "just as effective" as the prayer of someone who believes in God?