The Ethics and Morality of Prayer...

[birdie1971]

I know this question has been done before but lately I've been thinking about the ethical and moral issues with regards to prayer. I'm an avid follower of the TV show, Big Brother (don't shoot me) and there is one contestant who regularly likes to pray that she and her friends will not be nominated for eviction.

My question is, does praying to God for purely personal gain constitute some form of blasphemy? Is it ethical and moral to pray to God for things that will benefit you specifically to the detriment of others?

[mibn2cweus]

Some people know no limits when it comes down to kissing up to the boss.

[wildwood]

Praying to change the course of events as planned by the Lord will surely be viewed as sacrilegious, how dare anyone even contemplate asking to alter the great plan for yourself!

[RafC]

If it is true that God already knows what you need, praying would be in itself obviously useless. However, it is also said that the faithful should pray. An obvious contradiction. That said, praying for purely personal gain and even worse, for something that would to the detriment of others would obviously be unethical to say the least.

[sandyRoe]

We can ask, but don't often get what we ask for.

Matthew 26:39

[jomifl]

I have the greatest confidence in the supreme deity's ability to run his affairs without any help from us mere humans. That is why I am an atheist, if He wanted me to be a believer he would have made me so. Praying is thus superfluous.:-)

[naomi24]

If God has a life plan for everyone, then praying for personal gain could be construed as blasphemous in that the master plan is deemed inadequate for purpose. Praying for personal gain to the detriment of others is not only unethical, it demonstrates innate moral inadequacy – not to mention the intellectual self-depreciation that the act of praying demands.

[jomifl]

RafC & Naomi, I don't think bringing ethics in religion is a good idea, they don't go very well together, to the pont of being mutually exclusive.

[Old_Geezer]

Shows how much I know. I thought you were allowed to request anything, but that often the answer is, "No". Not that I believe in blasphemy anyway.

[naomi24]

Ha ha! Just answering Birdie's question, Jom.

[birdie1971]

I've been further musing on the matter of prayer. It would seem to me that prayer does just one thing – it makes the person praying feel good about themselves.

If they are praying for the betterment of others, that will make them feel happy as they believe that their prayers may be answered and the object of their goodwill may be the recipient of whatever reward they require. That would make anyone feel good. It's rather like supporting a charity in general principal but without actually giving them any of your money.

If they are praying for their own benefit (ie. they wish God to help them personally in some way) then that too will make them feel good. The belief that God is listening and may reward you must be very comforting and pleasurable for those of a religious persuasion.

However, since there is no empirical evidence that I have ever seen that praying for someone or something has any efficacy whatsoever - and believe me, I've looked for it – I can only conclude that the reason people pray is because it makes them feel better about themselves.

Is it just me or is this effectively spiritual onanism?

[naomi24]

Birdie, the self-satisfaction goes beyond prayer. Some Christians have told me the reason they help others is because it not only makes them appear good in the eyes those around them, it makes them feel good about themselves. For many it doesn’t stem from genuine altruism – quite the opposite. It’s all about self and superiority.

[Sheenamf]

My personal view is that prayer is not so much a wish list which you expect to have fulfilled, but an effort to seek guidance, and acceptance when things don't necessarily go your way. Some people do believe in the power of prayer as a force for good, and I would not like to discount this just because I don't.

[Sheenamf]

Also I would think of being booted out of the house as a good thing anyway. They've missed all the Olympics

[naomi24]

Sheenamf, we’re talking here about praying, not for guidance, but for personal gain to the detriment of others.

Your second post seems to have been destined for another section.

[Sheenamf]

Sorry Naomi, I did miss the point.

[Old_Geezer]

You write from the viewpoint of a sceptic Birdie. If you do not believe in intervention then your conclusions tend to follow, save that folk who care enough to pray for someone are likely to do other things to help also, if they can.

[naomi24]

OG, although they might trumpet it rather more, people who pray are not the only ones who do things to help others. Far from it. There are plenty who help others through genuine altruism - and say nothing about it.

[mibn2cweus]

Prayer is an attempt circumnavigate reality to acquire the unearned for the undeserving divorced from that which enables genuine appreciation for its inherent value, a respect for and acknowledgement of the thought and effort required to create and produce it without which it would not exist.

[Duncer]

"We can ask, but don't often get what we ask for.

Matthew 26:39"



Also Mrs D on a regular basis.