Thoughts and prayers are not keeping us from solutions to problems. They are the only true beginning to real solutions for the problems that ail our country.
A big reason for it is the fact that the people doing the mocking don’t believe in God and therefore don’t think prayer could do anything. Of course they’d find “thoughts and prayers” empty if they thought both were meaningless. I agree with you, though. Sure, thoughts and prayers need to be backed up with action. But, as you point out, often the people most likely to take action to help victims of tragedy are the ones unashamedly and unreservedly offering their thoughts and prayers.
Even hardcore atheists should be able to recognize the strong cathartic effect of prayers and meditation, and recognize the value it can have psychologically both individually and collectively. From what I've witnessed, those who mock thoughts and prayers are those who want to capitalize on fears and emotion towards action that they know people would not ordinarily take outside of the immediacy of a crisis.
Yeah. I think many thoughtful and reasonable atheists do recognize that. But I think the impulse of the mockers comes from a very secular perspective. If this life is all there is and nothing else matters, then we HAVE to do the things they think we need to do to create a utopia here on earth. It’s harder to face human suffering without religion.
But also it seems like it’s usually just an excuse to enact some gun control legislation that isn’t even related to the tragedy.
A big reason for it is the fact that the people doing the mocking don’t believe in God and therefore don’t think prayer could do anything. Of course they’d find “thoughts and prayers” empty if they thought both were meaningless. I agree with you, though. Sure, thoughts and prayers need to be backed up with action. But, as you point out, often the people most likely to take action to help victims of tragedy are the ones unashamedly and unreservedly offering their thoughts and prayers.
Even hardcore atheists should be able to recognize the strong cathartic effect of prayers and meditation, and recognize the value it can have psychologically both individually and collectively. From what I've witnessed, those who mock thoughts and prayers are those who want to capitalize on fears and emotion towards action that they know people would not ordinarily take outside of the immediacy of a crisis.
Yeah. I think many thoughtful and reasonable atheists do recognize that. But I think the impulse of the mockers comes from a very secular perspective. If this life is all there is and nothing else matters, then we HAVE to do the things they think we need to do to create a utopia here on earth. It’s harder to face human suffering without religion.
But also it seems like it’s usually just an excuse to enact some gun control legislation that isn’t even related to the tragedy.