For the atheist who criticize Christians for spending time praying instead of doing for others...?

Question

and say they DO

Why is my prayer anymore a waste of time than your sitting on Y!A? Why are you here? If prayer is a waste of time, isn't Y!A also? So quit wasting your time here...get out and DO.

Someone will call me a hypocrite because I am here too. I am simply pointing out that if my praying for the needy is a waste of time, then you sitting on Y!A is a waste of time as well. You aren't doing anything constructive to help at this moment...so why aren't you out doing something?

Oh, wait, I forgot Christians waste time by praying (according to you atheists). Atheists never waste time, now do they? They are always doing for others with every spare second they have...

Oh, wait. You are here. My bad.

How is my spending time praying anymore useless to the needy (I don't think it's useless) than you sitting on Y!A?

Yep, this is basically a big F you, if you tell Christians they should be constantly doing instead of praying, and that you are superior because you DO with your time.

Yep...you knew you had this coming, and that you deserve it. You are just sadistic and enjoy throwing stones if you are one of the atheist who criticizes Christians for praying for others when they should be doing like you so-say do. Personally, I think 90% of you who say this are liars, and don't do a thing to help the less fortunate.

Last Ent, you are completely correct. I apologize for the "big F you" part.

Yep, this is a rant. I just answered a question from a Christian asking people to pray for the lass fortunate, and at least three atheist responded with something like what I've just posted.

To the one who said they were at work, I said every spare second, not every second.

Asian, most Christians DO and pray. I do appreciate your candid answer.

Oh, and Asian, I didn't say ALL atheist. Please reread the question.

Obviously, you believe that Christians should allow themselves to be attacked and not respond. I don't agree with that.

It would be refreshing to hear an atheist say I have a point.

I do and pray; I volunteer quite a bit.

I DID NOT SAY THIS APPLIES TO EVERY ATHEIST. PLEASE REREAD THE QUESTION.

Zilla, I have never claimed to be better than anyone else. Look at my answers. I have always said we are all God/dess' children.

AdoreHim, don't apologize for me. I find that offensive. Christ was always pointing out hypocrisy. I will not be attacked for praying, or for not doing when I do do something.

Keyring, the question posed was for Christians. Why should an atheist be upset that a Christian asked another Christian to pray?

Elena, why do these answers assume that a Christian is only praying and not doing anything?

Answer 1

You had me right up until the "f you" part. Two wrongs don't make a right.

*hugs*

Answer 2

That's a ridiculous comparison. What people are saying is that your prayer is useless compared with actually helping people. No one is saying that every single activity an atheist performs helps people.
If we say the average time spent on Y!A is x hours per week, and the average time you spend praying is y hours per week, then you're wasting x+y hours, whereas atheists are only wasting x, which is smaller for all positive values of y.
More to the point, the extent of one's help is not measured by the time required. If I had the money, I could very quickly make a $1 million donation to a charity, which would be far more helpful than spending hours volunteering at a soup kitchen.

So basically no element of your argument makes any sense.

Answer 3

I don't think it's necessary to get upset about it. It seems that such people would point out that, yes, Y!A is a waste of time, but they aren't claiming to be helping anyone at the time. The issue is the choice between sitting and praying or going and doing. If you are faced with the opportunity to help someone, it seems that going and doing is the more useful option to choose.

I understand that life and its diversity of people can be frustrating, but try to look at it in a positive light. For example, think of the opportunities you have to help others and essentially silence any detractors and go act on those opportunities. Consider these responses you have gotten in the past as a sort of call to arms, a chance to push yourself to be an even better influence on the world.

You can always pray AND act, often at the same time.

Answer 4

No need to get mad.

Nobody constantly "does." I sure as hell don't. My only issue with constantly praying instead of doing is the impact it has on the one who prays.

That is, that people tend to pray instead of "trying" or "thinking." I'm sure at least a few people here will be able to tell stories about relatives, friends, or relatives of friends who died because they prayed instead of accepting the IV drip that would have saved their lives.

Not to mention the undocumented millions whose world-view is skewed by the irrational belief that God hears and answers their prayers. The problem with these people is not that they pray instead of being community helpers-- the problem is the impact on their own lives.

Not all Christians do this, and now you can't say that all atheists accuse Christians of praying instead of doing, trying, or thinking. If all Christians were like the old grandma who prays instead of getting medical help, then my girlfriend would never graduate from high school.

In fact, she probably wouldn't have lived long enough to meet me.

EDIT: Quit while you're ahead. You're making the non-judgemental, real Christians look bad.

Answer 5

I'm sorry, but I've gotta point this out: It's Christians who almost constantly claim the 'moral high ground', put themselves out there as being better by virtue of their religion and their Jesus, and think that atheists are somehow just a little less than them. No sane person would deny this. Why wouldn't people call you on this, when here in Christian America the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer? And, I *do* give what I can. Admittedly, it's not much, but it's what I can do.

By the way, can you imagine Jesus asking this question?

Peace :)

Answer 6

I have never insulted you or any other Christians about praying. You do what you like, and if you enjoy praying, then so be it.
But FYI, I volunteer every Saturday for people that need emergency relief and shelter (i.e their house burnt, was flooded, etc.).

"They are always doing for others with every spare second they have..."
Do you pray 24/7? I don't think so.

Learn to think before you type. Don't insult the whole group for another's actions. That's like me saying, "Oh yeah. Adolf Hitler, who was a Christian by the way, killed millions of people. That means you're a murderer, too!" That's my big F you to you.

Answer 7

surely there are a variety of variations, the final gist and sense of the holy text cloth is diverse between Christianity and Judaism. Christians get criticized with the aid of fact they attempt to rigidity their ideals onto others, they actively seek for converts, and that they bypass approximately telling others how incorrect they're and threaten them with Hellfire and Damnation. Jewish human beings do no longer do this.

Answer 8

I don't try to help the needy. You do. I'm just telling you that praying for them is ineffective.

I do this for enjoyment. I have no idea why you like talking to yourself, though.

"Christian asking people to pray for the lass fortunate"
If those atheists were serious about helping the needy, I could definitely see what annoyed them.

Answer 9

WOW- now wouldn't God be pleased with you blasting the people that you say blasts you? Especially your last statement. I am a Christian and I pray and I do not think it is a waste of time either- but if we think that we win people to Christ by being sarcastic and saying things like you just did you are wrong. Jesus paid the price so that we could pray, and we could hear Him speaking to us- I apology to those atheists that you just blasted- I do not agree with them that praying is a waste of time, but I do agree with not wanting to be treated like you just treated them.

Answer 10

What they don't know is that prayer is a huge help. If only they could know, but they can't because they refuse to see beyond what their bodily eyes can see. A prayer can make spirits do for us, when we can't do ourselves. Prayer is also energy that flows from within us and go wherever we want it to go.

They don't know, but that's OK. We do.

Peace!

Answer 11

You're here too.

So you're wasting time praying AND asking asinine questions on Y!A.

The difference is:

Actual action produces actual results.

Find me ONE shred of evidence that prayer helps.

Also, you making up numbers on how many of us are hypocrites doesn't make you more right, just less like Jesus.