The Atheist's prayer resembles a prayer to a diety, in that is in fact a prayer to our own self opinion There is no deity that will answer a prayer that we are capable of answering ourselves. God helps those who help themselves. For example, praying for world peace is pointless unless we make a constructive effort to use our talents to change things. A prayer without action can be dangerous, as it can lull us into a false sense of security, and provide us with an excuse to remain inactive. The most effective prayers are those that help us deal with a situation as it is. Prayer is something that is personal enough that it need not be defended. It's meaning is absolutely individual, and no one...

The Atheist's prayer resembles a prayer to a diety, in that is in fact a prayer to our own self opinion There is no deity that will answer a prayer that we are capable of answering ourselves. God helps those who help themselves. For example, praying for world peace is pointless unless we make a constructive effort to use our talents to change things. A prayer without action can be dangerous, as it can lull us into a false sense of security, and provide us with an excuse to remain inactive. The most effective prayers are those that help us deal with a situation as it is. Prayer is something that is personal enough that it need not be defended. It's meaning is absolutely individual, and no one, of any faith, should be told that is is beyond them.

The Atheist Prayer resembles a prayer to a deity because that was what I was asked to write. Here was my brief:

"The community I live in still conducts prayers at meetings, etc. When called upon to lead in prayer I always say I am an atheist and decline. Is there an atheist prayer? I would like to conduct a prayer that they will find as repugnant as the ones they give!"

It is designed not to be a prayer as much as a speech to an audience of unthinking believers given by an atheist but disguised as a prayer. It is short because I didn't expect her to have much time to deliver it before they decided she'd said too much. It is not meant to spare any blushes, it is meant to cause them.

An ath...

The Atheist Prayer resembles a prayer to a deity because that was what I was asked to write. Here was my brief:

"The community I live in still conducts prayers at meetings, etc. When called upon to lead in prayer I always say I am an atheist and decline. Is there an atheist prayer? I would like to conduct a prayer that they will find as repugnant as the ones they give!"

It is designed not to be a prayer as much as a speech to an audience of unthinking believers given by an atheist but disguised as a prayer. It is short because I didn't expect her to have much time to deliver it before they decided she'd said too much. It is not meant to spare any blushes, it is meant to cause them.

An atheist (no capital letter is appropriate except in the title of the piece) is a person without beliefs in any deities. Defining an atheist as somebody who doesn't believe in God is to suggest that there is only one god worth not believing in.