I am surrounded by prayerful people here who throw "thoughts and prayers" at any crisis, global, local, familial without a shred of irony.
Well good for them, they must feel better. They have a direct pipeline to the Invisible Cosmic Housekeeper (ICH for short).
Thing is, when thoughts and prayers are ignored, it is ICH's will, which for us lesser mortals, is only understood by ICH who seems contrary and brutal. Given that little kids get cancer and suffer and die in spite of the pleas. It's all ICH's plan of gathering billions of child-angels home. For what? Oh we're not privy to that. R-right.
When thoughts and prayers are attended to, say for a really sick friend or relative, it is the glory of ICH that is acknowledged profusely and those who prayed to ICH. Not the medical team, the paramedics, the brilliant surgeon, the radiation technicians. Not science. No sirree bob.
Such mental jigging and juggling. Such pride and smugness in the successful prayers when all becomes well and the storm is over. The inference being for those not so lucky, ICH was displeased with their prayers. There was a right way and a wrong way to pray and some had access to the ear of ICH and others were just doing it wrong.
It does my head in. I need to tune it all out.
Hmmmm ... despite your Caholic childhood, I think you've got something wrong here. As the ICH (I like this term actually ;) I even have an ICHB - last two standing for Housekeeping Budget named after your entity) has no hands, he's obliged to using human hands aka doctors, scientists and you and me in order to get his job done.
ReplyDeleteI have a different take on thoughts and prayers and frequently tell people that they are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope to convey to them that I empathize with their current situation and hopefully they are comforted by knowing people care about them. My prayer to the higher being I believe in is that the person will be given strength to deal with the situation and never that the situation would be 'fixed'. I personally would not question the purpose of the higher being but do recognize that sometimes sh*t just happens. :)
ReplyDeleteGrowing up largely without religion I am with you. I am happy for those who find comfort in their religion. However I resent (big time) the use of the phrase 'thoughts and prayers' to avoid taking any action. American mass shootings leap to mind. Charlotte's comment makes a lot of sense to me but I don't think it is acknowledged enough and nor are the people who do provide the practical support. People who need our assistance and support.
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ReplyDeleteToday’s post resonated so much with me I had to respond. Blind faith I believe it’s called.
I have followed your blog for years , agreeing and nodding, but never responding.
Used to live in Twillingate, then St Johns, travelled through the province extensively through Rural Development, then Halifax.
So many of your posts brought back many memories and made me remember my special life on the rock.
So, really, just thank you for your writing and stories, your love of dogs and your tales of family.
I’ve loved them all.
And now, temporarily here in Oaxaca, I am transported again.
Thank you.
Donna Rammo
Sent from my iPhone
You are not the only one whose head is done in.
ReplyDeleteI have a family member who believes that meals I cook are organised by ICH. They thank him, not me.
Also, any prayers for money and material goods directed at ICH will be fulfilled eventually, no matter who provides the cash. It makes me so cross that I am sorely tempted to say that I didn't hear the message and am therefore unable to provide.
We baby boomers in Australia may not have gotten much right but one thing we did get right is the deserting of organised religion. Rather than the society breaking down, we seem to have done better than a country where thoughts and prayers are offered regularly and often.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a praying type and if necessary I would be very quick to thank all the doctors and nurses along with their learned sciences.
ReplyDeleteI so much agree with you. I don't understand the whole idea of prayer. This from someone who was at one time fervently Baptist--and baptized as such---then transitioned to fervent Catholic--- and baptized again. Since the first baptism wasnt valid in the eyes of the second group.
ReplyDeleteI do not get why a god would demand that we beg for his help. Why isn't that help automatic if he "loves" us? If he is truly fair and just, how come one group claims to be "his chosen"? A parent shouldn't have favorites.
How is it that ten people can die in a tornado. Those who survive say that God saved them. He heard their prayers. What? And not those of the others? How come so many innocent children suffer such Hell on Earth if there is a loving God?
I find it infuriating that those who have drunk the Koolaid will always have a quick answer. That isn't an answer.
I have seen too many success stories of people using the power of prayer in recovery programs to be cynical about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Mary.i believe in both thought and prayer. I done eliminate the work done by doctors or helpers or therapists or others. I pray as an 3xpression of comfort and support and for strength to deal with their issues.
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of people find religious belief helpful in dealing with life's challenges, but I've never found that. I was always too aware of all the contradictions in religious thought to give it any major role in my life.
ReplyDeletePraying can be exhausting. I stopped long ago. I may think about someone and let them know that I am concerned. That must count for something.
ReplyDeleteI posted my comments on my blog, just because I thought I might get a variety of responses there
ReplyDeletePrayer is a form of meditation. It makes people feel better. If their prayers are not answered, well, too bad.
ReplyDeleteVery sorry the Catholic faith spoiled things for you. I am a person of faith and prayer - and I appreciate the medical community and others who help us along in life. There were never any guarantees of bad things not happening to people (we often rise to our best selves in these scenarios). And I don't think there's much smiting going on or we might not be in such a mess in this world. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been a good Catholic; needing to have an intermediary for prayer and forgiveness never made sense to me. Kim in PA (USA)
ReplyDeleteVery sorry the Catholic faith spoiled things for you. I am a person of faith and prayer - and I appreciate the medical community and others who help us along in life. There were never any guarantees of bad things not happening to people (we often rise to our best selves in these scenarios). And I don't think there's much smiting going on or we might not be in such a mess in this world. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been a good Catholic; needing to have an intermediary for prayer and forgiveness never made sense to me. Kim in PA (USA)
ReplyDeleteSo true! Prayer does often make the one offering it feel better so is of value to them though they often interpret its effect otherwise. I'm reminded of extensive therapeutic intervention I made with a nonverbal patient who eventually began to resume his conversational speech. His third wife, who he had forgotten having wedded, attributed her prayers had wrought this miracle, I guess. Actually, he could have talked all along but simply wasn't because he was trying to make sense of the world he woke up in and who and why that woman was crawling into bed with him among other things. Providing him reality intervention over time though he didn't talk with me at first was what had to occur. After she attributed her prayers to his speaking again, as I left the facility one evening she was busily placing her hand on wheel-chair bound patients sitting outside, praying over them, convinced she had powers, I guess.
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