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May 21st, 2013
04:45 PM ET
Who hears #PrayersForOklahoma?By Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN) - God may not notice the thousands of prayers tweeted for victims of Oklahoma’s devastating tornado - but Ricky Gervais sure has. And he is not pleased. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 75,000 people have used the hashtag #PrayForOklahoma, including pop starlets, pastors and politicians, according to Topsy.com, a trend-monitoring site. For example, the White House tweeted, But the hashtag and the sentiments it promotes prompted a fierce backlash on social media, led by Gervais, a British comedian, and other prominent nonbelievers. And while one Oklahoma City pastor says he appreciates the Twitter prayers, some religious scholars say devout petitions require more than moving your hands across a keyboard. "A prayer is supposed to have a consequence for you," said Elizabeth Drescher, a lecturer at Santa Clara University in California. "It's not an act of magic." Gervais, an ardent foe of organized religion, was more caustic. After MTV tweeted that pop stars Beyonce, Rihanna and Katy Perry are sending their prayers to Oklahoma, Gervais responded, “I feel like an idiot now … I only sent money.” Gervais and other atheists also kick-started a counter-trend, using the hashtag #ActuallyDoSomethingForOklahoma. “If all people are doing is praying, it is worthless,” Hemant Mehta, an Illinois math teacher who writes the blog “Friendly Atheist,” told CNN. “If they are praying and donating to the Red Cross, that’s more like it.” Mehta is promoting a group called Foundation Beyond Belief that aims to provide a humanist response to crises like the Oklahoma tornado. The prayer debate spilled into other social media sites as well, with commenters on CNN’s Facebook page sparring over God’s role in Monday’s destructive whirlwind. According to Oklahoma officials, 24 people have died, many more are injured, and once-orderly streets look likes foretastes of the apocalypse. In response to a woman who said she was praying for the victims, Facebook commenter Peter Tongue replied, “If prayer works, there wouldn’t be a disaster like this in the first place .... so please keep your religion to yourself.” But believers had their say as well. “God is still in control!” said Wilbur Dugger, a commenter on CNN’s Facebook page. “Everything (God) does is to get our attention. … My sympathy and prayers go out to those who get caught up in his demonstrations of (God) ruling the world.” The social-media sparring over prayer and God’s will reflect a culture in which traditional notions of religion - and the places where people talk about faith - are changing faster than a Twitter feed, said Drescher, the Santa Clara lecturer. “We’re watching people re-articulate what it means to be spiritual and religious,” she said. Just a few years ago, for example, no one knew what a hashtag was. Now the “#PrayFor...” meme appears after almost every national and international tragedy. But what exactly does it mean? Is the tweeting multitude really folding its hands in prayer, or is it a fleeting expression of existential angst? Or maybe just a trendy thing to say? “It seems to express hope and anxiety, and maybe even helplessness,” Drescher said. “At the same time, it evokes this strong response from people who see it as a cop-out, a way of claiming some kind of spiritual space that doesn’t actually have any meaning to the people who are posting the meme or the community they are addressing.” Traditionally, prayer has required something of the pray-er: an orientation toward reverence, a readiness to act, Drescher continued. “You are meant to do something - and that something may not be an easy thing.” Slapping a hashtag at the end of a tweet doesn’t meet that standard, the scholar said. The Rev. David Johnson of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City said the prayerful tweets mean something to him - even if he’s been too busy to read them. Since Monday, St. Andrew’s has become a Red Cross command post and reunion site for families to find loved ones caught in the tornado’s path. The tragedy has also touched the congregation itself, with homes, and some lives, lost on Tuesday, Johnson said. Told of the Twitter prayers, Johnson said, “that’s awesome.” “People feel helpless - like God called them to do something but they don’t know what. That’s where prayer comes in.” Johnson said his church appreciates the many material donations coming its way: the generator sent by a lady from Arkansas, the food and water sent from neighboring towns. But they also solicit, and are happy to receive, the many prayers recited - or tweeted - on their behalf, he said. “We’ve seen quite a lot of trauma in the last day,” Johnson said. “Obviously, people are going to ask why God allows tornadoes to happen. That’s just part of this world. God doesn’t promise us that bad things won’t happen, he promises to help us get through it. That’s what prayer helps us do.” soundoff (3,515 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVkoQHCXSK8
from the murder of a soldier on London, the suspects in the murder said: ""we swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you."
Yes, you angry religious kooks, keep killing in the name of your almighty sky fairy. You have the celestial warrant to do as you please, and that pleases your sky fairy such that anything you do is justified.
you need to quit smoking weed
The truth is painful, even for you mind-numbed believers. But just pass it off as "this is god's will," and you can rest easy at night, isn't that true?
There are extremists in any area of life...any...not just Christians. Most Christians love others and just seek to share the hope that we have in Jesus. It is not to look down on others, but we believe that God loves every single one of us and we want to share that love with those around us.
RKU, there's a restroom wall down at the county park better suited for your bigotry.
lol? Surely you would know the answer to that.
Really? I am a bigot because I point out that religious people kill others in the name of god? If that makes me a bigot, thank you. I will always point that out.
Just let me know the next time a suspect in a murder says, "I swear by almighty atheism that we will not stop fighting you."
Because Ricky Gervais has a handle on the truth, glad he woke me up to his way of thinking...
you mean as opposed to the constant prosthletyzing of the religious? the nonstop missions? the smug sense of superiority? The belief that "jesus is the light?" Is that the "handle on the truth" of which you speak?
You thin-skinned believers react when a fraction of what you have been doing is given back to you. Mostly because of the insecurity that you are living a lie and your whole belief system is false. I guess I would be insecure too.
RKU,you are a smug bigot.
Is that all you have? Exposing your lies and falsehoods makes me a smug bigot? I think that the smug one is the one who says that his personal god saved him from tragedy but allowed innocent children to die.
Ricky is wrong about God but correct that people should send money. I'll pray for you Ricky– Faith is faith and it's perfectly ok with me that you don't have any.
Prove he's wrong.
Because believers act like their viewpoint is above reproach and should be reflected in the law for all, even nonbelievers. But no, we atheists say, your view is NOT more valuable than others just because it is connected to a belief in an invisible, undetectable sky wizard who uses magic spellz.
Prayer is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere.
Believing something doesn't make it true. You are wrong until you prove otherwise. I'll be waiting.
Prayer is like masturbation – it feels good for the person doing it, but does nothing for the person being thought of.
Hey Craig, who needs an MD when you can pray away the pain and sickness?
MD's are yer friends?? Tell that to the kid who's gettin' his brains sucked out.
I've gone through a tornado where several of my family members got killed as well as some of my community members, it as a horrible thing. But prayer was what got me through, what gave me strength to keep on going not only for myself but to help one another. If you dont believe in God, then you can't really pray for anything because you don't have the will to get to know God. You just rather think he doesn't exist. In this case you'll just spend your time saying words, blah blah and criticizing people that do believe. Don't worry about it, prayers work for the people that believe regardless of what you non believers say :).
If athiests don't believe in God, why are they so offended at the people that do? If it doesn't affect them, they should shut their pieholes and let other lead their lives as they like!
If religious people believe in God, why are they so offended at the people that don't? If it doesn't affect them, they should shut their pieholes and let other lead their lives as they like!
Those who lack spirituality (whether it be christianity, wiccan, islam whatever) are so miserable they need everyone else to share their burden...
because ignorance is irritating
Atheist stand up to religious bullies who think its o.k. to ram their beliefs down everyone else's throats. Keep your religion to yourself and you won't hear from one.
I agree with Mike and feel sorry for those who believe in nothing
Twister, you hit it out of the park. Bravo. The thin-skinned religious get so worked-up when they are on the receiving end of even a fraction of the scorn they have been giving for millennia.
Absolutely Dan. I'm sure they'll do that just as soon as religious folks stop trying to pass legislation based on what the Bible says.
Mike, your life is so miserable that you have to have an imaginary friend and believe in a better life after you die. Grow up.
I fell sorry for someone who has to have an imaginary friend to get through their sad lives.
I also feel bad for anyone named after a Blazing Saddles character.
Because prayers are meaningless. They don't do anything. He is saying if you want to do something to help then send money or donate blood. So many people tweet "our prayers are with insert here" and they think that it's actual support. It's is the same thing as saying I'm thinking about it.
errrr, DC, you oversimplify. Not believing in god does not equal not believing in anything. I believe in a lot of things. It's just that a sky fairy who answers prayers and sends tornadoes (or not) and saves certain people (but not innocent children) is not one of those beliefs.
I also don't believe in living like a slave to some bronze-aged tale.
"If it doesn't affect them, they should shut their pieholes and let other lead their lives as they like!"
Stop trying to impose it on every aspect of society, if you don't like reality and feel persecuted by it, please feel free to shut your trap while we protect our planet and make it better for you.
@Dan,
"If it doesn't affect them,..."
While god(s) may not affect them, unfortunately the believers can.
Because it absolutely does affect us. I'm tired of being assaulted with questions about my lack of faith and how I've decided that church is not for me. I'm tired of watching otherwise intelligent people thank an idea for good things but refuse to blame that same idea for horrible things. Don't let yourself believe that it doesn't affect us.
Julie
Atheist stand up to religious bullies who think its o.k. to ram their beliefs down everyone else's throats. Keep your religion to yourself and you won't hear from one.
----------------–
Nobodies "ramming" their beliefs down your throat. If you're offended just by seeing the word "prayer", you should consider getting a life!
Don't pray in our schools and we won't think in your churches. Of course, if you feel the need to teach religion or, fake god forbid, intelligent design in our schools, then let's teach biology and evolution in your sunday school and bible studies.
Dan, Believers are pushing their religion on the rest of us daily: your god mentioned on the currency, your religious beliefs taught instead of science in schools, your religious texts on public buildings, prayers to your god at public events, your religious beliefs to determine who can get married, etc.
I've gone through a tornado where several of my family members got killed as well as some of my community members, it as a horrible thing. But prayer was what got me through, what gave me strength to keep on going not only for myself but to help one another. If you dont believe in God, then you can't really pray for anything because you don't have the will to get to know God. You just rather think he doesn't exist. In this case you'll just spend your time saying words, blah blah and criticizing people that do believe. Don't worry about it, prayers work for the people that believe regardless of what you non believers say :).
because it DOES affect our lives every day. Like say, some jerk on the internet telling no-believers to "shut their piehole"
tell you what, we'll do it when you stop bringing God up.
Who is Ricky Gervais? Whatever it takes to get help, support, love and assistance to those folks – I am for it. Prayers, donations, time, mission trips, volunteers. Wouldn't it be neato if everyone quit trying to prove their self-serving point and did some good in the world?
Why can't we just let people believe what they want? Like the young lady Wolf Blitzer interviewed. She is an atheist, but she said she didn't blame anyone for thanking the Lord. Why can't more people on BOTH sides be like that???
Why, CNN? Why is this news? Why is this on your homepage? Why is it not a link to "Organizations taking donations and volunteers for disaster relief in Oklahoma"?
They are doing it because many other news medias have been dupped by false donation websites before. It is better if you just help in donating to the Red Cross and local emergency groups in the area of the disaster.
Do we still need to announce call 911 for emergency? With all the disasters happening in the world, if you don't know yet who or where to give a donation, you must be living under a rock.
Ricky Gervais, as an entertainer, has the thought process that he matters. He doesn't! The people in Oklahoma will appreciate any prayers no matter how they are sent up and will also appreciate any money or assistance they receive.
A "thougth process" is not a synonym of "belief" or "idea."
Agree with you completely. Regardless, of your beliefs, we all want to see the families and the community heal and recover. Why are we making this about ourselves? It isnt. We all have different beliefs and that is a positive thing. Rather than ripping oneanother to shreds with childish comments, consider acting like a grown up and respecting others even if they believe something completely different than you. Positive thoughts, donations, prayers, keep all the positive energy coming..
Why is it ok for those that do not believe in god to belittle, ridicule and berate those that do?
This sort of behavior is just as bad as the behavior of those that try to beat their faith into you or shove it down our throats.
I do not follow a religion and I don't believe in god, but I accept that others do and they have that right. I only get offended when someone tries to shove religion down my throat or when religion causes so much hatred. But I am JUST as offended by so many non-religious people that spew hate towards those that are religious.
We may not belive in god but that is no reason to ridicule those that do and say that they are following fairy tales etc. It is offensive and it is just as much of a problem in causing fighting etc as those who spew hatred for people that follow a different faith than they do.
I choose not to believe or follow a religion and I choose to believe that organized religion causes a lot of hatred and fighting, and that is my right to choose, but I respect the rights of others to choose to believe in any faith (or not) that they want.
Thank you.. So well said. I am a believer, and I feel the same way.
LG you echo my thoughts exactly. My beliefs are different from yours (although I don't follow any organized religion) but I completely respect anyone's right to believe as they wish. Whether your sense of morality is driven by religious or spiritual beliefs or simple common decency belittling others or pressuring them into sharing your views runs opposite to it.
So people are upset others are using free speech to offer some well wishing? Seriously. If you don't like it, don't watch. Simply mind your own business and do what you feel is best. No one is being hurt by twitter prayers.
So people are upset others are using free speech to point out that using twitter to pray is silly? Seriously. If you don't like it, don't watch. Simply mind your own business and do what you feel is best.
No one is being helped by it either, It's meaningless.
sam is tellin' others what to do, exactly what he accuses the faithful of.
"..........Simply mind your own business and do what you feel is best...."
Simple samion sayz.
So believers in OK, how DID all that "praying" work out for ya, as the tornado bore down, and did what it did with COMPLETE INDIFFERENCE as to WHO IT KILLED, or WHAT IT DESTROYED? And you still think there is some "deity" out there worthy of acknowledgement, much less "prayer"? Are you NOTICING A PATTERN YET?
Yeah. Love your American spirit. You are doing a lot of good I can tell. Way to choose your platform. You've got a real feel for timing, huh?
People died. Please be more sensitive to the loss of others.
you're a jerk
The prayers did make a difference. The tornado was indifferent in who was killed, but for those who were killed that prayed to God of the Bible, their soul is saved from destruction.
We have turned our back on God in most ways and He has let us have our way. Also, He does it to bring us back to Him. Many people turn to God in prayer when things are bad, but not so much when things are just right. Also , if a believer perishes, they go to Heaven to live with the Lord. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who died, though.
I am a Christian and I hate the knee jerk reaction to "send prayers". There is no substance to these so called prayers. What do these people expect to happen when they "pray"? God does not micro manage i.e. God does not send tornados nor does he keep you alive during a tornado. It is a matter of where you are and luck that keeps you alive.
And yet it keeps a record of the thoughts and deeds of all the people that have ever existed?
then you are not a Christian...you can call yourself that, but you are not
DC is an authority on who is Most Christian, I guess.
I agree with your post, Fran.
And you are "Christian" because WHY exactly?
Fact: Christians give more to charity in both time and money than atheists. There is a point to saying that we should do something rather than simply praying, but the fact of the matter is that most Christians do.
Check your facts, and try not to believe the christians who lie for their beliefs. Atheists give more, proven.
Care to provide the proof of this??? Red Cross was in there almost as soon as it was over and they are secular. Many secular charities are helping and they're not asking you to listen to their propaganda about their imaginary friend who they think can protect but yet does nothing.
when churches are claimed as charities, its not much of a claim.
Neither one of you provided any facts. Correct that will you.
How would you know that? Is there a section on IRS returns that tracks a person's religious affiliation?
"The Red Sox are the best team ever"
"No, the Yankees are the best team ever"
"No, the Red Sox are the best team ever"
"No, the Yankees are the best team ever"
Fact? Sources?
This backs us up: http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/pellissier20111125
"The current most charitable individuals in the United States, based on “Estimated Lifetime Giving,” are:
1) Warren Buffett (atheist, donated $40.785 billion to “health, education, humanitarian causes”)
2) Bill & Melinda Gates (atheists, donated $27.602 billion to “global health and development, education”)
3) George Soros (atheist, donated $6.936 billion to “open and democratic societies”)"
Fact: most often, people who declare facts have nothing to back it up with.
Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are two atheists that are engaging other billionaires to leave it all to charity.
Just becuase you put Fact in front of something doesn't mean it's true.
"The Red Sox are the best team ever"
"No, the Yankees are the best team ever"
"No, the Red Sox are the best team ever"
"No, the Yankees are the best team ever"
"God is real"
"No, God is fantasy"
"No, God is real"
"No, God is fantasy"
"No, God is real"
"No, the Red Sox are the best team ever"
"No, the Yankees are the best team ever"
"No, the Red Sox are the best team ever"
"No, the Yankees are the best team ever"
"No, the Red Sox are the best team ever"
"No, the Giants are the best team ever"
God: "Yep, got that one right"
Two hands working accomplish more than a million hands folded in prayer.
and two hands + a million hands folded in prayer together accomplish even more 🙂 Peace
Well said.
...there are a number of counterexamples to that overly general remark-reflect, think, introspect, gain perspective, plan, and be tranquil-all come to mind as occasionally worthy activities where a silent moment would be more productive than hands in action.
Daviid: So after a major disaster, we should quietly reflect on the moment instead of helping to get the survivors out of the rubble? When is it ever a good time to do nothing? Time should be spent quickly analyzing the situation, determining the appropriate action and taking that action. Meditation about the reason, purpose, meaning of a disaster is pointless.
Still a little long fer a bumper sticker.
People often forget that during times of natural disasters, disease, the very wickedness of men, stem from sin. God is not in the sin business, but Satan is. How can you think there is a God, when unfortunately we live in a world of sin? God's very Son, Jesus, gave His life to redeem mankind from sin. Prayer is one of the most powerful avenues that we sinners have to talk to the very throne of God and to immediately have answers. I'm confident that in these disaster stories are countless answers to prayers, but many not talked about or seen. James 5:16 reminds us, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Pray always, without ceasing. The answers and miracles are there if we only look.
Could not have said it better...
'Could not have said it better...'
well he could have taken all the nonsense out, but then i guess that would have left a blank posting.
And you tend to forget that not everyone shares your belief. Over 40 000 variations of god and not one can be proven to exist and yet everyone who believes in those gods believes they have the right one...how are you so certain you do?? (godchecker.com is a great place to figure this out at)
Prayer has been utterly useless, and Christian god obviously doesn't exist. The foundational premise of Christianity re Jesus's sacrifice is also complete and utter bunk:
How is it again that the Christian supposedly all-powerful being couldn't do his saving bit without the whole silly Jesus hoopla? And how was Jesus' death a "sacrifice", when an omnipotent being could just pop up a replacement son any time with less than a snap of his fingers? Pretty pathetic "god" that you've made for yourself there.
Ask the questions. Break the chains. Join the movement.
Be free of Christianity and other superstitions.
http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/
Truth Prevails, godchecker.com is a great link. Bookmarked that one. Thanks for that 🙂
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://godchecker.wordpress.com/tag/atheism/&sa=U&ei=QBCdUff8H8LD4AOj0YH4CQ&ved=0CBgQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNEK0tRHDdPdpTLPVX6TgsutdlWBcA
http://godchecker.wordpress.com/tag/atheism/
That's better.
When my 52-year-old father who had been a practicing Catholic his whole life lay dying in a hospital bed in our family room, we had a priest come to the house who told him that illness was a result of wickedness. That was the last time I thought of ever practicing a religion that would be so heartless in time of people's greatest need.
The devil made me do it has always been a cop out.
Trillions of prayers have been offered to stop wars.
Nothing fails like prayer. The word war is all the proof we need.
I've gone through a tornado where several of my family members got killed as well as some of my community members, it as a horrible thing. But prayer was what got me through, what gave me strength to keep on going not only for myself but to help one another. If you dont believe in God, then you can't really pray for anything because you don't have the will to do it. You just rather think God doesn't exist and criticize others that do. In this case you'll just spend your time saying words, blah blah and criticizing people that do believe in the power of prayer. Don't worry about it, prayers work for the people that believe regardless of what you non believers say :).
God is REAL: http://www.everystudent.com/wires/Godreal.html <3 🙂
Lynne...I am so sorry about your Father. My uncle died of cancer, too. What the priest said is so wrong! It is not the result of his sin. If that were true, then what of babies or young children who die of cancer? I think it might more be related to physical factors...diet, preservatives when safety hasn't been proven...those types of things. Don't believe him or even let him influence your feelings about religion. If your Dad was a believing Catholic then assuredly he is up in the presence of Jesus. And what a wonderful place to be.
Freedom of religion applies to those who pray to any god of their choosing as well as those who choose not to. American Revolutionarys specifically fought against oppression of their freedoms by the British. Oh....wait....Ricky Gervais IS British.
I can't believe some of the ridiculous things these atheists say. Don't they know that GOD loves each and everyone one of us? But sometimes GOD must kill people for food for himself, JESUS and all of the precious ANGELS. GOD gave us the earth and all of its abundance of plants and animals so that humans can be healthy and strong. Then he creates natural disasters to kill many of us so that HE can eat and be well nourished. I can't wait until GOD eats me and my family!! Praise the LORD.
LOL!!!! i can't tell if you are serious or making a funny... either way it's hilarious!!
True, I can't count the number of times I've told God to eat me.
God may not notice.....
Wonder who wrote this opening line. Really?
Since there's no conclusive proof of god, it's a reasonable statement. The Easter Bunny may not have noticed, either, since like god, the Easter Bunny is invisible, undetectable, and irrelevant.
Cap'n Oblivius declareth.