Nothing Fails Like Prayer...

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?"
— Epicurus

 

We've all heard it when something bad happens-"I'll pray about it", " It's God's will", "God is testing them", "God is punishing them". It irritates me to no end to be upset and to have someone tell me to "just pray about it and god will hear you". Especially to hear christians say "Praise god!" when it goes the way they want it to, and "Well, it was god's will, and who can understand or question god's will", when it doesn't. Prayer is the lazy man's solution. It is a way to do nothing and still feel productive. It is also a way to divert blame to something else. If your prayer isn't answered, you can just blame it on someone else.

Ok, so everyone that knows me knows that I am an atheist. Not agnostic, not fairweather faithful, not on-the-fence, but full-fledged, all-out, stauch ATHEIST. I make no pretences, I do not sugarcoat my feelings on the subject and I don't back down. So WHY in the world would you tell me to freakin' PRAY about a situation?

My dad was diagnosed with cancer about 7 years ago. I was still a christian at that point in time, and I prayed like I'd never prayed before. It took awhile, but after numerous chemo and radiation treatments administered by DOCTORS, after a lengthy stay in a HOSPITAL, he got better and went into remission. Sure we all prayed, but he didn't just sit at home and pray that god would perform a miracle. He relied on modern technology and science, and when that worked, I didn't attribute his recovery to a miracle, but to that science and technology.

 And now, 6 years later, the cancer is back. My parents are still just as devout christians as they have always been. I am not. When my mother told me the news, my first question was not "Should I notify the local church so they can put him on their prayer list", but "So what do the doctors want to do"? My mother said "I know that you...say things...but we really need you to pray for a miracle." She can't even bring herself to admit that I am an atheist. And as such, my prayers are utterly useless to her god, even if he did exist. I told her that I would not discuss the subject with her because it wasn't the time, but that no, I wouldn't pray. I would put my faith in the doctors and the treatments instead.

When I got off the phone and started to cry, a friend walked in, and to console me, said "Hey, I know you don't really believe, but it's all about prayer right now". Then he proceeded to tell me a story about someone that he used to know who had HIV, prayed and believed that god would answer his prayers and 6 months later was miraculously cured. As if an unconfirmed story about someone who may or may not REALLY have been HIV pos having "faith" and being healed is going to sway me. OMG! How could I NOT believe after that? Praise Jeebuth, I've seen the light! Right.

What I HAVE observed, is the inequality and unpredictability of the world. The people in my life that are the most devout christians that I know, suffer the most, while the most evil people (who, incidentally also claim to be christians) that I know live long and happy lives. What I've chalked it all up to is that shit happens in life. Good things happen to bad people, just as bad things happen to good people.  And sometimes, the world sets it all straight and good things happen to good people, while bad things happen to bad people.

So, it's on the christians to tell me how, if their god is real and so righteous, loving, and omnipotent, all of this can be. Explain to me why so many lives were lost in Joplin, Mo in a natural disaster, right here in the Bible belt. Do you mean to tell me that ALL of those people were evil and immoral? How about Japan? All of them immoral there too? Your god had a higher purpose, huh? What was it exactly? And on a more personal note, want to explain how my very devout and moral grandfather went to the hospital to have a quadruple bypass surgery, caught a staph infection, but then ended up dying of leukemia? Or why your loving god would let my other moral and good grandfather lose his mind to Alzheimer's? Or how about my god-fearing father, who has lived most of his life by "god's word",  served as a deacon in the church, and made sure that his kids were indoctrinated in the church at a young age, who is now dealing with his second bout with cancer. I have another friend going through the same thing, who is of the blind-faith variety. And yet, on the flip-side there is the greataunt who is one of the most vile, hateful, evil, lying, manipulative, gossiping bitches that I've ever known, who is still happy and healthy and going strong at almost 90.

 It's all a load of shit, but people are too unwilling to think for themselves to admit that. I realize that it sounds as if I am angry with god, but it's not god that I'm angry with. It's all of the people who use god as a crutch and an excuse and expect me to do the same. What it all really boils down to is that life happens. Shit happens. God did not cause or allow it, and he can't do anything about it because he doesn't exist. He's just a figment of the imagination. People need to quit worrying so much about what happens AFTER they die, and live their life NOW.

So now, we go through round 2 as a family, and hope for the best but prepare for the worst. And if by chance, he doesn't make it through this round, I will be heartbroken, I will be sad, and I will grieve. But I will not  be angry at god because god has nothing to do with it either way. You can't hate what doesn't exist. But if you walk up to me in my time of grief and stress and tell me how he's with god and how you'll pray for us, I will punch you in the face and you can pray for your god to stop me. We'll see if you walk out with a black eye or not. I'm willing to bet that you do.