Atheist prayers can be barred by House chaplain, appeals court says

What I provided just proved that to be wrong since I supplied a prayer that nothing whatsoever to do with any deity.

 

And who's the one that prayer is being directed to?
You don't ask for something unless it's from someone or something.

That sounds more like an affirmation to me.

Unless you are a deist, and believe in some sort of higher power or metaphysical "universe" that can hear you.

 

Why can't a prayer be directed at PEOPLE instead of deities?

 

What would that type of prayer sound like?

The example you previously gave of a "prayer" would be illogical and rather ridiculously absurd if it were applied towards ordinary people (presuming no supernatural or metaphysical spiritual powers of the collective human consciousness, which I'm assuming here you're not talking about).

 

What EXACTLY was illogical and absurd about the Odyssey prayer?

 

A prayer or an internal reflection?

 

The source calls it a non-religious prayer for strength and empowerment.

 

And exactly what would be the purpose of a prayer to no one?

As with all prayers there is zero worth to them except to make the one praying feel better.

 

While there is no evidence to support that prayers are ever "answered" by imaginary deities there is some evidence to suggest that prayers do make people feel better about themselves.

In essence praying is just a form of inward reflection and an opportunity to focus on what needs to be done.

So an atheist prayer would be just as "effective" in a legislative body as a religious one would be.

 

It is A form of inward reflection but by no means the only one. It is no more effective than wishing on a star and less effective than trying to work out your problems on your own.

 

It goes without saying that all atheist deities are imaginary.

Sithis
"Know this. Every Dark Brother and Sister is a child of Sithis. He whom we call Sithis has many other names. Chaos. Doom. Discord. Sithis is the Void."
―Lucien Lachance[src]

Id be surprised to see anything that lacks more than the atheist god.

 

Actually, it goes without saying that ALL deities are imaginary.

I would be surprised to see anyone more insipid than you claiming otherwise.

 

Who are those requests directed to? And if they are directed to "people", what's the point of that, since those ordinary people obviously do not have the power to grant those sort of requests?

How would this not be completely absurd?

 

Just because you are taking them OUT OF CONTEXT does NOT make them "absurd".

In all of those things that you listed the person was looking at improving their own mind. If you read the ENTIRE sentence the context EXPLAINS itself.

"Give me the strength to continue to push on, to work toward my goals, and to be gentle toward myself in times of failure."

When read IN CONTEXT it is OBVIOUS that the person was looking at IMPROVING themselves in order to ACHIEVE what they wanted to do and to LEARN from their experiences if they failed.

The same applies to all of the rest of those items.

People can and do gain strength of mind and learn to be patient and take responsibility for themselves WITHOUT any imaginary deity GIVING it to them. In fact it is a COP OUT to expect those things to come from anything but one's self.

What is ABSURD is to erroneously BELIEVE that some imaginary deity will do all of those things for you just because you begged for them.

 

Then it sounds more like an affirmation or a meditation than a prayer.
The two are not the same thing.

 

Actually they are IDENTICAL given that there are no deities!

 

The religious prayer is an appeal to a deity who is believed to exist.
The atheist "prayer" is an appeal to no one and no deity.

 

Maybe atheists would just like to play John Lennon's Imagine All the People, in lou of a prayer?

 

The OBJECTIVE of the prayer in BOTH INSTANCES is self improvement!

 

That's a rather disingenuous argument.
Because it would be completely different modes of self improvement.
Almost every human act could be seen as an effort towards self improvement. Should we allow New Years Resolutions in the House too? Set aside a special little time for that?

 

Just admit it, an atheist cannot make prayers.

Unless it is because he believes there is a tiny possibility that the deity he does not believe exists might exist.

 

What is actually disingenuous is the erroneous belief that some imaginary deity is going to provide anyone with self improvement when there is ZERO EVIDENCE that has ever occurred from that source.

Compare that to those who have set THEMSELVES self improvement goals and assumed the RESPONSIBILITY upon themselves for achieving their own goals.

So your position ultimately boils down to empty meaningless prayers MUST be allowed on the basis that they are empty and meaningless and accomplish nothing other than some inane "feel good" ritual that is actually a VIOLATION of the Constitution.

Got it!

 

That is actually an admission of desperation on the part of theists!

 

Funny how only the definitions that support your view are acceptable to you, all others are to be dismissed or ignored.

The sign of a true theist.

 

The atheists wouldn't really be praying, just trolling.