that they prayed and saw no response or received the opposite result of
what they'd wanted. These unwanted results are often ignored completely or
rationalized away.
Prayer is a type of magical thinking. Its appeal is undeniable; it feels
empowering and makes individuals feel as though they have a measure of
control over the world around them. But there is simply no evidence that
prayers are anything more than a placebo. And unlike many placebos,
prayer can actually be harmful.
The "power of prayer" is one of the most insidious and even harmful beliefs
proffered by religion. When faced with any sort of tragedy or misfortune,
prayer is one of the least helpful responses imaginable. When tragedy
strikes, prayer may make people feel better, but it doesn't actually help the
victims.
Donating blood, giving money to the Red Cross or volunteering with a relief
organization would all be far more beneficial than praying to the same
hypothetical deity who ostensibly caused the disaster in the first place.
7. "I feel a personal relationship to God, so I know that he is real."
Such personal testimonies are difficult to refute because they are completely
subjective. They're also impossible to prove for the same reason. When
individuals report a private revelation or communication with God, it's never
about factual information that could be confirmed or denied. These religious
experiences are always personal and emotional, which makes them count as
nothing more than anecdotal “evidence”.
The human brain has evolved to be particularly sensitive to patterns and
causality. It's so effective at this, in fact, that people often see a pattern or
purpose in things that are actually random. This is why it's easy to identify
objects or faces in the clouds, for example, or why white noise can be
interpreted to resemble human speech. This same sensitivity can make
random or unrelated events seem like the presence of God, especially if the
person experiencing them has a predisposition toward wanting those beliefs
to be true.
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