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Coping Without Prayer
Posted by CelticBear on September 14th, 2006
Some time ago I poster: Turning to God, Will It Happen? in which I ponder if in times of extreme anxiety I might revert to the emotional crutch and conditioned response of prayer asking for something.
On that subject, “The Agnostic Mom” recently posted an article on the “Institute for Humanist Studies” the article:
Agnostic Mom: Coping With Parental Difficulties
in which SHE discusses what she does to find relief from stress and anxiety, especially in some very rough times she’s having as a mother of a child with a medical illness, without reverting to prayer.
September 19th, 2006 at 7:41 am
Cool! I will check it out. I find myself praying all the time, and it’s very annoying. I guess when you’ve done something for 34 yrs, it’s automatic. I’ll be interested to hear this mother’s take on it.
September 19th, 2006 at 9:13 am
Yeah, it took me a LONG time to shake the conditioning. But I weened off it.
When a few years ago I decided I was a Deist and “God” was out there, but as a person-like creature answering prayers, I still prayed for thanks for things. Never asking for anything. I figured if nothing else, it’s just good karma (not that I believe in karma) to just be thankful (which I do believe is a good thing in any case…simply being thankful.)
So now that I’m more agnostic than Desist, it’s not hard to not talk to someone who isn’t there.
And you know what I realized? Those “conversations” I used to have with God throughout my most devoted years, haven’t stopped. I still have them. I just now know it’s simply myself I’m comuning with. My concience, my inner-voice, call it what you will. But it’s certainly not like I feel like I’m alone or anything. I have the strength of my inner self to commune with. And that works for me.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:34 am
Yes, I’m starting to have that conclusion myself. It’s a way of calming down, centering my thoughts, etc.