Behar: Prayer 'Takes the Place of Thinking'

This discussion might just end up being a chicken and egg argument. Valid points on both ends, but you just can't win it. As most of you probably assumed, I really see where Behar is going with this:

"Faith is something that you feel," Behar said. "Thinking is something that you do with your brain. It's different."

Behar's criticism of prayer riled co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who challenged the attack.

BEHAR: When prayer takes the place of logical thinking, then I think it's dangerous.

HASSELBECK: Prayer's not illogical.

BEHAR: No. But it takes the place of thinking.

HASSELBECK: No it doesn't. That's a complete bigoted statement to say that when I'm praying, I'm not thinking.

BEHAR: How dare you say that to me! Excuse me!


Now, I was a little bit shocked to see that someone else who has the same issue with religion that I do. It's all boils down to "faith". Many Christians say that I just don't understand it so they will "pray for me" because they are good Christians in an attempt to be sarcastic and passive. When they do that, it's because they don't have an answer. Their answer is faith. It's that feeling of reassurance that they have gotten because of their devotion to something. I can understand that I guess. I FEEL orgasms, but I don't see them but I KNOW they happened. Haha...ok maybe a little extreme, but it made me laugh.

Here's my argument as to why Behar has a good point. Follow me:

Emotions are known to be irrational and therefore illogical. People FEEL faith(which is an emotion). The core of religion is faith. Prayer is a tool people use in religion for religion. A lot of the "miracles" of the Bible cannot be explained (or proven). In times of need and/or desperation people turn to prayer. Prayer gives them an answer. Now, if the answer MAKES sense, then that's fine, but there are times when the answer doesn't make any sense, and the only support for it is religion which is based on faith WHICH is a feeling that is an emotion.

It's the same way people get sucked into cults and business cults(pyramid schemes). There's a need or desperation to change one's circumstances. That's it. People do a lot of things in order to let STRANGERS tell you how to run your life or to make your decisions for you. There are very few people that remember their faith until something serious is happening (ie: life/death scenario, extreme poverty, etc). People even make promises to their god in exchange for a situation turning out favorably for them.

Now I believe there are people out there that this just doesn't apply to. There are some people that are genuinely good "christian" people. I only know a few that apply everything they learn into every aspect of their lives routinely. No matter what. So, in that respect, I can see why prayer is logical to them, but I still have to agree with Behar on this one.

Randy Pausch: Really achieving your childhood dreams | Video on TED.com

Randy Pausch: Really achieving your childhood dreams | Video on TED.com

This video was really amazing to me. It was long, but worth it. It kinda makes me feel bad that I get down over stupid shit sometimes.


Randy Pausch
(October 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008)