The difference between believer and non-believer is stark. For a typical non-believer, faith does not enter the equation. When someone is sick, we hope they get better. For a typical believer, they pray that the person gets better.
Now, if their is a divine plan laid out by the One True God™, and that plan is inerrant, like many religious people believe, then it is a fact that prayers actually cannot accomplish anything. If the plan says its Bob's time to die, then regardless if 1 person or a billion people pray, Bob is going to die.
If the One True God™ changes his plan based on prayers that he receives, that that would make the original plan not perfect, which means that the One True God™ is not perfect, which nearly every modern religion claims is the case.
So, prayer is reduced to a thing someone does because it makes them feel better, and may be culturally expected by them as a sign of respect. If you can explain, using logic, how I am wrong, please do so.
If you are a religious person, ask yourself this question: What could happen that would convince you that your religion is incorrect, fake, etc?
If the answer is "nothing", then doesn't that scare you? I know that blind obedience is a desired trait for the religious, but throughout history blind obedience has resulted in massacres, coverups, etc. What good comes out of blind obedience?
Now, if your answer is something other than "nothing", I'd be curious to hear it if you're willing to share.
Lastly, all hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
