When You Pray, Go Into Your Closet...

A lot is being said about the loss of religion in America. I suspect there is not so much "loss" as folks are no longer faking it or going along just to appease the social fabric. In reality, there are probably the same amount of believers and "nones" as there were fifty years ago... people just have more freedom to say "no thank you" than they did in the past.

When you look at what the conservative Christian Right is bemoaning, it tends to reflect things like in the meme - an inability to pressure people to do as they do. If you track the behavior of fundamentalist religion around the world, considerable effort is put into establishing the religious practices of certain sects into law and to apply pressure culturally where legal means fail.

I really like Marvel movies, but if you don't that is ok. I won't try to change local laws to make you go see Marvel movies.

Last fall I went to see GHOST in concert. No one I know is into them, so I went by myself. It was great and none of my friends felt any pressure to go with me.

If you are a religious person who feels that religion is treated less friendly in America today, I would ask that you consider that maybe it is simply your attitude and perception that need adjustment.

National Day of Prayer

If your definition of prayer is as a reflective and contemplative practice... I have no quarrel. But if you mean it as some way of conjuring magic, or entreating or binding a supernatural force to perform a task for you... then I think you are wrong. Prayer doesn't change reality.

However, having been religious for decades myself, I recognize it does change how people behave. Praying often makes people think they have cover they do not have. Prayer can make people feel they do not need to take reasonable precautions. Instead, they trust that their favored status with a deity will provide what they need.

Beyond that, prayer often blames the victim. I heard a popular pastor state this morning that if a Christian catches the virus, it is their fault. If they had sufficient faith, sickness could not touch them. I cannot write him off as just a quack... I know many folks who give to his "ministry".

This is my personal testimony: I spent most of my life as a believer. I took my faith very seriously. I prayed.

I have been an Atheist for about the past 8 years. Haven't prayed in ages.

There has been no difference in the amount of fortune "that just couldn't be a coincidence". Just as much good and bad "luck" fall my way now as ever did.

Reality is as consistent as ever. The only thing that changed was how I approached it.

Prayer in School

In America, some people of faith experience frustration because they believe religion is not allowed in our schools. This is because they do not understand that there is a difference between allowed in and promoted by.

My students talk about religion frequently. They sometimes pray over their snacks. They occasionally read their holy books.

Nevertheless, some people desire for me, as a teacher, to lead my students in prayers and scripture readings. More specifically, prayers and scriptures from their tradition.

Reasonable people from every faith tradition understand why this would be problematic. I have students who come from a variety of faith traditions and some from no tradition.

I support every student in my classroom. When people of faith ask that I promote their faith tradition in class, they are asking me to break the neutrality that allows each student to feel supported by me.

I had a number of traditions represented in my class this year. None of the children knew where I stood. They all felt equally supported by me. Please do not ask me to take sides.