Thoughts and Prayers: The Religion Thread

Of course. I was under the impression that others (99% of those who use the phrase) are also tainted, though of course less so.
For the record, you guys have done such a good job on me that I never use the phrase. It's easy because I'm not very active on social media, but when communicating with real people in pain, I'm sometimes struck by how nearly anything I can come up with is some variation of this.

 

What would the sincere version look like?

 

But muh riblets.

 

OK, I have a lot to get done tonight, so of course I went back to it. A skim is enough to know that despite the headline, it has nothing to do with our discussion, or at least my part of it. I don't need to be convinced that religion done right is overwhelmingly about action more than words and words more than thoughts. I'm guessing I'm the extremist towards that position on the thread.
The question is what do you do or say when you're too distant from the crisis or tragedy for your action to be truly meaningful, but you want to do or say something. Symbolically significant donations to related organizations are great, but some communities / religions develop customs to address this potentially awkward and painful (or at least unpleasant) feeling. America's seems to have become "thoughts and prayers". The same way that other verbal clichés will run the gamut of sincerity ("good morning," "excuse me," "happy holidays"). This one in particular I find to often be more sincere than most others.

 

You do ... something. People of goodwill (and at least a trivial amount of emotional maturity) recognize your gesture for what it is ... not much, but the best you can do.

 

I have no problem at all with responding to something like Hamlin's situation with thoughts and prayers. My issue is solely with people in a position to do something about a particular issue, yet they substitute thoughts and prayers for that action.

 

Prayer means something to people who actually believe in it and live a prayerful life. Real, intentional prayer, in fact, is actually a very active thing for such people, and is among the most powerful things they can offer. The entreaty to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) is taken to heart, and lived out.

 

"We're thinking of you in this time of sadness. You're in our prayers."

"We're praying for all the victims, and send warm thoughts and condolences to those they leave behind."

"The recent tragedy puts the victims in our thoughts and their families in our prayers."

etc etc ad inf

 

Disagree with what I bolded here.

Anyone anywhere at any time can send up a prayer.

Regardless of how they've lived or what they believe.

Hence the phrase: "There are no atheists in foxholes."

 

Haruki Murakami wrote a character who said: “It’s easy to talk big, but the important thing is whether or not you clean up the shit.”