Is it possible for skeptics to pray? Regardless of whether you’re a believer or a
skeptic, this is not a simple question.
From the skeptical perspective (perskeptive?), there may or
may not be anyone there to receive the message. Must communication take place (i.e., a sender
and a receiver) for it to count as prayer? If there is a receiver, does it make
a difference to them how fervently the praying person believes someone is
listening?
My sense is that most believers think prayer doesn’t count
unless one has faith (believes) that there’s a god up there listening. By this definition f someone prays who is
100% sure that there are no gods, it
would be impossible for that person’s action to be counted as “prayer.”
To what degree is belief necessary, therefore, before it can
count as prayer?
To my knowledge, no human being thinks that the act of
believing occurs with the flip of a switch.
We don’t immediately accept or reject every new idea that comes
along. New ideas that fit our
expectations are easier to accept, but when a new idea creates dissonance, it
will take time to sort out.
An example of this might be a time that a trusted friend
tells a story we probably wouldn’t normally believe. Cognitive dissonance ensues. We may “take it on faith” pending further
information that the friend is telling the truth, but we will still have questions that demand answers, if only in our
subconscious. Is the story true? Did the friend have some sort of psychic
break? Do they have reason to lie? Was
the friend never as trustworthy as we once thought?
It goes without saying that the act of prayer creates
cognitive dissonance for a skeptic. He
might say in his mind, “I’m doing something that has no purpose and no meaning.
This is silly.” Is there a slight chance
that the prayer “microphone” into which we speak is active and broadcasting to
a listening audience capable of respondining?
If so, what percentage of likelihood must we believe in order for our
prayer to be a prayer?
From the believer’s perspective, the question is just as
valid, but for different reasons. Believers
often behave as if unbelief is both a choice and a sin. A believer whose doubt overcomes his or her
belief has not just changed his mind, he has failed. Even in the Bible, we have the man who
beseeches Jesus, “I believe Lord. Help my unbelief!” Clearly, disbelief is something to be
avoided, being in and of itself a bad thing.
