Prayer as a form of meditation is fine, but when it actively takes the place of working towards solutions and/or improving situations…. At best it’s a lazy response to feel better.
For example, praying for the homeless or starving. Praying about it changes very little. Granted unless one happens to be Jeff Bezos, there’s not a lot we can do, but even that much doesn’t happen when people see prayer as a viable alternative to doing it.
If you look at the theories behind modern spell work (I find magic systems interesting, whether “real” or from a game) you begin to realize that prayer is just a form of spell work.
The problem is, it’s really fucking bad at it.
Also, the church then becomes hypocritical (what, again?) for banning spell craft.
Prayer as a form of meditation is fine, but when it actively takes the place of working towards solutions and/or improving situations…. At best it’s a lazy response to feel better.
For example, praying for the homeless or starving. Praying about it changes very little. Granted unless one happens to be Jeff Bezos, there’s not a lot we can do, but even that much doesn’t happen when people see prayer as a viable alternative to doing it.
If you look at the theories behind modern spell work (I find magic systems interesting, whether “real” or from a game) you begin to realize that prayer is just a form of spell work.
The problem is, it’s really fucking bad at it.
Also, the church then becomes hypocritical (what, again?) for banning spell craft.
Transubstantiation? More like transmutation.
It kind of depends on the purpose behind the prayer.
Ritual prayer (like blessing a meal, or similar invocations,) are more symbolic or ritual.
Prayer for certain things… healing the sick, more money. Trump winning the election. Winning the lottery….
Yeah, those basically are spells. Yup.