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Normally I'd jump in on the practicality bandwagon, but this really is not constructive. People who are going to pray will; people who are going to donate will.

Normally I'd jump in on the practicality bandwagon, but this really is not constructive. People who are going to pray will; people who are going to donate will. Your denigration of their faith, justified or not (and we'll never really know until we die), helps no one, particularly in this context.

shasta 13y ago
> and we'll never really know until we die I think the atheist would say you won't know then, either.
- mildtrepidation 13y ago
  I am an atheist. Forgive me if I'm excessively generous, I'm trying to dissuade people from being jerks, not push my world view.
  - ndesaulniers 13y ago
    I feel that Neil deGrasse Tyson's view on Atheists strongly applies here. [0] [0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos&t=2m25s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos&t=2m25s
CamperBob2 13y ago
Nobody's denigrating his faith, as much as his transparent attempt to leverage it for social credibility by advertising his piety on Hacker News while (evidently) doing nothing actually helpful. If that's not worthy of denigration, take it up with Jesus himself, who said pretty much the same thing.
- zem 13y ago
  it's not an attempt for social credibility, it's a way of expressing sympathy. seriously, it's such a common way of saying "i have read about what you say and wish you well" that you have to be particularly cynical to read it as a show of piety.
- vezzy-fnord 13y ago
  Relevant verse: "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you…" Matthew 6:5-6
  - mildtrepidation 13y ago
    Not all prayers are offered to that particular god, and not all interpretations of that particular god adhere to that particular book. There's just so much assumption and ill will in this subthread. Get a grip, people.
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
- mildtrepidation 13y ago
  This is even more cynical than I'm willing to be. Yes, a lot of what goes on on HN is just "hey look at me," but really? Someone says "I'll pray for you" to a guy dying of cancer and your reaction is that he's attempting to "leverage [his faith] for social credibility?" Maybe you should get out more. Or perhaps just be even a little more generous in your assumptions. Many people do believe in... well, lots of things they pray to. You don't have to; I don't either. But that doesn't mean everyone else's motives are somehow always shallow and selfish. Sorry, but your comment is a whole lot worse than his.

shasta 13y ago

> and we'll never really know until we die I think the atheist would say you won't know then, either.

mildtrepidation 13y ago
I am an atheist. Forgive me if I'm excessively generous, I'm trying to dissuade people from being jerks, not push my world view.
- ndesaulniers 13y ago
  I feel that Neil deGrasse Tyson's view on Atheists strongly applies here. [0] [0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos&t=2m25s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSMC5rWvos&t=2m25s

CamperBob2 13y ago

Nobody's denigrating his faith, as much as his transparent attempt to leverage it for social credibility by advertising his piety on Hacker News while (evidently) doing nothing actually helpful. If that's not worthy of denigration, take it up with Jesus himself, who said pretty much the same thing.

zem 13y ago
it's not an attempt for social credibility, it's a way of expressing sympathy. seriously, it's such a common way of saying "i have read about what you say and wish you well" that you have to be particularly cynical to read it as a show of piety.
vezzy-fnord 13y ago
Relevant verse: "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you…" Matthew 6:5-6
- mildtrepidation 13y ago
  Not all prayers are offered to that particular god, and not all interpretations of that particular god adhere to that particular book. There's just so much assumption and ill will in this subthread. Get a grip, people.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
mildtrepidation 13y ago
This is even more cynical than I'm willing to be. Yes, a lot of what goes on on HN is just "hey look at me," but really? Someone says "I'll pray for you" to a guy dying of cancer and your reaction is that he's attempting to "leverage [his faith] for social credibility?" Maybe you should get out more. Or perhaps just be even a little more generous in your assumptions. Many people do believe in... well, lots of things they pray to. You don't have to; I don't either. But that doesn't mean everyone else's motives are somehow always shallow and selfish. Sorry, but your comment is a whole lot worse than his.