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Do people truthfully engage in them after a catastrophe?
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."
It's become almost cliche'; as automatic as a reflexive knee-jerk.
Thus, to me at least, this appears self-serving and hollow.
Is there a more honest and unconscious reaction to such terrible events which lay so far beyond our control?
My thoughts and prayers will segue to sincere responses.
@wolfe63 saidI think there is personal value or even benefit for the person thinking about people who are facing adversity or grief ~ in terms of exercising or exploring their own empathy and contemplating learning lessons - perhaps - from the sadness or concern that then might have a positive impact on future behaviour or on how one sees or treats or thinks of others; I think there can also be some solace for those that are facing adversity or grief in knowing that friends or loved ones have them in their thoughts.
Thus, to me at least, this appears self-serving and hollow.
@wolfe63 saidIt would depend on what you're up for. It could range from something very modest like educating oneself about the "terrible events" and about the impacts and the impacted people [and maybe passing that information on to others], to donating money, to raising money, to pressuring the powers-that-be in some way [if the policies of those powers-that-be are a factor], all the way through to volunteering to do hands-on work on the issue or even joining an organization that provides rescue, relief, reconstruction, even on a professional basis.
Is there a more honest and unconscious reaction to such terrible events which lay so far beyond our control?
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@wolfe63 saidI spend a lot of my day in prayer, why would I not engage in prayer after a catastrophe. The thing about prayer in order to get through to God one must believe, and for those that pray like they attend church going on just Christmas and Easter the only prayers of their I think God would honor, would be the one they come to God with to get forgiven as they turn their lives over to Him.
Do people truthfully engage in them after a catastrophe?
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."
It's become almost cliche'; as automatic as a reflexive knee-jerk.
Thus, to me at least, this appears self-serving and hollow.
Is there a more honest and unconscious reaction to such terrible events which lay so far beyond our control?
My thoughts and prayers will segue to sincere responses.
Many people's prayers don't get off the ground, even after a catastrophe hits.
I agree with you many prayers are just knee-jerk, self-serving, and hollow.
@wolfe63 saidIt's an interesting question because surely there are people that do not actually sit and pray (or even think) about a tragedy.
Do people truthfully engage in them after a catastrophe?
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."
It's become almost cliche'; as automatic as a reflexive knee-jerk.
Thus, to me at least, this appears self-serving and hollow.
Is there a more honest and unconscious reaction to such terrible events which lay so far beyond our control?
My thoughts and prayers will segue to sincere responses.
However, if you do state that you wish to pray about the tragedy, you really ought to sit down and incorporate it into your prayers.
Is there a more honest reaction? I do not know. What would be an example?
And what would this mean in regards to the tragedy?
Because not everyone can meaningfully engage on a topic politically or even in terms of providing apolitical relief to it, I think there is no alternative.
@ghost-of-a-duke saidDo you you think having thoughts about an event alters anything? Not trying to be insulting, just don’t understand what you are doing and why when you say that.
@WOLFE63
I will often say 'my thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones,' and I mean that. By character, I am somebody who will dwell on events after a tragedy and think about the people affected. I wouldn't, however, talk about prayers. As an atheist that would I think be disingenuous.
@ghost-of-a-duke saidThank you
Reflecting on a tragedy instills empathy between fellow human beings. That can only be a good thing.
@wolfe63 saidIt's code for "we love our guns and we don't care how many people get slaughtered by them."
Do people truthfully engage in them after a catastrophe?
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."
It's become almost cliche'; as automatic as a reflexive knee-jerk.
Thus, to me at least, this appears self-serving and hollow.
Is there a more honest and unconscious reaction to such terrible events which lay so far beyond our control?
My thoughts and prayers will segue to sincere responses.
@bigdoggproblem saidYou are not one of those people who wonder why people are odds with one another are you? That is code for what a jerk!
It's code for "we love our guns and we don't care how many people get slaughtered by them."
@wolfe63 saidIt's just a social convention, the standard thing to say after catastrophes, one of our folkways.
Do people truthfully engage in them after a catastrophe?
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."
It's become almost cliche'; as automatic as a reflexive knee-jerk.
Thus, to me at least, this appears self-serving and hollow.
Is there a more honest and unconscious reaction to such terrible events which lay so far beyond our control?
My thoughts and prayers will segue to sincere responses.
No need to overthink it -- although I do understand trying to be accurate, honest, and non-automatic in one's speech at all times.