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My mother almost died from a ruptured spleen and I did not pray for her.?
Does that make me a bad atheist?
Or a bad person?
This is a true story, it gave my father quite a scare, he thought he had lost his wife of 52+ years. But at no time, despite my Catholic upbringing, did I ever even think of praying. I guess that old saw about there being no atheists in foxholes doesn't hold water.
@ James - Yes, it does make one feel helpless but luckily there was an excellent retired surgeon on call that was willing to come in and with the help of a team of doctors, nurses and EMTs save my mother's life.
@ Archer - Obviously not.
9 Answers
- ?Lv 67 years agoFavorite Answer
No, it makes you helpless in a situation that requires medical professionals.
- 7 years ago
I'm not sure you can be a bad atheist, a bad person yes, but since the only requirement of atheism is not to believe in something, I don't think it even matters if you pray, nothings going to come and get you for it anyway.
- 7 years ago
Whether you believe in the Lord or not, is truly up to you. But don't over think it. Such situations can barely be cured via medical attention and I can see where you might think that a prayer ain't going to change anything. The important thing is that she's alive, and if you're Religious, I would thank the Lord for giving you a future with her.
- Anonymous7 years ago
probably better you didn't
From a study on the efficacy of prayer:
"Prayers offered by strangers had no effect on the recovery of people who were undergoing heart surgery, a large and long-awaited study has found.
And patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of post-operative complications like abnormal heart rhythms, perhaps because of the expectations the prayers created, the researchers suggested."
- biggalloot2003Lv 77 years ago
Atheism has no requirements. If you want other people to tell you right from wrong you should get religion.
- Anonymous7 years ago
That choice does not necessarily make you a bad person, in and of itself.