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What is the Ruintia? List of extinct animals of the Hawaiian Islands say it is an extinct mammal, but I can't find anything about it on the internet.-- KAVEBEAR ( talk) 04:20, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
When a religious friend tells me about a problem they are facing (for example, their grandmother is very ill) and asks me to support them by praying, the answer which comes to my mind is "I am so very sorry but I don't believe in prayer".
I never give this sort of answer because although it is straightforward and truthful, I think it is TOTALLY useless, if not worse than useless, to the person who made the request.
Under these circumstances, is there any type of response that is compassionate and honest and helpful to the person who made the request? Thank you, CBHA ( talk) 05:56, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
non-reference oriented matters |
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The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it. |
The WP Reference Desk is not a Citizens' Advice Bureau.
"I don't pray, but I hope it all turns out well for you." HiLo48 ( talk) 08:12, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
relocated the above 3 comments under the hat. — Lomn 15:51, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
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What serious thinkers have said on atheists and prayer
I think this is a very legitimate issue of philosophy, specifically etiquette, as a branch of ethics. Ayn Rand was an atheist who repeatedly made the point that saying things like God bless you are a way of saying "you are a great value to me", or "I wish you the highest." Google Ayn Rand on God Bless You. That shows concern for people as individuals in their own terms. Presumably some of the New Atheists would think that something like not compromising your principles is more important. Christopher Hitchens asked that people not pray for him as he was dying. μηδείς ( talk) 02:00, 15 August 2012 (UTC)
See [1], [2], [3] and [4]. 203.27.72.5 ( talk) 04:49, 15 August 2012 (UTC)
http://www.squidoo.com/sympathy-101-for-atheists
(that host is in our spam filter for some reason) and it's an even better essay in my opinion.
Here are some briefer forum suggestions.
75.166.207.214 (
talk) 03:52, 15 August 2012 (UTC) [copied here from talk by
μηδείς (
talk)
04:51, 15 August 2012 (UTC)The famous physicist Niels Bohr purportedly had a horseshoe nailed above the door to his office. When visitors asked why he had it there, he said "it's supposed to bring good luck". When the visitors then asked him whether as a scientific guy, he really believed such a silly superstition, he'd reply "of course I don't believe in it, but it's supposed to work whether you believe in it or not". I guess you could treat the request for prayer as similar to a request to keep a horseshoe in your office, and go along with it if it wasn't too much hassle, even if you didn't believe in it. 67.122.211.84 ( talk) 21:12, 15 August 2012 (UTC)
I use the phrase "I will keep you/them in my thoughts" . Hotclaws ( talk) 14:38, 18 August 2012 (UTC)
Here is a hypothetical situation that struck my curiosity. Let's say that a man and woman get married. This is, let's say, in the USA and in a state that forbids same sex marriages. During the course of their marriage, one spouse (let's just say, the husband) has a sex-change operation. He is now legally a female. What happens to the status (validity) of that marriage? Does it remain the same, as if nothing happened and nothing changed? Or does the sex-change operation somehow invalidate the marriage? I am just curious about this situation, even though it is bizarre and unlikely. Any ideas? Or, has this actually ever happened in real life somewhere? I am asking about the legal status and validity, not moral or religious or otherwise. Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro ( talk) 17:44, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
Humanities desk | ||
---|---|---|
< August 13 | << Jul | August | Sep >> | August 15 > |
Welcome to the Wikipedia Humanities Reference Desk Archives |
---|
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages. |
What is the Ruintia? List of extinct animals of the Hawaiian Islands say it is an extinct mammal, but I can't find anything about it on the internet.-- KAVEBEAR ( talk) 04:20, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
When a religious friend tells me about a problem they are facing (for example, their grandmother is very ill) and asks me to support them by praying, the answer which comes to my mind is "I am so very sorry but I don't believe in prayer".
I never give this sort of answer because although it is straightforward and truthful, I think it is TOTALLY useless, if not worse than useless, to the person who made the request.
Under these circumstances, is there any type of response that is compassionate and honest and helpful to the person who made the request? Thank you, CBHA ( talk) 05:56, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
non-reference oriented matters |
---|
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it. |
The WP Reference Desk is not a Citizens' Advice Bureau.
"I don't pray, but I hope it all turns out well for you." HiLo48 ( talk) 08:12, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
relocated the above 3 comments under the hat. — Lomn 15:51, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
|
What serious thinkers have said on atheists and prayer
I think this is a very legitimate issue of philosophy, specifically etiquette, as a branch of ethics. Ayn Rand was an atheist who repeatedly made the point that saying things like God bless you are a way of saying "you are a great value to me", or "I wish you the highest." Google Ayn Rand on God Bless You. That shows concern for people as individuals in their own terms. Presumably some of the New Atheists would think that something like not compromising your principles is more important. Christopher Hitchens asked that people not pray for him as he was dying. μηδείς ( talk) 02:00, 15 August 2012 (UTC)
See [1], [2], [3] and [4]. 203.27.72.5 ( talk) 04:49, 15 August 2012 (UTC)
http://www.squidoo.com/sympathy-101-for-atheists
(that host is in our spam filter for some reason) and it's an even better essay in my opinion.
Here are some briefer forum suggestions.
75.166.207.214 (
talk) 03:52, 15 August 2012 (UTC) [copied here from talk by
μηδείς (
talk)
04:51, 15 August 2012 (UTC)The famous physicist Niels Bohr purportedly had a horseshoe nailed above the door to his office. When visitors asked why he had it there, he said "it's supposed to bring good luck". When the visitors then asked him whether as a scientific guy, he really believed such a silly superstition, he'd reply "of course I don't believe in it, but it's supposed to work whether you believe in it or not". I guess you could treat the request for prayer as similar to a request to keep a horseshoe in your office, and go along with it if it wasn't too much hassle, even if you didn't believe in it. 67.122.211.84 ( talk) 21:12, 15 August 2012 (UTC)
I use the phrase "I will keep you/them in my thoughts" . Hotclaws ( talk) 14:38, 18 August 2012 (UTC)
Here is a hypothetical situation that struck my curiosity. Let's say that a man and woman get married. This is, let's say, in the USA and in a state that forbids same sex marriages. During the course of their marriage, one spouse (let's just say, the husband) has a sex-change operation. He is now legally a female. What happens to the status (validity) of that marriage? Does it remain the same, as if nothing happened and nothing changed? Or does the sex-change operation somehow invalidate the marriage? I am just curious about this situation, even though it is bizarre and unlikely. Any ideas? Or, has this actually ever happened in real life somewhere? I am asking about the legal status and validity, not moral or religious or otherwise. Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro ( talk) 17:44, 14 August 2012 (UTC)