A Religious Rebuttal

One of the things I like to do in my free time is watch political debates on YouTube.  Tonight, I was checking out a town-hall style religious freedom debate from 2014.  It was sponsored by a Seattle-area radio station, KTTH.  One of the panelists was one Valerie Tarico, a psychologist from Seattle.  In my research on her, I found that she wrote an article containing many controversial statements.  The following is my rebuttal to that article (at https://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/heres-why-its-time-to-call-bullsht-on-prayer-requests/).

First, Ms. Tarico argues that "petitionary prayer is far from harmless", and that people who pray are "arrogant".  Let that sink in for a moment.  This woman, who apparently is a practicing psychologist, thinks that prayer actually harms people? Who exactly issued her medical license, the medical board of Transylvania? Can Ms. Tarico point me to just one example of prayer harming, rather than helping, somebody? She sounds more like Frankenstein's doctor than an American psychologist. 

Surely Ms. Tarico knows that people who pray are ASKING God for help, not telling him that he's wrong.  Indeed, as she pointed out, "sometimes God says yes, sometimes He says no, and sometimes He says wait".  That's all according to his divine will.  God sees the bigger picture where humans don't.  If He doesn't want something to happen, it's not going to happen, no matter how much prayer one does.  Asking God to do (or not do) something is in no way "arrogance".  It is simply saying, "if it is your will, do this".  

Second, let's address Tarico's assertion that prayer has "hidden costs".  I'm not sure what "hidden costs" she is talking about here.  In my own personal experience as a Catholic, prayer has only brought myself and those I love good things.  It has not "distracted from more promising endeavors" or undermined my sense of personal responsibility.  On the contrary, I believe that the power of prayer, combined with God's grace, has played a huge role in the development of the man I am. 

Before I found God, so to speak, I was but a young boy with an attitude problem.  I had a raging temper, and would flip people off at the slightest provocations.  These days, I have learned to control my emotions, and let the little things go ala the "Serenity Prayer"...I now have the ability to shrug off the things I can't control.  I do believe that God has granted me "the wisdom to know the difference" between those things and those I can control. 

Going back to the specific arguments, Ms. Tarico claims that the act of prayer, and having God possibly answer your prayers, is neither love or evidence of God's grace.    Instead, she states that "being forced to...beg for what (one) need(s)" to "a powerful person" is "abuse".  I beg to differ with that opinion. 

Let's make one thing perfectly clear; those among us who pray are not "beg(ging)" for divine intervention, at least not most of the time.  Rather (and as previously stated), we are ASKING God to do (or not do) something.  Most Christians and other believers understand that if our request isn't God's will, it won't happen.  As it often turns out, God not answering prayers can be blessings in disguise.  He knows better than humans do, and so I pray that his "will be done".  

Finally, allow me to address one other argument.  Ms. Tarico states that prayer doesn't "have any measurable effect", and that it's simply a way to make people feel good about themselves.  Again, I disagree.  Personally, I believe that my praying to God helped me through the darkest period of my life, and saved the life of my father, who was sick and near death at the time. 

Whether or not you believe in miracles, or the power of prayer, is your own personal decision.  This being the case, I say to Ms. Tarico, why do you feel the need to demonize believers? If someone feels that prayer works for them, let them pray.  If you yourself disagree, then don't pray.  This is the meaning behind the phrase "personal freedom"; do "whatever floats your boat", as long as it is not unquestionably immoral or illegal.  As the French say, "vive la difference"...and as I would say, "mind your own business"!