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Atheists believe gestures of ‘thoughts and prayers’ in hard times make them worse off, study finds

  
Via:  XXJefferson51  •  5 years ago  •  47 comments


Atheists believe gestures of ‘thoughts and prayers’ in hard times make them worse off, study finds
It was found that Christians value thoughts and prayers from religious strangers and priests, while atheists and agnostics are so “prayer averse” they would pay to avoid receiving prayers. While atheists and agnostics were shown to be indifferent to receiving thoughts from other secular people, they negatively value thoughts from Christians

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Atheists believe gestures of ‘thoughts and prayers’ in hard times make them worse off, study finds



By  Leonardo Blair , Christian Post Reporter 



135599_w_450_300.jpg Pro-life supporters pray at the 'Alive From New York' event hosted by Focus on the Family in Times Square New York City on Saturday May 4, 2019.  

Christians who suffer during natural and human disasters value thoughts and prayers from religious strangers, while atheists and agnostics believe they are made worse off by such gestures, a  new study  led by a University of Wyoming economist shows.

The study,  The value of thoughts and prayers ,  led by assistant professor Linda Thunstrom of the Department of Economics in UW’s College of Business, was published in the scientific journal  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences  last month. 

Researcher Shiri Noy of Denison University in Ohio also worked on the project, which asked  482  Christian, agnostic, and atheist victims in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in September 2018 how much they would be willing to pay for thoughts and prayers from persons with zero levels of religiosity versus priests. 

The study was undertaken in an attempt to settle the debate between critics who argue that gestures of “thoughts and prayers” are meaningless and might obstruct structural reforms intended to mitigate catastrophes, and others who argue there is value in those gestures.


It was found that Christians value thoughts and prayers from religious strangers and priests, while atheists and agnostics are so “prayer averse” they would pay to avoid receiving prayers. While atheists and agnostics were shown to be indifferent to receiving thoughts from other secular people, they negatively value thoughts from Christians, the study shows.

“The net effect on recipient welfare from thoughts and prayers depends on how recipients perceive to benefit from such intercessory gestures,” Thunstrom  said in a news release .

“Our results suggest that thoughts and prayers for others should ideally be employed selectively,” the researchers concluded. “While Christians value such gestures from fellow believers, nonreligious people negatively value such gestures from Christians and are indifferent to receiving them from other nonreligious people.”

The study found that Christian hurricane victims on average value prayers from a Christian stranger at $4.36 and from a priest at $7.17. Secular people, however, were willing to pay $3.54 for a Christian stranger not to pray for them and $1.66 for a priest to do the same.


Christians also valued thoughts from a religious stranger at $3.27, while nonreligious people negatively value the same gesture at -$2.02.






Thunstrom hoped the study could temper public debate on the issue and suggested more research was needed to gather the perceived value of thoughts and prayers.

“The finding that Christians benefit from intercessory prayers, while the welfare of atheists/agnostics is reduced by such gestures, underscores the divide in this popular response to hardships,” Thunstrom said.

“Our results also might reflect the political and religious polarization in the United States. We find that it matters who sends the gesture. Christians value gestures from other religious Christians, while nonreligious attach a higher value to supportive gestures from other nonreligious. A deeper understanding of the values and beliefs of different groups with respect to thoughts and prayers may, however, reduce some of the animosity surrounding thoughts and prayers in the public debate,” she added.


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XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
1  seeder  XXJefferson51    5 years ago

 ....In this study, we elicit the value of receiving thoughts and prayers from strangers following adversity. We find that Christians value thoughts and prayers from religious strangers and priests, while atheists and agnostics are “prayer averse”—willing to pay to avoid receiving prayers. Furthermore, while indifferent to receiving thoughts from other secular people, they negatively value thoughts from Christians.

Offering “thoughts and prayers” has become a standard response from both US policy makers and the public to major catastrophes—including hurricanes, wildfires, mass shootings, and disease outbreaks. Despite the frequent usage of these gestures on behalf of people experiencing hardship, the value of thoughts and prayers to recipients remains unknown. In the United States, this knowledge vacuum exacerbates public debate about the value of thoughts and prayers. Critics argue that these gestures are meaningless and can reduce material help or structural reforms aimed at mitigating natural and social disasters. However, studies show that people often find emotional comfort in social support (12). Christians frequently seek others’ prayers during difficult times, believing they may have healing powers (3). Less is known about the perceived value of receiving supportive thoughts....

 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1  devangelical  replied to  XXJefferson51 @1    5 years ago

thoughts and prayers to the christian kurds about to be slaughtered by the turks. too bad their skin wasn't a few shades lighter and they didn't have any crude oil to sell us.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
1.1.1  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  devangelical @1.1    5 years ago

Most of the Kurds the Turks are targeting are long time Maoist communist atheists and I’m sure their God will answer them.  

 
 
 
SteevieGee
Professor Silent
1.1.2  SteevieGee  replied to  XXJefferson51 @1.1.1    5 years ago

I'm sure that their god will ignore them just like your god will surely ignore you in your time of need.  He's mysterious like that.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
2  seeder  XXJefferson51    5 years ago

....An experiment led by Assistant Professor Linda Thunstrom, of the Department of Economics in UW’s College of Business, found that Christians who suffer such adversity value thoughts and prayers from religious strangers, while atheists and agnostics believe they are worse off from such gestures. The research appears in the prestigious scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“The net effect on recipient welfare from thoughts and prayers depends on how recipients perceive to benefit from such intercessory gestures,” says Thunstrom, who conducted the research in conjunction with former UW sociology faculty member Shiri Noy, now with Denison University in Ohio.

The debate over the value of “thoughts and prayers” has come to the forefront as a result of the verbal responses of political and other leaders to mass shootings and natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. Some critics argue that expressing sympathy through thoughts and prayers is a meaningless gesture in response to tragedy -- and that, in some cases, it’s an excuse to not take action.

Thunstrom and Noy’s study placed actual economic values on thoughts and prayers through an experimental survey of victims of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina last year. They found that, from the perspective of Christian hurricane victims, the monetary value of prayers by others on their behalf was significant. Meanwhile, atheists and agnostics were actually “prayer-averse,” placing a negative monetary value on prayers on their behalf by others...“The finding that Christians benefit from intercessory prayers, while the welfare of atheists/agnostics is reduced by such gestures, underscores the divide in this popular response to hardships,” Thunstrom says. “Our results also might reflect the political and religious polarization in the United States. We find that it matters who sends the gesture -- ...

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
3  MrFrost    5 years ago

"Thoughts and prayers" are fine, just don't expect them to actually do anything at all. The right keeps sending thoughts and prayers after every mass shooting, but it doesn't seem to be stopping them or even slowing them down. 

But if they think thoughts and prayers are so helpful, just use them to protect our border from illegals. Problem solved. 

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
3.1  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  MrFrost @3    5 years ago

Prayers are of no value to some who choose to make it that way.  Such as to those who would pay people not to pray for them or have thoughts or concern for their situation.  On the other hand there are those who never believed or once did but moved to misotheism who find the light and believe and find out later some friend or family member had been in intercessory prayer for them for months, years, even decades.  

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
3.1.1  MrFrost  replied to  XXJefferson51 @3.1    5 years ago
Prayers are of no value to some who choose to make it that way

Then like I said, use them to protect our borders. It will save the USA billions of dollars. I mean, look at how well they are doing protecting people from being shot because some nut with a screw loose had a bad day. 

Again, I have no problems with thoughts and prayers, do it all you want, but only a fool would believe that they actually do or change anything. Hell, even the bible says that much. 

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
3.1.2  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  MrFrost @3.1.1    5 years ago

No it doesn’t. If payer was meaningless Jesus wouldn’t have taught us to pray and inspired that it be placed there among His spoken word there.  

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
3.1.3  MrFrost  replied to  XXJefferson51 @3.1.2    5 years ago

James 2:14-26   New King James Version (NKJV)

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14  What   does it   profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?   15  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,   16  and   one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what   does it   profit?   17  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18  But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”   Show me your faith without   [ a ] your works,   and I will show you my faith by   [ b ] my works.   19  You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!   20  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is   [ c ] dead?   21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works   when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?   22  Do you see   that faith was working together with his works, and by   works faith was made   [ d ] perfect?   23  And the Scripture was fulfilled which says,   “Abraham believed God, and it was   [ e ] accounted to him for righteousness.”   And he was called   the friend of God.   24  You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

25  Likewise,   was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent   them   out another way?

26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
3.1.4  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  MrFrost @3.1.3    5 years ago

Was there something there you wanted me to disagree with?  Faith without works is indeed dead.  On the other hand our works alone are as filthy rags.  It takes the faith of Jesus to be saved.  Once we are saved by faith we follow Him because we love him and want to please him and grow our relationship.  That is where works come in.  You would be correct if you are saying that one who converts and professes faith and then the rest of their life time do nothing else and claim to be saved won’t be.  It is most certainly required of us to do things (works) like participate in a food kitchen, provide goods for the poor or disaster stricken, any other work God calls us to do.   But it is done willingly and happily because we love Him, not grudgingly because we have to check this and that off some list of works in order to save ourselves or to be saved. 

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
3.1.5  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  MrFrost @3.1.3    5 years ago

Do you really think that because I’m a conservative Evangelical Republican Trump supporter that I haven’t worked preparing food and serving food for the needy in a local homeless shelter or donated items to it and other charities in the area.  Or that I haven’t passed out food in the park to the homeless on a weekend day.  Or donated to blood drives, or took in people displaced by disaster, or given to food banks for the poor or the AIDS food bank here?  Not to mention money donated for the poor to organizations that provide shelter, schools, hospitals globally. And global disaster relief agencies and those that provide homes and education for children around the world.  You don’t have to convince me of the importance of letting others know I’m a Christian by actually doing things to help others and not just expressing it out loud.  

 
 
 
pat wilson
Professor Participates
3.1.6  pat wilson  replied to  XXJefferson51 @3.1.5    5 years ago

If you've done all that, that's awesome !

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
3.1.7  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  pat wilson @3.1.6    5 years ago

I have done those things but know that I could and should do more.  

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
3.2  Texan1211  replied to  MrFrost @3    5 years ago
"Thoughts and prayers" are fine, just don't expect them to actually do anything at all. The right keeps sending thoughts and prayers after every mass shooting, but it doesn't seem to be stopping them or even slowing them down. 

Do you think that the religious left doesn't pray just like the religious right does or something?

But if they think thoughts and prayers are so helpful, just use them to protect our border from illegals. Problem solved. 

I am sorry you don't understand prayer.

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
4  bbl-1    5 years ago

I must digress, CH4P.  "Thoughts and prayers" are the mantra and soul of conservatism.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
4.1  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  bbl-1 @4    5 years ago

You  think that liberal and progressive Christians don’t pray for others and or have thoughts and well wishes on others behalf. Or that the conservative secularists do pray for or on the behalf of others?  

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
4.1.1  MrFrost  replied to  XXJefferson51 @4.1    5 years ago
You  think that liberal and progressive Christians don’t pray for others

According to articles you have posted in the past, they don't exist. 

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
4.1.2  bbl-1  replied to  MrFrost @4.1.1    5 years ago

Yowzers.  That was like a 325 yard ' hole in one ' . . …..

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
4.1.3  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  MrFrost @4.1.1    5 years ago

I never said they don’t exist and I know of at least two here who fit there.  

 
 
 
JumpDrive
Freshman Silent
5  JumpDrive    5 years ago

Approach atheists and tell them that if they don't give you money, you'll pray for them. See what happens; be sure to post the results.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
5.1  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  JumpDrive @5    5 years ago

What are you talking about?  Did you even read the seeded article?  

 
 
 
lady in black
Professor Quiet
6  lady in black    5 years ago

The United Evangelical Federalist Society Church will tell you when it’s a sin!

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71248775_1178104705723608_6286747856850124800_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_eui2=AeFcBhILtdUWA8obaPbtSZerpP1hHKMdWLev6HaVq0BAs5zSk0Fhm7IFIzN8lAZ_Xj6fsaXcrr82U2HcFXUHzE3cCPqcw_YWyrUyEYp8by2ErQ&_nc_oc=AQnpgdwyQpqC13MVG5ifKHJb6N5D_lk4vhaxqEIoj4VGh1GDVF08A18W9sfspYfyTv0&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=0b157b62ca7c8092763887f7f689dcb0&oe=5E38B63B

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
6.1  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  lady in black @6    5 years ago

Clinton did that stuff while in office either as governor or President.  Trump and his affairs were a decade before running for office and there is no evidence of his repeating those behaviors in over a dozen years now.  Are you suggesting we become unforgiving now? 

 
 
 
lady in black
Professor Quiet
6.1.1  lady in black  replied to  XXJefferson51 @6.1    5 years ago

Hypocrite...an affair is an affair...and trump sleeping with a porn star is an affair.  I guess you'll stoop to any level for trump

 
 
 
lady in black
Professor Quiet
6.1.2  lady in black  replied to  XXJefferson51 @6.1    5 years ago

You proved the point of the cartoon.

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
6.1.3  Ender  replied to  XXJefferson51 @6.1    5 years ago

Clinton hasn't been in office in close to two decades and as far as I know hasn't had any more affairs.

The double standard here is unbelievable. You make unfounded accusations about one person just to fit your narrative, will not forgive or forget what Clinton did, yet immediately hoist trump upon a pedestal. Not only completely forgiven, almost exonerated.

Maybe you conveniently forget trump still has a court case ongoing about illegally paying people off for their silence....

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
6.1.4  Ender  replied to  lady in black @6.1.1    5 years ago

Christian zealots are no better than Muslim zealots.

They want a theocracy.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
6.1.5  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  lady in black @6.1.1    5 years ago

He did that.  No one said he didn’t.  He’s a sinner.  Well, so are all the rest of us.  We had a choice between two imperfect people and we all made our choice. Hillary has had her own affairs and was ruthless in enabling her husbands offenses and she offered us nothing on any policy issue.  

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
6.1.6  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  lady in black @6.1.2    5 years ago

The cartoon had no point.  Why would we pick Clinton’s enabler who was vicious toward and tried to destroy his accusers to advance her own ambitions.  And you wanted us to vote for that witch?

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
6.1.7  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  Ender @6.1.3    5 years ago

I didn’t bring Clinton up.  Your ideological ally did in the meme and I responded to it’s stupidity for that was all there was in it. 

 
 
 
lady in black
Professor Quiet
6.1.8  lady in black  replied to  XXJefferson51 @6.1.7    5 years ago

The stupidity and the hypocrisy is "faux christians" who denigrated Clinton but suck Crooked donnie's ass.  The meme is spot on.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
6.1.9  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  lady in black @6.1.8    5 years ago

[Deleted]

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
6.1.10  Ender  replied to  XXJefferson51 @6.1.5    5 years ago

There is no hope for some. I know that now. Some people are so far off the deep end, they will never be able to come back and no life preserver has a long enough rope, not that it would be accepted.

In your blind adoration of trump you did not see her discussing policy, only listening to trump denigrate others without any policy proposals himself.

The really sad thing is you really think he cares or works for you.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
6.1.11  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  Ender @6.1.10    5 years ago

We Heartland deplorables have no need of being “saved” by our bi coastal elitist wannabe betters. We categorically reject their values, their lifestyles, their virtue signaling, their energy dependence, their economic desires.  We simply want them to leave us alone as they will never govern us at every level. We are proud to be hated by the coasts and called deplorable and bitter clingers to our God and our guns.  We got our jobs back and Trump did it not the secular progressive coastals who as we see above have nothing but contempt for the view of exceptional America that we love. 

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
6.1.12  Ender  replied to  XXJefferson51 @6.1.11    5 years ago

Wow. Really dude? So trump personally got you a job? Were you unemployed until he took office?

Sad that you hate people that live on the coast. Kind of odd as well as you live in a coastal state...

Sad that you have such hatred for your fellow Americans.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
6.1.13  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  Ender @6.1.12    5 years ago

We don’t hate you.  We just want you all to leave us the heck alone.  We refuse to allow your side to control our day to day lives.  I personally haven’t been unemployed since the summer of 1986 and have had the same employer since.  But many Heartland and rural areas were left behind and the bi coastal elite simply did not care and some like Obama even mocked our pain.  As to where I live, I live in a rural area of my state and we have much more in common with people in other rural states like Idaho, Utah, Nebraska, Montana, even Texas, than we do with the elites of our big urban coastal cities and their suburbs.  

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
6.1.14  Ender  replied to  XXJefferson51 @6.1.13    5 years ago

How in the world is anyone controlling you?

Then talk about being left behind.

It almost sounds like jealousy, in a way.

I am also coastal. So is Texas.

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
6.1.15  bbl-1  replied to  Ender @6.1.4    5 years ago

Actually christian zealots are worse.  They have access to a greater quantity of weapons and weapons that are far more powerful.

 
 
 
Veronica
Professor Guide
7  Veronica    5 years ago

I see nothing has changed in the time I was away.  Good thing I am in a better place.

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
7.1  MrFrost  replied to  Veronica @7    5 years ago

You were missed. 

 
 
 
arkpdx
Professor Quiet
7.2  arkpdx  replied to  Veronica @7    5 years ago

"Good thing I am in a better place"

You mean you are really dead and your comment #7  is a message from the other side? WOW!

 
 
 
bbl-1
Professor Quiet
7.2.1  bbl-1  replied to  arkpdx @7.2    5 years ago

More proof that Veronica is right.  Kudos.

 
 
 
XXJefferson51
Senior Guide
7.2.2  seeder  XXJefferson51  replied to  bbl-1 @7.2.1    5 years ago

More?  How can you have more when there was nothing to prove such a thing in the first place?  

 
 

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