When something bad
happens, someone always says, "Our thoughts and prayers are with those
affected by this horrible blah blah blah."
The idea of praying for someone who has experienced
something bad, I get. There is an agency there; well-meaning people are praying
TO someone, with a belief that this prayer communicates a request or sentiment
to their god praying on behalf of this suffering friend.
But what the heck are "thoughts" going to
accomplish in such a situation. If I have suffered a loss or experienced a
tragedy of some kind, why should it be a comfort to me to know that someone
else is thinking about it?
That phraseology is a politically-correct cop-out, I
contend. . . a concession that people make in times of trouble in order to not
hurt the feelings of non believers (among the suffering or among the
onlookers). We don't want to make a collective statement saying that everyone
is praying, because many are not. And we don't want to offend non believers by
only offering them prayers in their time of need, because they may think that
prayers offered on their behalf are wasted effort.
So we say "thoughts and prayers" as a way to keep
everyone happy, or to at least not offend. I get that, and I see the value in
not offending needlessly.
I personally have some very dear friends and relatives who
are non believers. When they're in trouble, I'm likely thinking about them and
their plight, but the sad reality is that I'm probably also thinking about
football and my job and whether the grass needs to be cut and what's for
dinner. My thoughts at times like that aren't worth all that much, and don't
really accomplish much.
