Something I've been thinking about for various reasons lately. —ed.
I don't begrudge religious people their praying. Far from it. They're often my only hope.
Them: "I'll be praying for you."
Me: "Good!"
Praying people pray.
We agnostics don't pray, of course. Nor do the atheists.
No, instead, we worry.
Worrying, though, is also a kind of prayer, a sneaky little childish superstitious prayer. A step-on-a-crack-and-break-your-mother's-back kind of prayer.
Worry is a prayer that says, "God, I doubt you're up there, but in case you are, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't take away the one thing I worry about all day long. (read: child getting leukemia, losing job, getting caught for tax evasion.) Right, God?"
Worry is a piss-poor prayer.
Which is why we don't say, "I'll keep you in my worries."
If you pray, pray.
If you don't pray, don't worry.
Eileen B. says
What if I pray, then worry? What if I worry I’m not praying enough? Gaaaaaaa!
Robert J Holland, ABC says
Worry is effective. Most of the things I worry about never happen.
David Murray says
But is your worry ever answered?
John Gerstner says
LIfe is a picnic. Worry is like mosquitos buzzing your head. Prayer is like bug spray for your soul.
David Murray says
Damn, Gerstner, dog! Did you come up with that yourself, or is that Mark Twain?
Kristen says
Worry is extremely useful for control freaks like me! I fanatically worry about all the *potential* bad things that could happen to me in daily life.
Then I systematically [or, if you’re mean-spirited – obsessively] plan for how I would handle all said potentialities. That way I am never caught off-guard or ill-equipped for these sorts of things – I always have a plan.
Yes, you might say: “but more than half of those things will NEVER happen to you!” And you would be correct. But if I have a plan for them anyway, then I can cross that “rabid buffalo might careen down the busy city streets I live in and attack me” thing off the list of things I need to worry about – because I have a plan for that!
David Murray says
Kristen, if you can worry so specifically and strategically and then cross the worry off, you’re a better worrier than I.
If you offered a course, I’d take it.
Eileen B. says
Kristen – I’ve never thought about the rabid buffalo possibility. Thanks – now I have one more thing to worry about!
Yossi Mandel says
This deserves a deep philosophical, theological discussion spanning all streams of thought throughout history. I’m sure someone else will be up to the task. I can only offer a story to illustrate your contrast.
Israeli bus drivers are frequently former tank drivers. They drive fast, they drive rough.
The veteran Egged bus driver and a rabbi end up in Heaven at the same time. The angel waves the Egged bus driver ahead, and directs the rabbi to the “further processing needed” line.
“Pardon me,” says the rabbi, “but don’t I get any respect up here in the world of truth? I led people in prayer, I taught Judaism, I led people to a better life. The bus driver nearly drove people off a cliff!”
“Sorry rabbi,” replied the angel. “When you spoke, your congregants slept. When he drove, everyone prayed.”
David Murray says
Yossi, you’ve unwittingly written a great subhead for my blog–hell, my tombstone.
“This deserves a deep philosophical, theological discussion spanning all streams of thought throughout history. I’m sure someone else will be up to the task.”
Allison Wood says
I don’t pray and I don’t worry. I do try to be appreciative of all the wonderful things in my life, and conscious of the fact that they are temporal, so I’d best honor and enjoy them while I have the chance. I accept the fact that I can’t control many things in my life; I choose to focus on those that I can.
amy says
I worry. If there were an olympic worrying event, I would have won the gold for the last 100 years.
I read a quote somewhere about worry being imagination gone wrong. I agree, but I can’t help but worry.
I’m glad to know I’m not alone, though. (Becuase I was worried about that…)
Greg says
My mom has a piece of needlepoint art that I love. It says, “Worry is a fast getaway on a wooden horse.” I should probably worry a lot more than I do, but stuff just seems to mostly work out OK. Besides, my wife worries more than enough for both of us.
Always grateful to be in people’s prayers, though. One never knows, and it can’t hurt.
Assuming they aren’t praying for bad stuff to happen to me, that is.