Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Peculiar People

Home
Latter-day Saint
The “Thoughts and Prayers” Backlash is Deserved

The “Thoughts and Prayers” Backlash is Deserved

Last updated on: December 3, 2015 at 9:37 pm by Cody Ray Shafer

The “Thoughts and Prayers” Backlash is Deserved 2015-12-03T21:37:49+00:00 Cody Ray Shafer

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

After so many shootings this year, it just feels like nothing is ever going to change. But after the San Bernardino shooting, there was a decent amount of backlash against the many politicians who responded to the news with a very bland, “thoughts and prayers” tweet. Tweeting “thoughts and prayers” is right up there with American politicians’ favorite past time of making excuses for why we can’t have any sensible firearm legislation.

here’s a template tweet for all politicians to use. “My thoughts are with the victims and their families in today’s mass shooting.”

— Kyle (@KJinDC) December 2, 2015

It should be well understood that this backlash isn’t really an indictment of prayer, but rather a necessary reminder of the problem of prayer without action. Most of the politicians who express the empty “thoughts and prayers” platitude are financed by the NRA, an organization that apparently only exists to ensure that nothing is ever done to curb gun violence. Because, as they will always remind you, some two hundred year old document promises us we can band together in little armies, probably to keep fugitive slaves from overthrowing the plantation. Clearly a model of timeless and relevant legal phrasing.

(Coincidentally, the second amendment specifically uses the phrase “well-regulated.” What happened to that part?)

Idol worship.
(Wikimedia Commons, alterations by Cody Ray Shafer)

But to my larger point, what is prayer when it is unaccompanied by action? In Mormonism, we are often at odds over fellow Christians over our interpretation of James 2:20 when it comes to salvation; but another, more practical interpretation of that scripture is that it condemns faith for faith’s sake. It is not enough to merely pray, or have faith in a providential God, we must work to accomplish the goals we’ve set. Prayer is tool for strength, wisdom, and discernment. Not a replacement for legislation or solution.

I’ve also heard this idea repeated in firesides, conference talks, and Sunday school lessons. It is not foreign to Mormonism or Christianity. Pope Francis has even said, “Prayer that doesn’t lead to concrete action toward our brothers is a fruitless and incomplete prayer.” If that’s true, then anyone who is in a position to actually stand up to the NRA and change something about gun violence in America, and refuses to do so while also publically announcing their prayers, deserves every bit of criticism that comes their way. They are cowards, and the NRA are bullying demagogues.

Frankly, it is disgusting when someone offers a prayer during a gun tragedy while also taking money from the NRA.

I’m not even saying that we should ban anything or restrict anything. But any action on gun issues would be a good place to start, because there has been none. Prior to yesterday’s shooting, as it’s been widely reported, a team of doctors begged congress to lift a ban on government funded studies of gun violence. I didn’t even know that was a thing, but it is. And it’s stupid. If we can’t even study the problem, nobody has any business praying for it. And then there’s this.

“God isn’t fixing this,” say the leftists. Neither is government. The difference is that we don’t think of God as a magic fix-it machine.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) December 3, 2015

I’m not sure I even understand whatever stupid point he’s making. Is he saying liberals treat the government like a magic fix-it machine? Because if that’s how you think people with pro-functioning government views expect the government to work, I can see why you’d spend so much time arguing for less involvement from government on any issue.

But that’s not why people are turning to the government to regulate and limit gun deaths, but rather because it is the fucking government. Their stated purpose is to maintain law, order, justice, and public safety. Nobody, ever, has ever said they believe the government is a magic fix-it machine. Instead, there have been numerous calls for tightening loopholes on gun sales to prevent people with violent criminal history from accessing them, funding research, mandating background checks, yada yada.

But when you pray to God to solve a serious human problem without taking any steps to become part of that solution, you are treating God exactly like a magic fix-it machine.

I don’t know what will work, all I know is the current reality is what happens when we don’t even try.

Previous Post

December 3, 2015

Batman vs Superman (The Gods Are Fighting)

Next Post

December 6, 2015 Five Mormons Worth Reading

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category American society Art baptism Blogging Book of Mormon Book review Brigham Young Brigham Young University Bundy Catholicism Christianity Communalism Community of Christ conferences conversion correlation Culture denominations Digital History Discipline Councils diversity Doctrine Donald Trump education Emma Smith ethics family feminism fiction Film review food French Polynesia Fundamentalism Gay rights Gender global Gun politics Halloween health History Honor Code hymns Joseph Smith Kirtland Temple law of consecration massacre site military Ministering missionary moderate Mormon feminism Modern Mormonism Mormon origins Mormon War Mormonism Mormonism, politics, Romney Obama Peace politics Polygamy Pope Francis Poverty Prayer Priesthood Protestantism Race Religious freedom Revelation Reviews sacred sites Scientology Scripture Secularization See Stones sexual assault Star Wars television temples Tithing Utah violence war women's ordination

Select a Month October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 October 2017 September 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Romans teaches that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE