After every major tragedy people announce they are sending “ thoughts and prayers ” to the dupe and their families . Seldom do they require whether either are welcome , so it ’s just as well someone now has . It turns out that while American Christians do indeed prize get others praying for them in their 60 minutes of need , atheists hate it so much most would pay up people to block up including them in their prayers .
The “ thoughts and prayers ” refrain after outcome like deal shootings , particularly from politicians with the power to break such result if they want to , has spawned athousand mocking meme . On the other hired hand , there are many tragedies where people with trivial capacitance to do much about such disaster are forced to front the photographic camera and witness something to say . In such context , offer of sentiment and prayers may seem not only the near choice , but the only one .
NeverthelessDr Linda Thunströmof the University of Wyoming andDr Shiri Noyof Denison University , Florida determine to see whether people appreciate these motion . InProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , they identify a report using the vulgar economists ’ bill of “ willingness to ante up ” .
After Hurricane Florence tear into North Carolina in 2018 Thunström and Noy meet 482 residents of the nation through a web - based survey peter that pays hoi polloi to respond to surveys . The researchers increased the normal payment by $ 5 and told them a stranger would receive a description of the hard knocks they were suffering post - hurricane . Those unaffected by the storm were asked about any other events in the previous year that had serious consequences for them .
Thunström and Noy then offer up their participants a choice – would they give up some or all of the $ 5 to determine whether they got supportive idea from an atheist stranger , thoughts from a Christian stranger , prayers from a Christian stranger , or prayer from a priest . This meant they could select to have thoughts from either a spiritual or non - spiritual stranger , but only prayers from a spiritual somebody , thus piddle their preferences cleared .
The responses among Christians ( member of other religions were excluded as they would provide too small a sample ) were predictable . The prayers of a non-Christian priest were value the highest , postdate by orison of a religious stranger , which in turn bunk being in the thoughts of a spiritual stranger . A non - significant negative note value was invest on receiving non - prayerful thoughts of non - religious alien .
The athiest answer were more unexpected . While they felt electroneutral about the view of other non - believer , atheist and doubter were actively uncongenial to either the thoughts or prayers of religious people , to the point they expressed a willingness to pay some of their money to avoid it . Intriguingly , the greatest opposition was to receiving the prayers of a non - religious layman , priestly petition , like simple thought , were ascertain as less burdensome .
Though the results clearly show that not everyone values such gestures , some actively resent them , the reason are not clear – if you do n’t believe appeal work why would you worry about someone you do n’t hump pray for you ? However , Thunström and Noy get one obvious conclusion : “ thought and prayer for others should be employed selectively . ”
