Prayers and thoughts have taken a hit lately. In the wake of mass shootings in the US, I see more and more social media posts decrying the use of "prayers and thoughts" as if it were a meaningless phrase that substitutes for inaction.
Is there any evidence that prayer is helpful?
That's hard to say unless you define what you mean by helpful. Clearly, whatever prayers have been offered, shooters continue to kill and injure many in the US and elsewhere.
Believers in the effectiveness of prayer won't stop praying. People do report feeling better after praying. And believers who are the recipient of such messages often take comfort in knowing they are supported in prayer. For one thing, it's a reminder they are not alone.
Does prayer lead to inaction?
Maybe. A study by Tyler Greenway, Sarah Schnitker, and Abigail Shepherd examined the relationship between praying and generosity. Here's a quote from their summary (2017).
Christian participants (N = 313) were assigned to engage in either intercessory prayer or a secular reflection over a 2-week period on the hardships faced by either Christians (religious ingroup) or Muslims (religious outgroup) in Myanmar/Burma being persecuted by the Buddhist majority. Contrary to hypotheses and previous research, multiple regression analyses revealed that the prayer condition was associated with less monetary generosity than a nonreligious control condition. (See the Abstract)I realize of course that the researchers studied generosity and not action related to ending mass shootings; however, the study does illustrate the possibility that prayer may be a substitute for less concrete action. As is often said in academia, "more research is needed."
Do Christian survivors appreciate "thoughts and prayers?"
Perhaps it's complicated even for those who believe in prayer. Taylor Schumann is a survivor of a shooting. Writing in Christianity Today, she expresses a sensitivity to the phrase, "thoughts and prayers."
Like many others affected by gun violence, I can’t help but feel frustrated and cynical when I hear another line about “thoughts and prayers.”However, she expresses a belief in the power of prayer and offers suggestions on what to pray. This leads to a research question, would social media comments be taken as more meaningful if the posts said how the poster was praying for the survivors and their families? This can be turned into a study--any takers?
What can we learn from Schumann?
One of my interests is in the psychology of religion. What I appreciate about Schumann's article is the prayer list. The list reveals a blow by blow flow of the path from shooting victim to shooting survivor. It's like a prayer for different stations of the cross borne by survivors. We get a sense of the enduring psychological trauma, social issues, and medical-biological struggles that can be a part of recovery.
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Does identity take a hit too?
Our identities are multiple and varied in importance. I wonder what happens to those injured shooting survivors who were strongly against gun control before they were shot.
Owning guns and enjoying recreational use of guns is a part of the identity of many people. Attacking gun ownership is like attacking a person. It is a useless strategy designed only to strengthen the resolve of those who insist on their right to own a variety of weapons.
The idea of guns and identity has been articulated by a unique Presbyterian Minister, Rev. Deanna Hollis--she's the first minister of gun violence prevention. And she has some thoughts on what churches can do--worth a read (NYT).
Does faith take a hit too?
Imagine devout Christians who believe in the power of prayer, the belief that God is in control, and miracles of healing. They enter their cars and begin a journey with a prayer for God's protection. They walk into a store. All hell breaks loose. Bullets are flying. They take a hit. They're down, in pain, bleeding, looking up at the ceiling of an ambulance.
What's not evident in Schumann's article is a sense of a deep spiritual struggle. Clearly, many rely on their faith as they recover from any trauma. However, some lose faith or struggle with faith and the beliefs about God, security and protection. Terri Daniel addresses some of this in the article, "Losing Faith vs. Gaining Perspective: How Trauma and Loss Can Create a More Spacious Form of Spiritual Awareness."
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