Atheists, If you were in a life or death situation, whom or what would you "pray" to?

Question

If you were in a situation where hope is all but lost, what would you do instead of the usual "pray to god/Buddha/jesus for help" thing that spiritual people do? Just wondered.

Answer 1

I would use my intellect to find a way out of the situation if at all possible. 99% of "hopeless" situations can be thought out of if you're smart enough.

Answer 2

nobody.

Answer 3

If hope is all but lost, that means there's some hope left, and I'm going to use my energy actually trying to get myself out whatever the life and death situation is, instead of really, really hoping that my imaginary friend does it for me.

Answer 4

We don't pray to anyone because there's no one to pray to. It's either you die or you don't, and prayer doesn't change that at all. You can pray all you want and still die.

Answer 5

  I'm not an athiest, but I would assume they would not pray to anything ,by definition.

Answer 6

I've faced death 2 times.

I didn't pray to anything.  The only comment I made during one of them was "This is gonna hurt..."

The need to talk to an imaginary friend goes away when you wake up from religious brainwashing.

Answer 7

Instead of praying I would be doing something on the lines of looking at the scenery, trying to determine my enemies weaknesses, or trying to find a way to leave a clue that will help solve the mystery of who/what was going to kill me. When it comes to life and death it is best to rely on yourself.

Answer 8

I would turn to logic because I consider myself a pretty smart person.  Praying?  To what?  For what?  That's nonsense.  

Answer 9

I wouldn't waste my time talking to an imaginary friend.

I would act, think it out, find help, etc.

I would do useful things.

Answer 10

START PANICKING!!!

Answer 11

Um...I wouldn't pray to anything. I don't have anything to pray to. I would just hope that the dangerous situation passes as quickly as possible, and also attempt to extricate myself from it if I can.

Answer 12

I wouldn't pray at all, I'd try to get out of it.

A non-existent God isn't going to save me, I am or some other human is.

Or maybe a bear.

It'd be so cool to be saved by a bear.  

Answer 13

I wouldn't pray.  I'd say goodbye to my loved ones.  Look for a way out.  Reflect upon my life.

I have been in life or death situations.  I guarantee you that praying didn't cross my mind any more than you consider writing a quick note to Santa on Christmas Eve.

Answer 14

I have been in deadly situations several times, and I did not waste time praying to any imaginary deities. I am too busy fighting for life to waste time on nonsense. Recently, I had a wire cage installed in my vena cava and a catheterization to remove some clots. This was quite dangerous. A nun came around in the hospital and gave me her spiel. I tried to be polite as I told her I was not interested in what she had to say. Once, i had a feud with a chinese gang. Since I am huge and quite skillful in martial arts, 2 men drew pistols on me. Again, I did not waste time on praying to Ahuramazda, Allah, Amon, Baal, Brahma, Hanuman, Yu Ti, Yahweh, Odin, Zeus, Marduk, Enlil, Manitou, Asshur or any other imaginary gods that men have invented. I depend upon no one besides myself, and I am stoic about death.  

Answer 15

If you are in a situation that is completely helpless are you going to suddenly pray or call out to Tinkerbell for help?   I won't be calling on any fictional character either..

When I am in a life or death situation I evaluate the situation, compare it to similar situations I have been in or situations I have trained for..  I then act to extract myself from the situation using either the knowledge gained from a similar situation in the past and/or training...    It all takes a split second...

Don't think that's possible?  We all do it everyday when driving...  A driver cuts you off you evaluate the situation apply knowledge from previous situations and/or drivers training and hit the brakes to avoid a life threatening collision...   All it takes is a split second...  

Answer 16

Atheists would have to establish that God is real...then they could start a spiritual relationship with him.

I have a test you all can perform...it's gonna be fun....

Let's test to see if their is a God....

If not it will just be wasted words....so what the heck you ought to give it a whirl...

Say "Jehovah, if you are real, would you let me know in some way how you want me to act". Then say, " Through Jesus Amen".

That's all.

Then wait....the answer will come because God reads hearts. And if you want to stay as you are you will. But if you are unsure it will become crystal clear.

Hope you pass with flying colors.

Answer 17

I would pray to the FSM or the ICPPOAC(Ice Cream Person with the Power Over All Creation, i made him up meself.)

Answer 18

No, I would be too busy using my head to figure out a way to save myself. I know this for sure because I have faced death on more than one occasion and my reaction has always been the same, self preservation.

Answer 19

I Would Focus On Getting Myself Out Of That Situation.  But You Said Hopeless.  I Think I'd Keep Trying To Get Out Until I Finally Got Freed Or Killed....No "Praying", I've Actually Been In One Life Or Death Situation Before And That Never Even Came To Mind...

Answer 20

I've been there.   Several times.  I prayed to nothing.

I spent many long nights in Nam with firefights going on all around me.  Bullets whizzing just overhead.  I've had a heart attack that nearly killed me.  What would I pray to?  I'm an atheist.  And bullets and heart attacks don't change that.

Answer 21

I wouldn't pray to anyone or anything.  I'd keep looking for a way to get myself out of the situation.

Answer 22

I pray for a doctor and a fireman

Also i would find a way out of the problem its nature to survive not pray to some god and on a whim it will save ur life what the h**l is that??

Answer 23

6 months ago I had a heart attack.  I was in hospital.  They were filling me with morphine the pain was so bad that I did say "Oh God!",  but I'm still an atheist.  

It's just social conditioning and nothing more.  

You can call it blasphemy if you like but I really don't care.

Answer 24

I would not pray.

I would continue to try to find a way out of the situation.  Hope is not lost until you're dead.

Answer 25

The flying spaghetti monster.

Answer 26

If I did anything that resembled praying it would be to myself.  

Answer 27

I wouldn't waste time praying. I would think quickly and try to get out of the situation.

Answer 28

What would be the need to pray at all? Maybe hope, but NDE does not lead the atheist to suddenly conclude that there is a god.

Answer 29

Well, Abigail, like the other atheists who posted, the answer is 'no one'.

Somebody here said "There are no atheists in foxholes". There are.

http://www.atheistfoxholes.org/

The reason, IMHO, that atheists understand Christians better than the other way around is that many atheists have been Christians... but the opposite is rather more rare.

edit:

Say "Jehovah, if you are real, would you let me know in some way how you want me to act". Then say, " Through Jesus Amen".

I actually did that! Couple of years ago, three nights in a row, I went down on my knees, cleared my mind and asked Jesus, out loud, to please show himself to me in any way at all. I was very sincere (and despite myself, more than a little nervous).

Well... here I am. Nothing yet.

Answer 30

I saw a kitten on the road nearly get run over. I recognised it first and got off the road as fast as I could to go get it; another car came through and I was sure I was too late.

So I said "god-" and then realized there was nothing else to say, since that had been a leftover reaction from when I was a Christian. It feels quite futile to find yourself starting to pray and already know that's useless.

But then I scooted out there and got the kitten, which hadn't been hit and didn't see me coming and was astonished to be picked up. It turned out to be too sick to live and we had to put it to sleep, but it died held and purring.

Answer 31

I'd pray to the gods of 9-1-1.  Or at least to the person in dispatch that answered the phone.