Prayer might help folks psychologically stabilize when they perceive to have very little control over their lives. — Nils Loc

Or allow them to blame everything that is wrong on the will of their god and ask for help to fix the problems they have caused. Lots of the people that have problems because of the storm here were told to evacuate with plenty of time to do so, no they prayed that someone else would be affected instead of them.

Just watched a mini doc about kids growing up in the gang ridden districts of Honduras. Faith makes more sense to me in such situations because the most people can do is hope for good outcomes in the face of senseless violence and poverty. — Nils Loc

It always fascinated me how that works. Some of them say that joining gangs is the only way for protection, like maybe god some how would be useless even after praying. Some do it because they get a chance to be violent and for the money they make from it, and pray for forgiveness. The parents always deny that the kids have anything to with gangs while enjoying the benefits and cash of the kids and carry on praying like good catholics.

Something else that always makes me laugh is the football players that pray and cross themselves at the beginning of the game and thank god for the goals they score. Like any god would think it worthwhile to let one side win over the other.

The current Hollywood super hero films - are they simply a continuation of the Gods theme that has been around for thousands of years?


I believe that superheroes have a similar function to that of the Homeric and Semitic heroes. Those in whom brute force prevails emulate Heracles (such as Hulk, the Thing ...) Those in which intelligence prevails are David type (such as Peter Parker, Reed Richards or Tony Stark ...) Mythographic forms are similar. And their social function too, because they help to integrate by providing hope. What is its original message? Anyone can become socially relevant, even if they are being bullied or their social position is marginal, thanks to chance. Alan Moore seems unable to understand beyond his fortunate social position. He doesn't understand that thousands of people need a cathartic show. Aristotle got it.