Actually, you’re wrong there. I would look in the closet because it’s something my child cannot do for themselves (akin to helping them write a letter to Santa if they cannot write it themselves) I can, for lack of a better word, “help” others with their beliefs/worship (such as when I am silent at the table when my family prays, instead of talking over their prayer) without participating in it myself. However, a child should be able to pray on their own, without my assistance, especially since many denominations (at least the ones I grew up around) consider it crucial that a child have a personal relationship with Jesus, carried out through prayer, for them to even be considered “saved” in the first place. Similarly, I would put money under my child’s pillow for their tooth because, in that case, the “Tooth Fairy” does exist- she just happens to be me.
"I don't think either, I simply neither know nor care whether God exists."
Then I would submit that you are not actually an atheist (atheists, by definition, do not believe God (or any deities) exist) What you’re describing sounds more like you’re agnostic, which is completely different. Were I agnostic, I’d probably join in worshipping with others if they really wanted me to.
"She wanted a hand to hold and a bit of support"
And nothing stops an atheist from holding her hand and silently sitting in support beside her while she prayers, without needing to join her. In a moment of weakness/doubt/pain/stress/grief/etc, if my friends want to ask for help from their imaginary friend (whatever form it might take) I’ll sit by and support them, but I’m not going to start talking to that imaginary friend as well.
"Which would be like asking someone who is anti-theist to pray, there is no requirement upon any atheist to be against religion (though some are)."
No, an antitheist is someone who is actively against theism (tries to convert others to atheism, etc) In my gay rights=religion example, my friend who simply doesn’t believe in equal rights would be akin to the “atheist”. Rev. Phelps, someone who is actively trying to take rights away from homosexuals and protests/pickets them would be the “antitheist”.
"What are your examples meant to prove?"
Ok, I’ll spell it out for you- in both cases, my friends are actively participating in something they do not believe in, but that I believe strongly in. It’s not meaningful to actively do something that doesn’t conform with their beliefs and I would feel insulted by their participation, especially if I thought the only reason they did so was because I asked them to. I would prefer it if my friends simply said, “I don’t personally believe in this, but I know it’s important to you, so I wish you the best.”
"At the very least it means he's no so "anti-gay" as to find the very idea impossible to consider."
Again, with atheism, there is nothing to consider (barring actual conversion attempts, which is another issue entirely) This is not the agnostic, “Don’t know, don’t care.” attitude that you have. Atheists have already made the decision that God does not exist, in any form. I hate the line of thought that implies atheists are just “confused” or are “thinking things over”. No- atheists that thought it over and have already figured it out, so there’s nothing for them to consider.
"That some atheists do do some form of religious observance says nothing about their atheism."
Actually, it does say something about their atheism if said religious observance has anything to do with God. It’s normal for an atheist to feel comfortable with being around people who talk to their non-existent, invisible friend (whatever form it takes) As pointless as it may seem to us, theists are as welcome to their beliefs as anyone, as long as it doesn’t start infringing on other people’s rights. But if an atheist, who rejects the existence of God by definition, starts talking or participating in worship to someone they know doesn’t exist- that’s a little
I’m going to be nice and go with, “silly”.
"Which, in the end, is the point. So what if 20% of atheists and agnostics pray every day. This could mean:
Or some combination of the above, or something else entirely."
Or it could mean, as I would suspect is far more likely, that the poll people (or quoted OP) are/is Lying for Jesus.
@ Anon-e-moose
That ad is absolutely awesome.
