Why Is Evil Prayer Not Possible? Cover Image

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Why Is Evil Prayer Not Possible?

Author(s): Miłosz Hołda
Subject(s): Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: Saul Smilansky; prayer; morality; nature of God; divine action

Summary/Abstract: In the article “A Problem about the Morality of Some Common Forms of Prayer,” Saul Smilansky reconstructs the basics of morally unacceptable prayer. These assumptions relate to the way in which God hears the petitions of praying people, the moral level of deity and those who pray, as well as the the nature of the relationship between prayer and God’s awareness (acceptance) of it. In this article, I present the reasons why I believe that the reconstruction made by Smilansky is not correct. I argue that morally inadmissible prayer is not at all possible. Assumptions indicated by him cannot be found among the assumptions of actually praying people. Even if we could find some of these assumptions, it is not possible that they all can occur together. So everyone who prays, does a good thing. Smilansky’s criticism is directed against something that does not exist and cannot exist and therefore does not provide reasons why any prayer should be considered as unacceptable.

  • Issue Year: 64/2016
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 27-36
  • Page Count: 10
  • Language: Polish