Functions of the Group : Prayer

Does Prayer Work?
No. That is rather blunt and unappealing isn't it? But examine the idea of a group and you notice that prayer quickly becomes the placebo effect of the saying, 'Everything is going to be all right.'

Prayer is just a function of a group. This being an action a particular group takes part in to identify itself from other groups or to release the stress of any type of pressure. I pick on prayer but this is a lot of things in a lot of different groups. A soccer club may go out and drink after a loss to relave the stress of losing; even if they consider it, 'all fun and bloody games.'

I guess where prayer is different is that it is so heavily tested and usually turns out to be in the same function as I described. Simply put it doesn't work in the way that it is supposed to. And this once again goes back to radical groupism.

When someone prayed to Zues, Juipter or another god they would somehow know that it worked! Of course it worked for they were the GODS! So why wouldn't it? Even if things got worse after praying it would work in a situation in favor or them; 'Thats how the gods wanted it I guess.' 'Can not heed all prayers.' The truth about this is that the group uses this as an affermation of their commitment to the organization as a whole.

This puts everyone in a situation where they follow or be put outside the group; thus forcing the individual to be isolated. This isolated individual will somehow come BACK to the group; or just go form a new group. That said they will most likely use the same methods, prayer in a religious aspect for example, as it has just been passed down and down.

Functions are thus the way in which groups reaffirm their strengths in a large scale society. Today is the 4th of July. Each party is reaffirming the idea of Freedom; false; in the mind of the group of all of us Americans.