Evidence collected over many years, obtained from many locations, indicates that the power of Prayer is insufficient to stop bullets from killing school children.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) February 16, 2018
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) February 16, 2018
Here are all the issues I have with Tyson’s tweet:
1. It’s condescending. One can criticize someone else’s belief system or political positions without being smug or dismissive. No one’s mind will be changed by this tweet; it will not cause anyone to thoughtfully reconsider a previously held belief. In fact, it will most likely cause people to shut down, or turn away from Tyson’s viewpoint.
2. Tyson doesn’t seem to understand the nature of prayer. Prayer isn’t simply a requesting service wherein one asks for something and God presses the red or green button. Prayer is a means of communicating with the creator, not only to make requests, but to give thanks, ask forgiveness, and offer praise – among many other things. Believers understand that while prayer can indeed change the course of human events, God doesn’t think as we do, and as such, our requests may not be answered in the way we desire. We also understand that because we live in a fallen world, we cannot prevent all tragedy.
Further, accepting the existence of an all powerful creator, one who listens to and even changes circumstances based on the prayers of the creatures he created, one cannot know what tragedies may have been prevented as a result of appeals for intercession. One cannot know how such a creator may or may not have influenced a disturbed or wicked individual to turn away from actions that would harm others.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/27270/neil-degrasse-tyson-denigrates-faithful-power-frank-camp