A Man’s Facebook Post Discouraging People from Praying for Brussels is Going Viral

In the wake a tragedy, we often seem glimpses of humanity in the literature that is shared after and the articulation of thoughts and feelings.

Andrew Seidel, like many, shared his thoughts on the Brussels Terror Attacks yesterday. His Facebook post which presents an interesting and arguably unpopular opinion has been shared thousands of times.

The atheist, activist and lawyer has gained attention for urging people not to pray for the victims.

He writes:

“To everyone who suggests that we pray for ‪#‎Brussels, more religion is not the answer to this problem. And while those prayers might make you feel good, that’s all they are doing. Instead, try donating to a charity, like the Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), that actually gets on the ground and helps people. Or donate to an anti-extremist charity the Maajid Nawaz’s Quilliam Foundation and help fight what is likely the cause of these attacks. Pray if you must, but in addition to action, not as a substitute, and don’t expect much from your prayers. Religion is not the solution, it’s the problem.

‪#‎PrayForBrussels? Not so much.”

The comments are full of people who agree that a move away from religion would be beneficial. Others argue that prayer helps people cope.

Check it out below.