Use of the Lord's Prayer during investigation

[J. K.]

This question occurred to me while watching a paranormal show. Do you think that the Lord's Prayer is effective in an investigation when used by a non-believer?

[Alienated Being]

It's not effective, regardless of the circumstance.

[Simbi Laveau]

All prayer,chants ,mantras,are faith based . Some,have meaning mathematically .

How this works,is actually beyond me,but its very important in Hinduism .

A person using it with rote memorization,will have some benefit,but not like a person doing it with faith.

Given the lords prayer is part of the rite of exorcism for the Catholic church,I dare say ,some people believe in it .

[Inn Spectre]

This question occurred to me while watching a paranormal show. Do you think that the Lord's Prayer is effective in an investigation when used by a non-believer?

How would a believer consider it effective?

• Demonstrating that you're a religious maniac?
  
• Demonstrating that you're not too scared to talk?
  
• Acting as an echo-location signal when your flashlight dies?
  

I suppose a non-believer could use it if fear causes him to get religion.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

as with vampires in certain fiction, it all depends on the faith you have and less the words - case in fictionsl point Kitty Pryde of the X-Men couldn't hold off Dracula with a xrucifx because she's a Jew but the Star of David worked a treat. Or in the old Doctor Who story Curse of Fenric, the Soviet officer's faith in Communism and th Doctor's in his companions protected them while the priest who lost his faith wasn't protected at all.

As for how it works in reality ... I'm happy to work on th same principle - you have to believe it'll have and effect for it to have an effect.

[Amber75]

I am a believer in God, a Creator, a maker of the universe, whatever you want to call it. There IS good and evil in this this world and in the next. Every culture on this earth has a different belief in something that greater than ourselves.

YES. Saying the Lord's Prayer, or even just asking for protection from positive spirits is a good idea. You do have to feel and believe in what your saying and asking for though.

For a non-believer: I would say to keep your mind strong, be alert on an investigation. Don't go alone! Take your cell phone! Some of these places are dangerous (falling down, drug dens, etc) I do believe in evil and dark spirits though, and one of their tactics is to influence the mind with negativity. Be strong so that you can recognize this if this starts to happen, and use your will to fight against it. Don't let the ghost, spirit, thing hurt you.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Amber75

[Ronseal]

Maybe it makes the investigator feel safe and stops him from showing fear so "What ever is lerking about" fails at attaching itself to one?

[MysticStrummer]

I'm not a religious person, but I have a collection of "sacred" texts from different faiths because the subject of what people believe interests me. I had an online friend who was being attacked by something she couldn't see. I would hear these attacks, among other things, over my headset. Long story made very short... eventually exorcism was attempted, which finally succeeded after multiple tries.

While the attacks were still happening I would get out a bible, mainly because it was the only one of my books that I knew well enough to be able to open straight to a prayer, which was the Lord's Prayer. When I read other parts of the bible there was no reaction, but reading the Lord's Prayer always provoked a reaction of some kind, even when I read it silently. Heavy breathing, growling, cursing, taunting, and/or threatening.

Oddly enough I'm still not religious, but I believe that prayer did something.

That's my two cents.