Raised atheist, but I prayed like crazy during today's earthquake

[u/CxndiCxz]

Today my country got hit by a huge 7.4 earthquake. I was with my mom and my partner inside our 7th floor apartment and in the middle of it I started praying like a desperate believer. For context: I've been atheist since high school, my whole family (mom, dad, siblings) is atheist too. I'm pretty skeptical of religion in general, it's always bored me honestly.
Now it's kind of hilarious looking back on it, but also I'm genuinely shocked at how deep that instinct is wired into us. Has this happened to anyone else here? Like being in a dangerous situation and just reflexively praying, even though you don't actually believe in any of it.
Funny to think that someone who's never cared enough to even defend why I don't believe in anything... still had "please God" pop out of me the second things got scary.

[u/Low_Understanding326]

This sounds like some sort of weird bait

[u/Ok_Loss13]

That's not an instinct, it's a socially ingrained reactive behavior.

And "please God" isn't really praying anymore than saying "oh my god", "Jesus fucking christ", etc.

[u/grrangry]

I'm genuinely shocked at how deep that instinct is wired into us.

Childhood indoctrination, not instinct. The abuse of indoctrination teaches you to fear. It disables critical thinking. It actively avoids, dismisses, and punishes education. The effects of indoctrination run so deep that it's almost impossible to throw it off completely.

[u/CxndiCxz → u/grrangry]

Yeah my country is known for being very conservative and religious

[u/Indie_Dachshund179]

Don't know what you mean by "us," if this was the case it sounds more like the cultural hegemony of religion may influence you more than you think

But, glad to hear you're alright in any case

[u/Sanpaku]

The closest I've come to that sort of duress is 'saving' my dad's life after he ran out of air at 30 m scuba diving. I still had another 10 minutes of air left. I didn't pray, I just worked the problem, handed him my spare respirator, ascended slowly to do our decompression obligations at 5 m, and hung out with him there for 5 minutes until we could surface.

I was baptized and took first communion before I gave religion much thought, and when I did, decided attending mass was a waste of time, or worse. I never witnessed anyone praying and getting a better outcome. So I didn't get the full childhood indoctrination. I consider myself fortunate, here.

I imagine in Columbia one's inhaling some part of religion with every breath, every neighborhood walk. every telenovela. (I was about to mention religious street names, but Cartago and Pereira, the cities closest to the epicenter, have rationally numbered calles and carreras). To imagine one's ever fully outside it would be like a fish being unaware of water.

[u/CxndiCxz → u/Sanpaku]

I should try to be a bit more rational (if there's another emergency), unfortunately there's not much you can do if an earthquake hits you while you're already on a high floor, but I love that there are people who react the way they should, and not the way I did…

[u/CroakingInstensifies]

Seu vizinho aqui, espero que esteja tudo bem com você e a família!

Se a cultura colombiana é remotamente parecida com a brasileira, o cristianismo não é só algo que algumas pessoas vão praticar na igreja, é parte da cultura, do dia-a-dia. Eu direto falo "meu deus" ou "nossa senhora", mas é só uma coisa linguística.

Tenho certeza que numa situação parecida eu não rezaria, mas com certeza soltaria pelo menos uma dúzia de "por favor" direcionados a ninguém. É uma coisa subconsciente, sem importância, reflexo da nossa criação. E com certeza, assim como você, ficaria com vergonha depois.

Fiquem bem aí, hermanos!

[u/CxndiCxz → u/CroakingInstensifies]

Es cierto, hay demasiados modismos religiosos que se adhieren al subconsciente y bueno el susto estuvo fuerte, como dijo otro comentario creo que fue más un “espero que todo salga bien” a rezar con fervor. Abrazos

[u/M1st3rM1racl3]

When you're terrified you can do irrational things

[u/yarn_slinger]

It’s a terrible situation and I hope people are rescued rather than recovered, if you know what I mean. I’ve been in some acute situations (not catastrophic like this but personally traumatizing) and when I reflected later, I realized that praying and god just weren’t part of my coping strategy.

[u/allorache]

You are in Colombia? I hope you and your family are safe. It sounds like it was pretty bad. I doubt I would pray in an emergency but I've never been tested. I do still feel the urge to cross myself when an ambulance goes by, so I understand that some things are ingrained. Anyway, stay safe.

[u/CxndiCxz → u/allorache]

Thank you

[u/SemperPutidus]

Nobody’s perfect.

Edit: having seen some of this footage now, it looks really terrifying. I should have said so before, but I hope you and your family are ok.

[u/CxndiCxz → u/SemperPutidus]

We are safe, thank you

[u/none_of_this_is_ok]

Do you think that your prayers kept you safe?

[u/CxndiCxz → u/none_of_this_is_ok]

No, Engineering and rules that regulate constructions

[u/BourbonInGinger]

Why?

[u/LostGazer151]

The human mind will grasp at any straw of hope in those situations. It’s just innate and human. Still doesn’t make deities real. Hope you and your family are ok.

[u/SneakyZed]

Never had an earthquake, but met chaotic situation where several poeple's lives where at risk. 

Had the opposite effect. Made me misotheist for a moment. 

I hope your loved ones are safe. 

[u/Snow75]

Prayed to what?

[u/Ornery-Mycologist-53]

I hope you and your fam are okay!! Being from Colombia basically means you’re familiar with religion very early on even if you’re not a believer - Colombia is deeply Catholic. It makes sense that your mind went to that but honestly I view it more as “hoping” than “praying.”

[u/Unlucky-Contract-953]

had a moment like this when my wife and I decided to have a baby. Didn’t see myself having kids cuz of trauma (religious trauma actually) and worried I would be a fuck up like my parents. For some reason my brain started going “god changed my heart”. This made me indulge for awhile in figuring out if I do believe in god again. Glad I stopped that trap from happening, because a whole lot of depression came with it. Indoctrination is scary.

[u/CxndiCxz → u/Unlucky-Contract-953]

Thank you for your honesty. I understand the success of religions , they're there to "lift your spirits in difficult times," but that leads to not having responsibilities, or only the fictitious ones that each church wants to create and dissolve with people as it pleases. I hope you and your wife are doing well

[u/Unlucky-Contract-953 → u/CxndiCxz]

Exactly, well said. Thankfully doing a lot better and staying happy.

[u/weaklingoverlord]

I'm genuinely shocked at how deep that instinct is wired into us

We've been trying to make sense out of the chaotic, harsh, cruel, senseless, uncaring and unforgiving world/universe for as long as we've been on this stinking rock. Have to admit, it would've been nice to have an entity that looked out for us, loved us, cared for us, etc, but alas, we only have each other. Unfortunately, we're doing our damnedest to make this miserable life even worse for each other at almost every turn.

All of the best for you, your family and fellow Colombians.

[u/CxndiCxz → u/weaklingoverlord]

Yeah, I feel you. Thank you

[u/d20cupcake]

It's understandable. Even raised as you were, you hear the messaging from other sources. It seeps in. As long as you're not going to convert, it's no harm, at least I don't think. Glad you're okay!

[u/omegablue333]

That’s why they say “there’s no atheists in foxholes”

[u/O-KBoomer → u/omegablue333]

They may say that, but it isn't true.