[graemep]

I guess you are the product of a culture formed by a theistic religion?

Buddhism has some very different ideas. Its also quite varied - Theravada is more different from Zen than protestant Christianity is from Catholic or Orthodox.

Most types of Christian prayer are about having in effect on yourself, so it would not make sense. Even intercessionary prayer is a personal request, so this sort of thing sounds wrong, but the prayer wheels arise from completely different beliefs.

[Almondsetat]

I fail to see how your reply is remotely relevant to what I've said. Any way you put it this seems like a convenient "tradition" to allow people to pray less but make them feel as if they prayed more

[tom_]

But what if that's not how prayer works? What if rotating the prayer wheels is just as effective as saying the prayers out loud? And what if that effect really can be multiplied up mechanically, somehow, and what if it doesn't actually matter whether people say them out loud or not? There'd be little reason not to use prayer wheels. And the people using them would be doing the exact opposite of praying less. They'd be praying more!

You're claiming prayers are not real, but then seem not to be following through fully with this, by subsequently assuming that if they were real, it would be inevitable that they'd have to operate in some particular way. But that wouldn't automatically follow. I think this is the reply's point.

[Almondsetat]

My point is that since writing is a human invention (and a recent one at that), having a tradition where you can conveniently multiply your prayers through scripture seems utterly convenient and manufactured

[joemazerino]

Couldn't have a snide reply on a prayer wheel grift without somehow inflicting a jab at Christianity, now could you?

[graemep]

I think you have misunderstood me. "it does not make sense" is not a jab at Christianity (or Buddhism). The intended meaning is that something like a prayer wheel would not make sense given Christian beliefs but may do given particular Buddhist beliefs.

[joemazerino]

False. Catholics pray the rosary which would be equivalent.