Its a coping mechanism for many things. edit: Id really like to share this response from a thesit, which reenforces my statement. Someone had talked about praying for the people in boston. I scoffed at it, saying why, why pray when you can do. This is the response i got. [quote]there is tons to pray for... the ones who are injured, the families/ loved ones left behind, understanding, prevention, coping, togetherness and support, the knowledge and know how of the doctors surgeons and grief counselors to help bring people through this, ect. there is a lot to pray for, most people feel helpless and are just trying to cope with the tragedy and praying is all they have.[/quote] I responded saying, go donate blood, time of money, thats a way to be proactive, instead of just 'praying' Its a way for people to cope, same as faith. They dont have the answers, or perhaps dont want to accept them, and this is a way around addressing these issues morally, intellectually, or emotionally.