This is the part that I object the most to. To say that every form of meditation or introspection is equivalent to prayer trivializes the unigqueness of different belief systems. Also, be careful how you define religion. The definition that only a god-centric belief system can be called a religion is rather self-serving. It could be compared to the "definition" that marriage is defined as the union between a man and a woman; harmless at first glance, but with widespread ramifications for those whose beliefs fall outside of those definitions. All I'm saying is to be careful about statements like that which contain insidious assumptions. As a devout atheist, and yes, there is such a thing, I do find that kind of statement to be extremely narrow. I do not dismiss the beliefs of those who believe in prayer, and would like the same considerations in return. I'm certain I am not alone in this here either. It's simply a matter of mutual respect. Thanks.
