"It goes to show that these people don't really have an answer when things get really bad."
It seems it is the believers that don't have the answers IMO.
A disaster happens and most die and maybe one survives, and they declare it a "miracle". What a capricious god is that? Of course they don't worry about the believers that died! Perhaps they weren't holy enough.
Could it be that stuff happens!
As for asking for prayer, I never would. When I went in for a bypass, my sister asked could she pray for me. She is very religious. Now if she had asked "would I like to be prayed for", I would have said "no", but because she asked "could she", I said "Sure, it can't hurt", because I was impressed she asked me first, which showed she understood my beliefs (atheist) and because I knew it showed she cared and would spend time on my behalf and that she would feel better having done it.
As for being a believer or not, there will be no death bed conversion for me. I was a believer for a short period and then concluded it was nonsense.
If I am wrong and on reaching the pearly gates, am asked why I didn't believe, my response will be "I looked at it and after investigation and thought, considered it nonsense, did you want me to pretend to believe or be true to my conscience?"
If that's not good enough then so be it.
Surely we all would have the same answer, and if that isn't good enough and are to be punished then it is a strange god we have.
I am happy to have one life and then nothing. One life is enough.
